Scholarship Projects for Undergraduate Researchers (SPUR)
Learn about SPUR – our funded scheme that offers undergraduate students a taste of collaborative academic research.
About SPUR

The Scholarship Projects for Undergraduate Researchers (SPUR) scheme offers valuable funded opportunities for NTU students to collaborate with academic staff on cutting-edge research projects in their area of interest.
Working together in this way allows for the development of new knowledge that feeds into the curriculum and enhances the student academic experience, both for the individual and the wider student community.
The scheme gives participating students a taste of what is likely to be their first experience of academic research and has inspired many former NTU graduates to consider academia as a career path.
SPUR schemes at NTU
The SPUR scheme has been running for over ten years and prides itself on providing the opportunity for academics and students to work together on a research project. Many of these projects been presented in Parliament. Some have developed into journal articles co-authored by staff and students. We even have one example of a previous SPUR student becoming a SPUR academic mentor!
SPUR-SoTL
Two additional bursaries are available for research projects relating to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Colleagues may propose projects for staff and students to collaborate on research into learning and teaching, which demonstrates the potential to enhance the student academic experience.
Previous SPUR Projects
You can access information about past SPUR projects by logging in to Thrive (NTU staff/student log-in required).
Video gallery
Hear from past and present students who've taken part in SPUR.
“It has influenced me a great deal in terms of my career path. Yet on a more personal and intrinsic level it has given me much more confidence and self-belief”.
Past SPUR Award Holder
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