Complete Report - University of New South Wales

5.4.3 Taste of Research Summer Scholarship Program
The Taste of Research Summer Scholarship Program is primarily for high achieving 3rd
year students and, in exceptional cases, 2nd year students may be considered. As part of
the program, engineering schools offer 10 week projects for students to complete during
their summer break. These projects provide students with scholarship support to gain
experience working as part of a research team, for example in the world class laboratories
at the Centre. From December 2005 to March 2006, the Centre hosted seven students
working on projects, three with the thin-fi lm group on crystalline silicon thin-fi lm solar cells
on glass, two with the buried contact group on high effi ciency n-type silicon solar cells, one
on innovative research with industry to improve commercial solar cell performance, and
another on antenna collection of solar energy. David Bennett, an undergraduate student
attracted to the Centre by the Taste of Research program from ANU, was awarded one of
the six Engineering Undergraduate Research Prizes for the best poster and presentation at
the end of the program.
Participation in these projects helps students further develop their technical skills as well
as their written and oral communication as students have to write a report and present a
poster on the outcomes of their research.
5.4.4 Research Scholarships (APA and EIPRS)
Through hands-on laboratory-based projects and theses, and scholarship programs such as
the Taste of Research Summer Scholarship program, the Centre aims to encourage good
quality undergraduate students into research. Being an internationally recognised research
organisation, the Centre attracts very high quality students to its research programs where
students have the opportunity to work with leaders in this fi eld. The fact that 11 of our
doctoral students are in receipt of very competitive APAs (Australian Postgraduate Award)
or an EIPRS (Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship) is testament to
the quality of these students. To be awarded an APA the student must be a local student
and ranked near the top of the fi rst class honours graduates, while the EIPRS is available to
international students and appear to demand an even higher standard than the APAs.
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5.5 Curriculum Development
134
Throughout 2005 students indicated through
UNSW’s course evaluation process, CATEI, that
they were satisfi ed with the Centre’s courses.
On average, at least 88% of students were
satisfi ed or very satisfi ed with the content,
structure, and teaching of our courses. Whilst
no new courses were offered by the Centre, the
Faculty undertook several initiatives in 2005 to
attract undergraduate students to Engineering
at UNSW, each of which involved Centre staff.
These include the introduction of a new fl exible
fi rst year program, the development of a Facultywide
fi rst year Engineering Design and Innovation
course, and a new admissions scheme for local
students. Furthermore, in order to try to increase
the number of courses offered each year to
students, the Centre trialled a semi-distance
mode of delivery for a core course on Sustainable
and Renewable Energy Technologies.