Introduction

FYP-URECA is a Final Year project (FYP) that is conducted as a continuation of an earlier URECA project, carried out by a student during 2nd and/or 3rd year of study.  Students can choose one of two streams of FYP-URECA.  The main stream is the Research Group known as the FYP-URECA-Research Group (FYP-URECA-RG) which has a strong research orientation.  A small and selective stream is the Technopreneur Group known as the FYP-URECA-Technopreneur Group (FYP-URECA-TG) which has a strong orientation of commercialization of applied research.  One of the objectives of the FYP-URECA is to give students an opportunity to explore research beyond the existing 2nd and/or 3rd year URECA.  Individual FYP-URECA proposal should be submitted for each FYP student and if the FYP-URECA is carried out as a group work, the grouping should be done outside the URECA system.  All inquiries on FYP-URECA-TG should be addressed to FYP-URECA Coordinator Prof. Perry Shum Ping. Other enquiries should be sent to ureca5@ntu.edu.sg.

Criteria for Selection (Eligibility for FYP-URECA)

• Student has done URECA or DSO-URECA in at least one academic year prior to the start of FYP                      and
• FYP-URECA supervisor (or one of the FYP-URECA supervisors) is the former URECA professors* of the student                          and
• FYP-URECA supervisor (or one of the FYP-URECA supervisors) must be from the student’s school (to satisfy School requirement)                    and
• Both professor and student are agreeable to participate in the FYP-URECA programme.

* If a student was earlier supervised by more than one URECA professor, each professor will be invited but only one application per student can be made and the decision should be made among the professors and student.

Objectives

FYP-URECA- Research Group
(FYP-URECA-RG)

FYP-URECA-Technopreneur Group
(FYP-URECA-TG)

The objective of the FYP-URECA-RG is to encourage and nurture top NTU students to become researchers and to provide required assistance and help to those students who would like to apply for postgraduate research (MEng, PhD).  For example the FYP-URECA could be the preliminary study or feasibility study of a potential Master or PhD research for the student.

Expected outcome of FYP-URECA-RG is research experience, research paper, research poster, conference/journal publications and subsequently, successful postgraduate research in NTU.

The objective of URECA-TG is to encourage and train top NTU students to become Technopreneurs and to provide required assistance and help to those students who would like to consider commercialization of their research outcome.

Expected outcome of FYP-URECA-TG is research experience, Technopreneurship experience, research poster, research paper, possible patents, successful application for Proof of Concept Fund from Innovation & Technology Transfer Office (ITTO) and commercialization of the research with the support of ITTO.

Procedures (Refer to flow chart)

FYP-URECA- Research Group
(FYP-URECA-RG)

FYP-URECA-Technopreneur Group
(FYP-URECA-TG)

• Eligible staff and students will be invited to apply for FYP-URECA-RG in February.
• Academic staff submit the FYP-URECA-RG proposal electronically through the URECA STAFFLINK system after discussing with interested students. (some students may be eligible under more than one professor). Proposals will be forwarded to the individual school’s FYP coordinator.

• Forwarded FYP-URECA-RG proposal will be assessed by the FYP coordinator of the individual schools and accepted proposals will be logged in the school’s FYP system.
• All FYP-URECA projects are treated as normal FYP projects for assessment, report submission and critical dates, strictly following the individual school’s (student’s) own FYP procedures.

• Eligible staff and students will be invited to FYP-URECA-TG in February.
• Academic staff submit the FYP-URECA-TG proposal electronically through the URECA STAFFLINK system after discussing with interested students. (some students may be eligible under more than one professor)
• Submitted FYP-URECA proposal will be assessed by the FYP-URECA-TG coordinator and accepted proposals will be forwarded to the individual school’s FYP coordinator.
• Forwarded FYP-URECA-TG proposal will be assessed by the FYP coordinator of the individual schools and accepted proposals will be logged in the school’s FYP system.
• All FYP-URECA projects are treated as normal FYP projects for assessment, report submission and critical dates, strictly following the individual school’s (student’s) own FYP procedures.
• Every URECA-TG project will be jointly supervised by both TG Advisors and respective supervisors of students and graded by academic staff members.

Additional Deliverables (Additional to the individual school’s own FYP requirements)

FYP-URECA- Research Group
(FYP-URECA-RG)

FYP-URECA-Technopreneur Group
(FYP-URECA-TG)

FYP-URECA-RG students are expected to:

• Submit posters and participate in the URECA Poster Exhibition, showcasing their work.
• Submit a research paper for the Proceedings of the URECA@NTU.
• Encouraged to submit joint research papers for publication with student’s name as the first author.

FYP-URECA-TG students are expected to:

• Submit posters and participate in the URECA Poster Exhibition, showcasing their work.
• Submit a research paper for the Proceedings of the URECA@NTU.
• Participate in Business Plan Competition organized by Nanyang Technopreneurship Center & take up Minor in Entrepreneurship course.
• Students are expected to reach prototype stage towards the end of the project.

Rewards to FYP-URECA students and supervisors

• FYP-URECA students receive no hourly stipends
• FYP-URECA students will receive certificate, and token of appreciation for participation in the URECA Poster Exhibition and may win prizes.
• Cash awards up to $1000 to be given to student/professor to be shared between, whose research paper has been accepted for publication in a reputed journal with student being the 1st author.
• Top-up of up-to $1500 to be awarded to FYP-URECA students to attend reputable conference that are supported by their respective school with student being the 1st author.
• FYP-URECA-TG only: Proof of Concept fund of up to $50,000 is available from ITTO for successful applicants to cover manpower, prototype cost, consumable etc.

Rewards/Incentives to the schools

Each registered FYP-URECA project (FYP-URECA-RG and FYP-URECA-TG) is granted $800 per project, paid to the school as FYP consumable spends. This is in addition to school’s normal FYP fund. The criteria for spend of FYP-URECA consumable is exactly same as the School FYP Fund.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

FYP-URECA- Research Group
(FYP-URECA-RG)

FYP-URECA-Technopreneur Group
(FYP-URECA-TG)

The KPI of FYP-URECA-RG is the number of FYP-URECA students successfully secured Master or PhD research candidature in a graduate school at NTU upon completing their undergraduate studies.

The KPI of FYP-URECA-TG is the number of FYP-URECA-TG students managed to successfully receive Proof of Concept funding from ITTO, successfully applied for patent or attract genuine interest form industrial players or venture capitalists.

Milestones (synchronized with school calendar)

Faburary last week                               Call for FYP-URECA
First week of March                               Registration of FYP-URECA with the school
Start of FYP-URECA-RG / TG                   As per school guidelines