URB@N: the story so far

The URB@N Scheme (Undergraduate Research Bursaries @ Northampton) has been running at the University of Northampton since the 2008/9 academic year, and has grown into an embedded, institutionally recognised scheme. URB@N involves undergraduate students working as researchers alongside staff on pedagogic research projects which investigate various aspects of the student experience. In this paper, I will discuss the underpinnings behind URB@N, and how it aligns with current agendas in higher education landscape around the notion of staff-student partnerships (Little, 2011). I will also explore staff and student experiences of participating in the scheme, based on evidence gained from participant feedback, student reflective accounts, and a selection of interviews with staff and students who have been involved. The data gathered so far presents an array of beneficial outcomes, with positive impacts being identified for staff, students and the university as a whole. Some of these benefits include research and employability skills, access to the student voice, authentic data, increase in research activity, and enhancement of the student experience through the implementation of project outcomes. There are however some challenges for schemes such as URB@N, which I will consider in terms of potential barriers for staff and students working in partnership.