Destination Report

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program


October 2022



Citation

Miller, K. (2022). Destination Report: Undergraduate 
Research Opportunities Program. Canberra: CSIRO.

Copyright

© Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research 
Organisation 2022. To the extent permitted by law, all 
rights are reserved, and no part of this publication covered 
by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or 
by any means except with the written permission of CSIRO.



Introduction

The CSIRO Education and Outreach Impact and Evaluation team (I&E team) produced this report 
to provide key stakeholders with high-level insights about the self-reported contributions the 
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) has made to participants’ longer-term 
education and career outcomes. One of the main goals of UROP is to increase the retention of 
students in post-graduate biomedical education, and subsequent biomedical research careers.

The I&E team has made every effort to ensure the 
accuracy of the findings presented in this report. 
However, given certain constraints of the methodology 
(e.g. primarily based on self-report), some caution 
should be exercised when interpreting and responding 
to this report, particularly in relation to UROP 
causing versus contributing to certain outcomes. 

The primary purpose of this report is to show the 
influence UROP had on participants several years after 
they took part in the program. This initial longitudinal 
research is contributing to the wider ongoing monitoring 
and evaluation of UROP outcomes – by helping 
supplement immediate program feedback with more 
in-depth and holistic perceptions of UROP through 
the lens of time. The report is not focused on program 
improvements and so recommendations were not 
in scope. Any learnings about UROP’s implementation 
are explored in the annual monitoring updates provided 
to the CSIRO program team and the program’s funder 
CSL, which focuses more on timely feedback and insights 
from recent UROP participants and supervisors. 

The I&E team would like to thank all the previous UROP 
participants who generously volunteered their time to 
participate in interviews and provide detailed responses 
to the survey. Their insights were invaluable, and their 
education and career achievements were inspiring. 
In particular, we would like to thank Scott Gigante, 
Peter Hickey, Michelle Meilak, Catriona Nguyen‑Robertson, 
Halina Pietrzak, Ben Porebski and David Riglar who 
participated in follow-up interviews and agreed to 
be featured in case studies (see Appendix B)1. 

Finally, thanks to CSIRO colleagues – Jason Barkla, 
Manager of Industrial Readiness Programs; Lisa 
Walker, Principal Advisor in Impact and Evaluation; 
and Renate Hays and Thomas Keenan from the CSIRO 
Impact and Performance team – for peer reviewing 
this report and providing constructive feedback.

1 All interview participants consented to being named and featured as a UROP case study. 



Executive summary

UROP is a paid work integrated learning program targeted at Victorian STEM 
undergraduates in their penultimate year of study. It has been operating since 2004, 
with 718 students completing their UROP placement by the time of writing this report. 
This destination research was conducted to gain a clearer understanding about the extent 
UROP has influenced participants’ longer-term education and career pathways.

The findings in this destination report are based on:

• survey results from 65 former UROP participants, 
representing a 39 per cent response rate2
• seven case-study interviews3. 


Self-reported feedback from former participants 
indicates a substantial positive perception of 
UROP. Key insights from the survey include:

• most stated that UROP had a ‘significant’ or ‘extreme’ 
impact on their education and/or career decisions (82%)
• the majority indicated that UROP had motivated 
them to pursue a career in STEM (60%)
• most were studying, or had completed a 
post-graduate qualification (81%)
• over a third of respondents were working in a job 
directly related to the research they completed 
during their UROP placement (35%)
• nearly all respondents said they would 
recommend the program to current 
undergraduate tertiary students (98%).


The case study interviews allowed for an 
in‑depth follow-up to the survey data collected. 
Common themes from the interviews were:

• UROP had helped ease participants’ transition 
into honours and post-graduate qualifications
• the UROP salary allowed participants to quit working 
part-time jobs unrelated to STEM and focus solely on 
their study and developing research experience
• UROP had exposed participants to research 
experience that would not have been possible 
through their undergraduate degrees.


2 The destination survey was sent to a sub-sample of previous participants (n=167) who had agreed to be contacted after completing their UROP placement. 
Since 2004, over 700 Victorian tertiary students have participated in UROP.

3 The interviewees were selected from survey respondents who volunteered to be contacted for an interview. The interviewees were selected by a number of 
factors, which included: the year they completed their UROP placement; their education pathway; current profession, and open text responses.



Background

This section provides background information about the Undergraduate Research 
Opportunities Program (UROP) to assist in the interpretation of the findings.

About UROP

UROP was launched in 2004 by Biomedical Research 
Victoria, with CSIRO taking over facilitation of the program 
in 2020. It is currently financially supported by CSL.

The program is targeted at Victorian students studying 
STEM undergraduate degrees; providing approximately 
50 students each year with the opportunity to 
complete paid work experience across a number of 
biomedical research organisations. The purpose of 
UROP is to provide students with exposure to genuine 
STEM research experiences, which will hopefully 
in turn support their transition into post-graduate 
STEM research and then onto biomedical careers. 

CSIRO manages the sourcing of projects and supervisors, 
recruitment and matching of students with projects, 
and ongoing support throughout the placement. 
This includes an annual UROP conference day for 
students to present their research findings and to 
network with other UROP students and supervisors. 

Research organisations pay participating students a 
casual research assistant hourly rate and are responsible 
for all placement administration. Supervisors are 
required to monitor student progress, and students 
work full time upon commencement during the summer 
or winter break and then roughly eight hours per 
week for between 6 and 12 months, depending on the 
arrangement they have with the research organisation.

Selection and demographics 

The program is highly competitive, with students able 
to apply to for a placement twice per year. Students are 
selected to participate in the program based on a written 
application that outlines their motivations, interests in 
research, and their current skills and work experience. 
The application is further supported by their resume 
and university academic results. Students are eligible 
to participate in either a biomedical, computational 
or mixed biomedical-computational placements4. 

Since 2004, UROP has hosted more than 700 undergraduate 
students from a range of degrees. Given UROP’s focus 
on increasing the number of students transitioning into 
biomedical research, the program specifically targets 
students from undergraduate STEM degrees. The largest 
cohort are students studying a Bachelor of Science 
(42%), but others include those doing applied science 
or technology, medical or engineering degrees.

Wages and funding

UROP has been financially supported by CSL since 2010. 
This funding contributes towards the management 
and delivery of the program (including ongoing 
monitoring and evaluation). CSIRO covers any 
funding shortfalls required in the delivery of UROP. 
Salaries for participating students are funded in full by the 
research organisation that is hosting their placement. 

4 Of the 706 historical UROP placements that have a placement type recorded, 68% were biomedical/wet lab, 25% computational, and 7% mixed. 



Evaluation of UROP

Since CSIRO took over the facilitation of UROP in 2020, a 
proportion of program funding has been made available 
to resource the ongoing collection, collation and reporting 
of relevant evaluation data. A ‘Theory of Change’ approach 
has been taken with the evaluation of UROP, and an Impact 
Pathway5 developed to highlight key program outcomes. 

This initial research makes up one component of the 
overall evaluation of UROP by focusing on the longer‑term 
outcomes of past participants and using case-based 
evaluation techniques to illustrate impact. It has been 
written with key external and internal stakeholders 
in mind, however, insights gleaned from this report 
should help inform wider policy and program design. 

Report methodology

To gain a more complete understanding about 
UROP participants’ education and career pathways 
since their participation in the program, the I&E 
team sent an online survey in late 2021 to 167 
participants6 who had finished their UROP placement 
between 2004 and 2021. One reminder was sent, 
and survey respondents had the option to volunteer 
to be contacted for a follow-up interview. 

Data collected included:

• survey results from 65 former UROP participants7, 
representing a 39 per cent response rate
• seven case-study interviews with a 
selection of survey respondents. 


Readers should note the potential selection bias associated 
with the data collected in this report, and take this into 
account when interpreting the results. It is strongly assumed 
that previous participants who had a positive experience 
of UROP are more likely to agree to be contacted by the 
program team and to subsequently complete a survey about 
their involvement than those who did not. This potential 
bias may be reduced in future years with the collection 
of education and employment information via LinkedIn. 

In early 2022 the I&E team gained ethics approval 
to track UROP participants’ education and career 
outcomes via Linkedin commencing in 2022. 
It is expected that with participants’ consent, the I&E 
team will be able to track the destination of UROP 
participants more effectively after they complete their 
placement; helping to gain a better understanding of 
the potential longer-term impacts of the program. 

5 An Impact Pathway for UROP was developed in 2021, outlining its short, medium, and longer-term outcomes. Before this, the program operated with a 
smaller and more generic set of program goals. Therefore, this report does not retrospectively apply the more detailed set of outcomes to the findings from 
former participants. Rather, the findings are interpreted within the broad program goals of helping students gain real-world lab experience and facilitate 
education and career goals. As such, the Impact Pathway has not been included for reference in this report.

6 The destination survey was sent to a sub-sample of previous participants who had agreed to be contacted after completing their UROP placement. Since 
2004, over 700 Victorian tertiary students have participated in UROP.

7 Sixty-three respondents fully completed the survey. 



Key insights

The report findings are presented by key themes and against the overarching success criteria of 
UROP. Due to the type of data collected (non‑experimental and mostly self-report), causation cannot 
be proved – rather only inferences in terms of the extent to which UROP has influenced previous 
participants’ skills, interest in STEM research and their education and/or career outcomes.

Please note, not all respondents answered every 
survey question. As such, when discussing 
proportions for each question, the sample size (n=X) 
is included to provide clarity around how many 
respondents completed that specific question.

UROP has greatly impacted 
participants’ education and / 
or career pathway decisions

Previous UROP participants stated that being exposed to 
genuine research and interacting with other researchers 
had meaningfully influenced their choices about what 
to do after undergraduate studies. In the survey, most 
respondents (82%) emphasised the significant or extreme 
impact UROP had on their education and/or career 
decisions (Figure 1). In a separate question (n=63), another 
68 per cent ‘strongly agreed’ that UROP had informed their 
career pathway, and 60 per cent stated the program had 
motivated them to pursue a career in STEM. Of those who 
reported that UROP had an ‘extreme’ impact (n=14), 71 per 
cent had completed a PhD and 57 per cent were working in 
the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry. 

Figure 1: Impact of UROP on participants’ education and/or 
career pathways (n=65)

Note: no respondents selected ‘no’ or ‘slight’ impact for this question. 

The majority of survey respondents chose to give 
detailed explanations about why UROP had impacted 
their education and career pathways (n=55), with 
most highlighting that working at reputable research 
institutes and/or laboratories for an extended timeframe 
had enabled them to make an informed decision 
about their career goals. For many, this exposure 
had positively influenced their decision to pursue 
a post-graduate qualification in STEM research. 

Critically, this opinion was not just limited to recent UROP 
participants, with a large proportion of those completing 
the program prior to 2016 emphasising its importance, even 
after many years of post-graduate studies and employment.

The value of explicitly linking theory and real-world 
practice through work integrated learning (ACER, 2015) 
is exemplified by former participant Halina Pietrzak’s 
(see Appendix B.5) personal experience of UROP:

UROP was probably the best thing I have 
done to date. It bolstered my progression 
into science, gave me confidence and skills 
that set me apart from others, and led 
me to the lab where I am currently doing 
a PhD. I cannot thank the organisation 
enough for what it did for me; a young 
and inexperienced female scientist 
who just needed a bit of guidance 
and encouragement.

Of those interviewed, most participants highlighted how 
they did not have the opportunity to complete meaningful 
research and lab work during their undergraduate studies. 
For others, they were the first of their family to complete 
STEM-related tertiary studies. These experiences are 
supported by Australian-based research findings, which 
describe how science degrees, in particular, provide few 
opportunities for students to reflect on their learning and 
skills development (Fraser & Deane, 2002 in ACER, 2015). 

Figure 1: Impact of UROP on participants’ education and/or career pathways (n=65)
%%%
%%%%%%
Moderate impactSigni	cant impactExtreme impact

In these instances, as emphasised by former participant 
Ben Porebski (Appendix B.6), UROP allowed participants 
to explore what research opportunities were available 
to them in ways that would not have been possible if 
they had just completed an undergraduate degree:

A lot of students who go through 
undergraduate science degrees generally 
don’t get a sufficient amount of exposure to 
actual real genuine research through their 
coursework. They have to actively go out 
and seek it from the research labs… I really 
do think that UROP is perfect for trying to 
pull people into that research environment.

Finally, it should be noted that a number of survey 
respondents (n=7) reported that even though they hadn’t 
pursued a career in STEM research, they still greatly valued 
their UROP experience, as it had increased their technical 
skills and informed their career and education decisions. 
This is also a valid outcome, as UROP helped students 
to understand that STEM research was not their ideal 
career path while still being an enjoyable experience. 

Most UROP participants 
have pursued 
post‑graduate qualifications

In total, 81 per cent (n=52) of survey respondents were 
studying, or had completed a post-graduate qualification 
since completing UROP. Of these, 60 per cent (n = 31) 
had obtained, or were in the process of completing, 
a doctorate degree; and 35 per cent (n=11) stated that 
their doctorate degree was related to the research they 
undertook during UROP. These results are considerably 
greater than the proportion of Australians (8.1%) who 
have completed a post-graduate qualification (ABS 
Education and Work, 2021), and most likely reflects the 
high calibre of students selected to participate in UROP.

All but one of the previous participants interviewed had, or 
were in the process of completing, a PhD. Many stated how 
they had limited exposure to academics and STEM research 
experience before UROP, and that the program had helped 
ease their transition into honours and other post-graduate 
qualifications. This was due to 1) the professional networks 
established during their placement that exposed them to 
post-graduate opportunities and 2) the development of key 
technical skills and publication authorship that made them 
more competitive in their post-graduate applications. 

In the survey, a 2013 participant stated: 

In my UROP placement I learnt many 
research/lab skills, and I continued in that 
lab doing a research unit for my degree. I 
believe my UROP experience assisted me in 
getting into my honours position and my 
research assistant roles since then.

Former participant Scott Gigante (Appendix B.1) also noted 
how UROP had prepared him for his masters and PhD: 

I had published a short paper as part 
of my…UROP internship, and I think 
having that paper really bolstered my 
[Yale] application.

Additionally, the survey highlighted that the majority (62%) 
of participants (n=63) were offered post-graduate study 
opportunities by the research institution they completed 
their UROP placement with. These survey and interview 
data indicate that even if UROP participants intended to 
pursue a research post-graduate qualification in STEM 
regardless of whether they participated in the program, 
UROP had helped fast-track and/or supported their 
transition into competitive post-graduate placements.

UROP participants improved their 
research skills and employability

Survey respondents and interview participants held 
similar views about the professional opportunities they 
had accessed through UROP, and the positive impact 
these experiences have had on their technical research 
skills. Most survey respondents ‘strongly agreed’ that 
UROP had improved their research skills, and that they 
program had provided them with an opportunity to work 
on unique research projects (78% respectively, Figure 2).

Many participants stated how developing both their 
technical and enterprise STEM skills during UROP 
had given them a head start in future study and 
work. For some, it was learning how to communicate 
their research in conferences; being exposed to the 
expertise of established researchers; or having the 
opportunity to help co-author academic publications. 



Figure 2: Self-reported impact of UROP on skills, confidence and opportunities

Comments from two survey respondents 
typified these sentiments:

UROP was fantastic...I was exposed to a 
completely different field of science than 
I would have considered, and learned a 
lot more than was in my degree, in both 
practical and theoretical knowledge.

UROP was my first chance to work in a lab 
and learn how to be a scientist. I learnt so 
much, met great scientists, and got a 
head start on building so many skills I still 
use today.

Approximately three quarters of the survey respondents 
were employed (77%, n=50)8, and 57 per cent of these 
were currently working in the Professional, Scientific 
and Technical Services (PSTS) industry. This proportion 
of UROP participants working in PSTS is more than 
double of all working Australian STEM graduates 
in this industry ((23%) ABS Census, 2016), which 
may indicate that UROP has facilitated participants’ 
transition into STEM research. However, it should 
be noted that scientific research is just one of many 
professions categorised under the PSTS industry. 

Finally, over a third (35%, n=17) were working in a job 
directly related to the research they completed during 
their UROP placement. One survey respondent stated:

UROP salary allowed participants 
to prioritise their studies 

While not asked about in the survey, it is worth 
emphasising that a notable number of participants who 
were interviewed stated that the salary they received 
during UROP allowed them to quit working their part-
time jobs and focus solely on their tertiary studies and 
developing their research experience. Others also noted 
that the salary helped give them a sense of confidence 
and belonging during their UROP placement. 

Figure 2: Self-reported impact of UROP on skills, confidence and opportunities
%
%
%
%
%%%%%%
Improved condence in abilities (n=)
Improved employability (n=)
Abilitiy to work on unique research projects (n=)
Improved research skills (n=)
Proportion of participants who 'strongly agreed'
8 Of those who said they were not currently employed, all had completed, or were in in the process of completing, some type of post-graduate degree. Forty 
per cent of these had finished their UROP placement after 2018. 



Former participant Peter Hickey (Appendix 
B.2) shared his experience: 

The opportunity to get paid to do this – 
I basically was able to swap stacking shelves 
for actually doing something interesting, 
and financially … [I] had to support myself 
to an extent. So, without that financial 
side…it would have been pretty hard for me 
to be able to afford to do.

Additionally, former participant David Riglar (Appendix B.7) 
who now leads a research lab in the United Kingdom, 
highlighted the current equity issues associated with 
tertiary students trying to gain access to meaningful 
STEM research opportunities. He noted that programs 
such as UROP provide students with experience 
and a competitive edge in their post-graduate 
applications, which may not be possible otherwise:

…sometimes having a publication can be 
the difference between a student being 
accepted to a PhD or not. But that’s a 
really privileged position if that involves 
being able to work with no pay over a 
summer…I think it is very biased in terms 
of the students that have that ability to 
be involved in research during undergrad 
versus not; apart from having these kinds of 
programs. So, it’s an equality issue as much 
as anything.

These experiences are worth highlighting to 
program stakeholders, especially when explaining 
the rationale behind the subsidised UROP salary.

Nearly all participants would 
recommend UROP 

Finally, when asked in the survey if they would 
recommend UROP to current undergraduate students 
studying STEM, nearly all (98%) respondents said they 
were ‘extremely likely’ or ‘likely’ to do so (Figure 3). 

These results echo the case study interviews and numerous 
open-text responses collected in the survey, which were 
highly supportive of UROP and emphasised the positive 
impact the program had on their education and career 
pathways. One respondent typified this feeling:

I had a truly amazing experience in my 
UROP placement. It gave me purpose and 
direction and it taught me that a career 
in research is something that I want to do 
undoubtedly. I am incredibly grateful for 
this experience…

Likelihood to recommend UROP to current tertiary 
students (n=62)

9 The destination survey was sent to a sub-sample of previous participants (n=167) who had agreed to be contacted after completing their UROP placement. 
Since 2004, over 700 Victorian tertiary students have participated in UROP. 



Discussion

When interpreting the conclusions of this report, it should be noted that the self-reported 
data collected for this research (n=65) represents a small proportion of previous UROP 
participants9. Additionally, it is also assumed that the survey data collected likely suffers, 
to some extent, from sampling bias. Those selected to participate in UROP are also high 
achieving and ambitious students seeking practical work experience in order to gain 
exposure to technical STEM skills and/or to advance their careers. However, self-report data 
is a powerful method to understand former participants’ feelings and attitudes toward 
UROP, and their assessment of its impact on their own behaviours and knowledge.

Overall, feedback from the survey 
and interviews indicate that:

• UROP has contributed to participants’ decisions 
regarding their education and career pathways, 
including when they decided not to pursue a career 
in STEM research. Furthermore, this opinion was not 
just limited to recent UROP participants, with a large 
proportion of those completing the program prior 
to 2016 emphasising its importance, even after many 
years of post-graduate studies and employment.
• for most participants, UROP was the first opportunity 
for them to experience genuine research in labs, 
hospitals, and R&D areas of biomedical organisations 
• this opportunity helped improve participants’ 
technical and enterprise skills and exposed them to 
professional networks – giving many a competitive 
advantage with their honours and post-graduate 
placements. Furthermore, most self-reported that 
UROP had also improved their employability 
• the salary participants received during UROP 
allowed many to stop working in their unrelated 
part-time jobs and focus solely on their tertiary 
studies, whilst also developing their research 
experience in a work placement that was 
benefiting their future education and career.


As discussed previously, it is recognised in academic 
literature that many students studying undergraduate 
STEM degrees, in particular science degrees (which 
is the largest UROP cohort) have limited exposure to 
reflect on their learning and skills development.

Given UROP’s strong focus on these particular graduate 
cohorts, the program has exposed many participants to 
genuine research experiences for the first time in their 
tertiary education – helping amplify the program’s impact. 
This exposure has been critical for the development of 
participants’ career values and expectancies; allowing 
them to explore career options and consider how these 
experiences fit with their ideals and competencies. 

There are many tertiary work experience programs 
operating across Australia, however, the above 
successes of UROP are likely related to the aspects of 
the program’s design and implementation, including:

• Effectively targeting students from undergraduate 
STEM degrees with limited opportunities to participate 
in meaningful work experience placements 
• selecting high achieving students for placements, 
helping increase buy-in from research organisations 
to pay a competitive hourly salary
• having long-term placements to allow 
more in-depth exposure to research
• matching students with highly regarded 
research organisations with established 
and diverse research programs.


Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of UROP 
will help better understand the extent of the 
contribution UROP is making to participant outcomes, 
and to identify any areas of improvement.



Appendix A: Survey data

Year participants completed UROP

Number

Proportion

2004/05

3

5%

2006/07

4

6%

2008/09

5

8%

2010/11

9

14%

2012/13

7

11%

2014/15

11

17%

2016/17

9

14%

2018/19

11

17%

2020/21

5

8%

Type of UROP placement

Number

Proportion

Biomedical

39

60%

Computational

20

31%

Mixed biomedical and computational

6

9%

Name of undergraduate degree

Number

Proportion

Bachelor of Science

35

54%

Bachelor of Biomedicine / Medical Sciences

19

29%

Bachelor of Engineering

2

3%

Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science

1

2%

Other

8

12%

Complete undergraduate degree

Number

Proportion

Yes

62

95%

No

1

2%

Other – still completing 

2

3%

Impact of UROP on education and career pathway

Number

Proportion

Extreme impact

14

22%

Significant impact

39

60%

Moderate impact

12

18%

Slight impact

0

0%

No impact

0

0%

Employment status

Number

Proportion

Employed

50

77%

Not employed

15

23%







Sector of employment

Number

Proportion

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

28

57%

Education and Training

6

12%

Health Care and Social Assistance

6

12%

Public Administration and Safety

2

4%

Other

7

14%

Current job related to UROP placement

Number

Proportion

Yes

17

35%

No

23

48%

Unsure / hard to say

8

17%

Completed / completing a postgraduate degree

Number

Proportion

Yes

52

81%

No 

12

19%

Postgraduate degree level

Number

Proportion

Postgraduate diploma

1

2%

Honours

2

4%

Masters

10

19%

PhD

31

60%

Doctor of Medicine

8

15%

Postgraduate degree related to UROP

Number

Proportion

Yes

16

31%

No

35

69%

Impact of UROP on … 

Number

Proportion

Improving research skills 

Strongly agree

49

78%

Agree 

12

19%

Disagree 

0

0%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

0

0%

Improving employability

Strongly agree

44

70%

Agree 

12

19%

Disagree 

1

2%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

4

6%







Helping to inform career pathway

Strongly agree

43

68%

Agree 

18

29%

Disagree 

0

0%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

0

0%

Increasing motivation to pursue a career in STEM

Strongly agree

38

60%

Agree 

14

22%

Disagree 

8

13%

Strongly disagree 

0

0%

Not applicable / unsure

3

5%

Providing unique opportunities to collaborate with research organisations

Strongly agree

44

70%

Agree 

10

16%

Disagree 

4

6%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

3

5%

Giving insight into how skills can be applied in real life

Strongly agree

39

63%

Agree 

18

29%

Disagree 

2

3%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

1

2%

Improving confidence in abilities

Strongly agree

38

60%

Agree 

23

37%

Disagree 

0

0%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

0

0%

Giving opportunity to work on unique projects

Strongly agree

49

78%

Agree 

9

14%

Disagree 

1

2%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

2

3%







Providing professional connections

Strongly agree

35

56%

Agree 

21

33%

Disagree 

3

5%

Strongly disagree 

2

3%

Not applicable / unsure

2

3%

Opportunities arising from UROP

Number

Proportion

Offered employment

No

26

42%

Yes

25

40%

Not applicable / unsure

11

18%

Offered a study opportunity

No

14

22%

Yes

39

62%

Not applicable / unsure

10

16%

Authored / assisted in a publication

No

20

32%

Yes

39

62%

Not applicable / unsure

4

6%

Nominated for or received a prize

No

41

65%

Yes

16

25%

Not applicable / unsure

6

10%

Offered employment

No

26

42%

Yes

25

40%

Not applicable / unsure

11

18%

Likelihood to recommend UROP

Number

Proportion

Extremely likely

54

87%

Likely

7

11%

Possible

1

2%

Unlikely

0

0%

Extremely unlikely

0

0%

Unsure/hard to say

0

0%







Appendix B: Individual 
case studies

Of the 63 respondents who fully completed the survey, 41 indicated that they were 
willing to be followed-up for an interview. The I&E team contacted eight individuals, 
and seven were subsequently interviewed to be featured as UROP case studies.

Candidates for the interview were shortlisted by a number 
of factors, which included: the year they completed 
their UROP placement; their education pathway; current 
profession, and open text responses. In particular, the 
I&E team focused on individuals from varied backgrounds 
that were established in their STEM research careers 
and indicated that UROP had influenced their career 
pathways. This purposive sampling was meant to highlight 
a range of former participants who could articulate 
UROP’s impact on their education and career pathways.

B.1 Dr Scott Gigante – Senior 
Machine Learning Scientist

Bachelor of Mathematics and Statistics 
(University of Melbourne), Master of 
Science, PhD in Computational Biology and 
Bioinformatics (Yale University)

Education and career pathway

In 2016, Scott completed a computational UROP 
placement within the Bioinformatics Division at 
the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI). With 
the help of his UROP supervisor, Scott successfully 
applied for a dual masters and PhD program at Yale 
University in the United States, where he completed 
a PhD in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. 
He is currently working as a machine learning scientist 
for the biotech company Immunai in New York City. 

Impact of UROP

Scott emphasised how his undergraduate studies at the 
University of Melbourne were predominantly focused on 
exams and solving mathematical problems, with little 
emphasis placed on developing research and writing 
skills. He stated that UROP allowed him to improve his 
soft research skills; teaching him about authorship and 
how to read and structure scientific papers. As a result 
of his work at WEHI, Scott also published a journal 
article, which he believed gave him a competitive 
edge in his applications to American universities and 
further prepared him for his masters and PhD:

I had published a short paper as part of 
my…UROP internship, and I think having 
that paper really bolstered my [Yale] 
application.

Professional connections

The professional relationships that Scott developed through 
UROP also proved pivotal to his education and career 
pathway. He was supported by his UROP supervisor to 
apply for PhD programs in the United States, and other 
WEHI colleagues greatly inspired his interest in STEM 
research. Scott still remains in contact with a number of the 
professional contacts he made during his time at WEHI:

…it was really inspiring to see how excited 
somebody [WEHI colleague] could be at 
age 70, coming into the office three days 
a week for free just because he loved 
science…I’d already had an idea of maybe 
that this could be a career path for me, but 
seeing that and participating in it really 
inspired me to make concrete steps to 
actually follow that career path. As opposed 
to just thinking about it and then taking the 
easy pathway, which would be just a job in 
straight tech.

Scott’s exposure to passionate researchers working 
in STEM was one of the most important parts of 
his UROP placement. This shows that while UROP 
can help improve participants’ technical research 
skills, it also exposes undergraduate students to 
engaging research environments that can inspire 
them to continue with pursuing a research career.



B.2 Dr Peter Hickey – 
Senior Research Officer

Bachelor of Science majoring in 
Mathematics and Science (Hons) 
(University of Melbourne), PhD in Statistics 
(University of Melbourne)

Education and career pathway

In 2009, Peter undertook one of the first UROP 
computational placements at the Walter and Eliza Hall 
Institute (WEHI). He remained at WEHI to do his honours, 
and then moved onto the University of Melbourne 
to complete a PhD in statistics. In 2016, Peter moved 
to the United States to complete a Post Doctorate 
Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School 
of Public Health but returned to WEHI in 2018 and 
is currently a Senior Research Officer, leading their 
bioinformatics research in single cell genomics.

Impact of UROP

Peter described how when he first started his 
undergraduate science degree majoring in 
mathematics and statistics, he was the first in his 
family to attend university and had little idea where 
his degree would lead professionally. It was only 
when he started his UROP placement that he was 
exposed to the bioinformatics science sub-discipline, 
which he has stayed working in ever since:

I’d never heard of bioinformatics at that 
point. But once I started doing that work 
with UROP, I found I really enjoyed it…
It was pretty apparent early on that mix 
of statistical work; learning about new 
areas of science; and quite collaborative 
work; really appealed to me and played 
to my strengths as well. So since then – 
that’s more than 10 years ago – I’ve not 
really sought out other careers beyond 
bioinformatics, because I’ve really found 
that’s what I enjoy.

Peter also highlighted how beneficial it was to be placed 
in one of the most well-regarded research labs in Australia. 
And like a number of other UROP participants interviewed, 
stated that the salary afforded to him by UROP had allowed 
him to quit his retail job and support himself through 
university; while also being able to focus on a job that was 
aligned to his education and future career aspirations. 

Mentoring UROP students

After returning back to Australia and WEHI, Peter 
made the decision to supervise a UROP student 
– noting how defining the program had been for 
him many years earlier. He felt it was a fantastic 
opportunity to help upskill an undergraduate student 
and intends to do it again in future years, if possible. 

I knew once I was doing this for a little 
while, that I’d like to repay the favour of 
having a [UROP] student come through, 
because of how important it had been to 
me…that was something I really wanted 
to do.

Peter’s long-term career in bioinformatics and full-circle 
experience of UROP shows how the program can expose 
participants to areas of science that may not be commonly 
known, especially for those with little personal connection 
to STEM research and professions. This increase in 
awareness is critical for expanding the diversity of STEM 
researchers, improving equity, and retaining passionate 
researchers in the field of biomedical research. 



B.3 Michelle Meilak – 
Compliance Manager

Bachelor of Science (Hons) (Swinburne 
University of Technology), Diploma of 
Education (Monash University)

Education and career pathway

In 2006, Michelle completed a biomedical placement 
at Monash University focusing on DNA vectors and 
the differences in protein levels in stomach cancer. 
She continued with this research throughout her honours 
but decided against pursing a PhD to do more varied 
work as a research assistant. Michelle continued working 
at the same lab as her UROP placement, but after a 
change in the lab’s funding, she moved to The Alfred 
Hospital before undertaking a Diploma of Education. 
Despite considering a career in teaching, Michelle returned 
to the research space and is now a compliance manager for 
the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University.

Impact of UROP

During her undergraduate science degree, Michelle 
ambitiously pursued industry-based learning so she could 
gain practical lab experience and have employable skills 
upon graduating. Prior to starting her UROP placement, 
Michelle did two six-month work placements at other 
Victorian research organisations – one being the Walter 
and Eliza Hall Institute, which is how she learned about 
UROP. As with many other participants interviewed, 
Michelle emphasised that UROP helped her transition 
into honours, especially as she continued with the same 
research she undertook during her UROP placement. 

[UROP] gave me some more lab experience, 
it gave me confidence to go straight into 
honours and know exactly what I was 
doing, which made my honours year feel 
easier…I could just go straight into it, and I 
felt confident being in a lab.

While UROP was predominately a steppingstone for 
Michelle during her final year of university between 
industry-based learning and honours, it still remains 
a key part of her work history, even today:

Even now…people ask me about the 
fact that I did industry-based learning 
and that I did UROP. It’s the three things 
that people still talk to me about in an 
interview, because that’s what stands out 
on my resume. 

Michelle is now no longer working as a researcher due to 
preferences around work-life balance but remains affiliated 
with the industry through her current role in compliance 
at Monash University. UROP was a key part of her early 
professional experience, and gave Michelle the opportunity 
to further explore research after her undergraduate studies, 
even if this was not what she decided to pursue long term. 



B.4 Catriona Nguyen-Robertson 
– Research Assistant and Science 
Communications Officer

Bachelor of Science (Hons) (University of 
Melbourne), PhD candidate in Cellular and 
Molecular Biology (University of Melbourne)

Education pathway

In 2014, Catriona completed a biomedical UROP placement 
at Western Health where she supported osteoarthritis 
and pregnancy and pre-eclampsia research projects. 
Catriona is currently completing her PhD in Cellular and 
Molecular Biology at the Peter Doherty Institute focusing 
on skin allergies, whilst also working as an associate editor 
at Immunology and Cell Biology journal and teaching 
science communication at the University of Melbourne. 

Impact of UROP

During her undergraduate degree Catriona had initially 
wanted to be a paediatrician, but after hearing about UROP 
decided to apply for the program to discover more about 
research, and play a key role in the development of research 
questions. Catriona emphasised how UROP had significantly 
influenced her decision to pursue honours and a PhD. 

I was planning on doing a medical degree 
to become a physician, but I discovered 
a passion for research because of UROP 
– especially during the holidays, when I 
would go into the lab every day. It was fun 
and exciting doing lab work, and I loved 
the idea that I would be at the forefront of 
something if I were to be a researcher. 

Instead of pursuing a post-graduate medical degree, 
Catriona applied for an honours placement at the Peter 
Doherty Institute with the support from her UROP 
colleagues. This decision has led to her having a successful 
career in science communication. Again, as with many 
other UROP interviewees, Catriona was able to more 
easily transition into her honours year because of 
the technical lab skills she had developed during her 
UROP placement. In particular, Catriona stated that 
UROP had helped her more effectively read academic 
literature and ascertain the quality of the research. 

…once I moved into a new lab to start 
honours, they didn’t have to teach me as 
much, because I already was comfortable 
pipetting, I was comfortable with analysing 
data and doing all sorts of things related to 
immunology kind of experiments.

Catriona is a passionate biomedical researcher and STEM 
educator, working both in science communication and 
teaching whilst completing her PhD. Catriona’s experience 
of UROP shows how the program can completely 
change a participant’s career aspiration when they 
are exposed to the creativity of research and have the 
ability to take ownership of their research questions. 



B.5 Halina Pietrzak – 
Research Assistant

Bachelor of Science (Hons) (University 
of Melbourne), PhD candidate in 
Medical Biology and Parasitology 
(University of Melbourne)

Education pathway

In 2016, Halina completed an 18-month biomedical UROP 
placement at the Burnet Institute, focusing on malaria. 
After UROP, Halina continued her specialisation in malaria 
by joining the infectious diseases and immune division 
at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) as a PhD 
candidate, where she is now in her final year researching 
the immune and memory responses to the parasite. 

Pathway to UROP

In high school, Halina was passionate about science 
and biology and was committed to pursuing either 
a STEM or medical degree at university. In the end, 
she decided to undertake a Bachelor of Science at the 
University of Melbourne because of its immunology 
and the infectious diseases program and established 
connections to the hospital and other research 
organisations. Having not completed any other kind 
of lab experience, Halina found out about UROP 
when taking the initiative with some friends to walk 
into WEHI and talk to staff about opportunities. 

Impact of UROP

Halina emphasised how her placement increased her 
confidence and assisted her undergraduate studies by 
exposing her to scientific techniques and language. 
She was able to practise particular lab techniques over 
and over again; sometimes failing and learning from these 
errors. Halina mostly assisted a post-doctorate with their 
research on the proteins the malaria parasite uses to export 
waste, but also had the opportunity to work across a 
number of other research projects and co-author a paper.

UROP gave me very realistic picture of 
what research is. It was never flowery and 
happy. Like, stuff would always go wrong... 
I’d have to repeat things six times. I left 
the lids of things open accidentally and 
everything evaporated. 

During her UROP placement, Halina was exposed to 
multiple labs within the Burnet Institute – allowing 
her to explore other areas of malaria immunology 
that were entirely different to her main UROP project. 
This exposure led to Halina applying for an honours 
position at WEHI. On top this, the professional connections 
developed, and lab experience she gained, helped 
Halina’s confidence and transition into honours.

I see it with our honours students that 
we have now; you come in from this 
undergrad and you just are launched into 
this massive year of intense research, and 
you barely know how to pipette. And UROP 
just bridged that whole gap for me – it just 
made it less stressful.

It was apparent when speaking to Halina that she was 
likely to have pursued post-graduate studies in STEM 
with or without participating in UROP. However, her 
varied UROP experience was critical in developing her 
confidence and gave Halina the opportunity to explore 
other avenues of immunology for her honours year that 
were entirely different to her original UROP placement. 



B.6 Dr Benjamin Porebski 
– Investigator Scientist

Bachelor of Science (Hons) (Monash 
University), PhD in Biochemistry and 
Molecular Biology (Monash University)

Education and career pathway

In 2011, Benjamin completed a mixed 
biomedical‑computational UROP placement at the 
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology within 
Monash University. Afterwards, he successfully completed 
his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the same 
lab as his UROP placement – and under the supervision of 
his previous UROP supervisor. In 2016, Benjamin moved 
over to the United Kingdom to undertake a Post Doctor 
Fellowship at the highly regarded MRC Laboratory of 
Molecular Biology (LMB) research institute in Cambridge. 
He is now an Investigator Scientist at the same institute, 
specialising in protein engineering and high throughput 
drug discovery, and is hoping to commercialise his current 
research in partnership with the pharmaceutical sector. 

Pathway to UROP

Benjamin emphasised that he didn’t do well with traditional 
schooling and exams, and his grades meant he had to 
take an alternative pathway – via the Australian Army – 
into his undergraduate science degree. However, it was 
clear when interviewing Benjamin that he was a 
passionate student who took great initiative to seek 
out extra-curricular research opportunities beyond his 
university studies. In particular, he travelled to Boston 
with the iGEM program before participating in UROP. 

It was a really, really good experience and 
[iGEM] kicked off my interest in research, 
and then the UROP program instilled it 
for me.

Impact of UROP

UROP gave Benjamin an insight into genuine research, and 
allowed him to enhance his skills across multiple disciplines 
by working in both wet labs and on computational 
analyses; helping provide him a competitive edge in 
the future. Importantly, the salary he received during 
UROP allowed him to quit his job with the Australian 
Army and focus solely on research and his studies. 

So because of the UROP program I was 
essentially able to not have to work for the 
military and I could spend more time doing 
research; and it really did give me that sort 
of exposure that I may not have been able 
to get without it.

Benjamin’s successful academic path, and now career 
at an internationally recognised research institute 
(which has been awarded 12 Nobel Prizes since 1958), 
is an example of how a program like UROP can 
provide students who aren’t necessarily following 
a traditional academic pathway into research, with 
genuine and in-depth exposure to STEM research.



B.7 Dr David Riglar – 
Advanced Research Fellow

Bachelor of Science (Hons) (University of 
Melbourne), PhD in Cellular and Molecular 
Biology (University of Melbourne)

Education and career pathway

Like a number of other participants interviewed, David 
completed his UROP placement at the Walter and Eliza 
Hall Institute (WEHI) in 2008. David remained at WEHI to 
complete both his honours and PhD on malaria, before 
moving to Harvard Medical School in Boston to undertake 
post-doctorate training in synthetic biology. David is now 
an established scientist, leading a research lab focusing on 
the gut microbiome within the Department of Infectious 
Disease at Imperial College London, United Kingdom. 

Impact of UROP

David had previously completed research lab work 
before participating in UROP. However, during his time 
at WEHI, David supported a post-doctorate researcher 
with their cell culture experiments – exposing him to 
a range of different scientific techniques and methods 
that have been beneficial to him throughout his studies 
and career. Reflecting back on his placement – now as a 
senior researcher – David emphasised how impressive it 
was to be included in such central research experiments. 

[I completed] a lot of work with 
proteins and mammalian cell culture 
and those - some of those techniques 
- certainly the methods I was learning 
were beneficial for me throughout 
my honours and PhD, and even now I 
guess, into postdoc and beyond.

David also engaged in UROP above and beyond his 
placement, acting as a student representative on the 
UROP committee and staying on as an alumni for some 
years afterwards. This work helped expose him more 
to the administrative side of running programs like 
UROP. Echoing the sentiments of other participants, 
David noted how he was exposed to the creativity of 
science during his UROP placement, something which 
was not evident during his undergraduate degree. 

I do think that the opportunities early on in 
your career to work in a research lab and to 
see what it’s like I think is really powerful. 
I do have a strong memory … of realising 
that doing research science is very, very 
different to studying science in a bachelor’s 
degree, and the whole process uses a whole 
lot of different skills. 

UROP helped David gain lab skills and be exposed to 
the creativity of science, all while being paid a salary. 
Importantly, he highlighted how authoring a publication 
is sometimes the deciding factor for students being 
accepted into competitive PhD programs, and for 
David, this represents an equity issue within research. 
Many students without family support are unable to 
gain this kind of experience without being paid, which 
highlights the importance of programs like UROP.



For further information

CSIRO Education and Outreach Impact and Evaluation
cedoimpact@csiro.au