Niki's project with the Undergraduate Research Support Scheme

Niki is currently in her final year of BSc Health and Medical Sciences. During the summer after her second year she took part in Warwick's Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS), working on a project around nutrition and homelessness. Here, she tells us more about the experience.

Tell us about your work with URSS

My project was first to conduct a scoping review. This project was inspired by my experience with The Wholesome Warehouse, a food bank where I have seen first-hand how personalised support, consistent compassion, kindness, and connections changed people’s lives. I wanted to explore whether there are published evidence of what I witnessed, to advocate for it if there isn’t. Therefore, I chose to do it in the field of nutrition and people experiencing homelessness: I was interested in nutrition, health disparities, and underserved populations. My aim was to explore the scope of food support programmes and their role, or potential in providing nutritional and social support.

Upon finishing the review, I produced posters, presentations and reports. I organised public engagement workshops to share my findings. It involved talking to charities that serves the population and food banks. I had two main themes:

1. To share my findings and see how it fits in the real world.

2. To advocate for the importance of kindness and volunteering.

How did you secure this project?

I applied through the URSS website, which required answering some questions and creating a research plan. I also had to find supervisors who were knowledgeable in the topic area and research method. Thankfully, they were very kind and supported me throughout my project!

What did you learn during the project?

As it was my first formal academic research, it was a steep learning curve! In terms of research skills, I learnt how to find a research gap, draft a research protocol, formulate a literature search, and do screening and analysis. I also learnt that the process can be iterative and therefore there could be lots of uncertainty initially, but you need to trust the process and be confident and adaptable as it unfolds as the stages go on.

Since the public engagement component is essential for URSS projects, I learnt how to tailor my findings in a language that suited my audience. I learnt how to create infographics and communicate my findings so they would resonate best with my audience, so my message would stick and hopefully add to one’s perspective.

How did your skills from HMS help during your project, and which skills from your project are now helping in your degree?

We have learned about a wide range of topics in the HMS course. That helped me discover my areas of research interest, which helped me pitch ideas to my professors. The course has also developed my interdisciplinary and applied thinking, which definitely helped me analyse my results and write the report.

With case-based learning and presentation-based assessments, I was used to communicating my findings and articulating them in an accessible manner. It helped me converse when I did my engagement workshops.

In return, I gained a new research skill set, including managing a research project, which is very applicable as I am now doing my dissertation.

What did you enjoy most?

I enjoyed all aspects of it, but a highlight was the engagement workshops. Seeing the room light up with smiles after I finished my presentation advocating for volunteering was very heart-warming.

Another highlight was all the discussions I’ve had with my supervisors and the charity's coordinators. It was so rewarding and inspiring to speak to people who share similar visions and passions. I truly learnt so much from them.

Would you consider research as a career? Has your experience during the summer changed the way you think about your future options?

Through this project I realised I’d love to research and advocate for impactful change. This experience solidified my certainty in my academic and professional plans.

Do you have any advice for those considering URSS? Why should they do it?

Yes, go for it! As long as you’ve got something that you’re interested in researching and have time for it, try! It helps you to find out what you are passionate about and also builds your confidence along the way.

Internship support at Warwick

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