International Relations Office

International Research Attachments (i-RAP)

NUS - Imperial College London Summer International Research Exchange


What is this programme about?

NUS and ICL have partnered to offer Santander Undergraduate Research Exchange (SURE) Program since summer 2011. The SURE Programme allows young researchers at NUS and ICL to spend the summer at the partner University’s laboratories conducting supervised research work. The exchange programme has received a generous financial contribution from Santander Bank.

NUS students will spend time in a lab or office where they will conduct research under the supervision of a supervisor/PhD student. Independent and creative thinking is highly encouraged by supervisors based in Imperial.

In summer 2012, Imperial College London offers 6 summer research projects which provide up to 12 vacancies in the following department/institutes:

 
  • National Heart and Lung Institute
  • Department of Bioengineering
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Division of Ecology and Evolution
  • Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Department Surgery and Cancer


A list of research projects can be found here.


When does the programme take place?

May – August

The attachment should last for a minimum of eight weeks. Preparatory work at home prior to departure might be required at the discretion of supervisors and will not count towards 8 week requirement. Attachments of 10 weeks or longer are encouraged. Students are to negotiate exact start and end date with their host professors.


Where does the programme take place?

Imperial College London, London, the United Kingdom

Consistently rated amongst the world’s best universities, Imperial College London (ICL) came 7th in the QS World University Rankings in 2011. Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in science, technology, medicine and engineering. It is one of the most male-dominated universities in the UK.


What is the research content?

Multi-disciplinary across all faculties.

Academic credit MAY be available. Credit for the attachment is strictly at the student’s discretion. Students interested in obtaining credit must work with their faculty for credit mapping. IRO does not apply for credit transfer on the students’ behalf.


What is the student accommodation?

Campus housing at Imperial is available from July 2 July 29 from £119.70 per week (summer rate) and will be reserved for NUS students who are interested. Information on on-campus accommodation can be found here.

Students arriving before July 2 and stay on after July 29 will need to arrange for off-campus accommodation on their own for the period when student housing at ICL is unavailable or choose to stay off-campus for their entire attachment. 

For summer 2012, accommodation at Imperial campus is expected to be extremely limited due to the Olympics Games and Paralympic Games. Students are encouraged to arrange for their own accommodation using alternative options (staying with relatives and friends or booking hostels early in advance).

All students must secure their housing for the duration of their programme prior to their arrival in London. 

Below are different options for off-campus accommodation:

 

 

How much does the programme cost?

Tuition fees are waived by Imperial College London. All other expenses are to be covered by the student. An estimate of living expenses below should give a good indication of cost.

Airfare
S$1,500
Visa
$150
Insurance
S$50
Accommodation
£360-£600/month
Local Transportation
£60/month
Meals
£200/month
Personal Spending
£200/month
Monthly estimated expenses
£800 - £1,000
Estimated expenses for a 3 month attachment including airfare, visa fee and insurance
S$6,000 – S$7,000


Please note, these are estimated expenses and actual expenses may differ based on price shifts and personal spending habits!


Is financial assistance available?

Yes. Students can apply for a Study and Travel Grant from the International Relations Office.


How many placements are available?

6 research projects with a maximum of 12 vacancies


What are the eligibility requirements?

 
  • NUS undergraduates from any faculty who have completed at least one year of study at NUS prior to participating in this programme
  • Students should not be in their graduating semester prior to participating in the programme.
  • CAP of 3.0 and above

 

Is a visa required?

*The London 2012 Games will be the biggest event that the UK has hosted and many extra visitors will arrive during the busy summer period in 2012. Students are encouraged to apply for a visa and make their travel arrangements early. 

As you are undertaking study at Imperial College London you will be required to apply for a Student Visitor Visa. The Student Visitor Visa allows students to come to the UK for a period of up to six months in order to undertake a short course of study, or complete certain academic requirements of their course after their Tier 4 (General) Student visa has expired. For more information about the Student Visitor Visa, please consult the UKBA website.

Please note that if you enter the UK as a Student Visitor you are not entitled to:

 
  • Work (paid, unpaid, voluntary or as part of a work placement or internship)
  • Extend your visa in the UK, or switch to a different visa category from within the UK
  • Bring dependants


How do I apply for a Student Visitor Visa?

The process of obtaining a Student Visitor Visa varies depending on your nationality. Some students (referred to as non-visa nationals) are able to come to the UK as a Student Visitor without prior Entry Clearance and others (visa-nationals) are required to apply for Entry Clearance as a Student Visitor before travelling to the UK.
To find out which category you belong to, please visit this website.


Visa-nationals

Citizens of some countries must apply for Entry Clearance (a visa) to come to the UK for any purpose and for any length of time. These citizens are known as visa-nationals.

Students who fall into the visa-national category must make an application for Entry Clearance as a Student Visitor from their home country. This application must be approved and a visa issued as a sticker in their passport before they can travel to the UK.

To apply for a Student Visitor Visa, you need to fill in application form VAF1D.

Please refer to part 11 of the application form for a full list of supporting documents that you need to provide with your application. These include:

 
  • An original letter from Imperial College stating your personal details (name and CID number) and confirming the date(s) of your course / resit exams.
    This will be provided once you have been accepted to Imperial.
  • Bank Statements covering a period of at least 3 months which prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your time in the UK (we recommend at least £800 per month that you intend to be in the country, in addition to any outstanding course fees).
  • We highly recommend that in addition to submitting these supporting documents with your visa application you also carry them with you when you travel to the UK, so that you can present them if asked to do so by an Immigration Officer at the UK Border.

 

Non-visa nationals

Citizens of certain countries (non-visa nationals) are able to come to the UK as a Student Visitor without first applying for Entry Clearance (a visa issued as a sticker in your passport). Instead, these citizens can be stamped in on arrival as a Student Visitor at the UK Border.

Students who fall into the non-visa national category must make it clear to the Immigration Officer at the UK border that they are entering the UK for the purpose of study rather than a general visit. They will not need to fill in an application form, but will be required to show the following documentation at the border:

 
  • An original letter from Imperial College stating your personal details (name and CID number) and confirming the date(s) of your course / resit exams.
    This will be provided once you have been accepted to Imperial.
  • Bank Statements covering a period of at least 3 months which prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your time in the UK (we recommend at least £800 per month that you intend to be in the country, in addition to any outstanding course fees).


If you have questions about visa regulations and visa application procedures please consult the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Singapore.

British High Commission
Singapore 
100 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247919

Visa Application Centre
138 Robinson
Road 07-01/02
The Corporate Office Singapore 068906

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have proper entry documents for all countries they plan to visit as part of this programme!


How do I apply?

Application Deadline is on Thursday, 23 February 2012.

Applications and Required Documents:

 


Students are to combine application forms and supporting document in one single pdf file in the above order and submit via email to the IRO contact provided at the end of this page.


Who can I contact for more information?

Mai CHU (Ms)
Phone: (+65) 6516 1190
Email: iroctm@nus.edu.sg


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