NCKU's Acceptance Rate of MOST University Student Research Project Reach its Peak for 60% This Year

Written by Yun-Mao Lin. Image credit to News Center & Future Atelier.
 
This year, NCKU's acceptance rate of the MOST University Student Research Projects reached its peak by almost 60%.
This year, NCKU's acceptance rate of the MOST University Student Research Projects reached its peak by almost 60%.
 
NCKU applied 300 proposals for the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) University Student Research Project this year and achieved its highest record by 178 accepted proposals and 59% in acceptance rate. Moreover, the average passing rate 1.51% (178 projects out of 11,758 students) was also the highest among Taiwan's top universities this year.
 
“In the past nine years, the average acceptance rate for MOST University Student Research Project in Taiwan has ranged from 34.8% to 43.2%, with an average of 39%. The acceptance rate of NCKU this year is 59%, which is 12% higher than that of public universities “according to Tsair-Fuh Lin, vice president of NCKU Office of Research and Development. During the past decade, over 500 professors have involved with the MOST University Student Research Projects by being research advisors, and 37 of them have been advised more than seven students. Professor Kai-Wei Chiang has acted as a research advisor for 14 students in the Department of Geomatics. In light of this, it is evident that both NCKU faculty and students are very active in research. With the cooperation of all units and faculties, a variety of academic and research activities and competitions are held, allowing NCKU to build its research capacity and let its students thrive.
 
This year, NCKU set new records for MOST University Student Research Project applications, accepted projects, and acceptance rate.
This year, NCKU set new records for MOST University Student Research Project applications, accepted projects, and acceptance rate.
 
Lin mentioned that NCKU has maintained an acceptance rate of about 50-60% over the years, so it is expected that with more applications, more projects will be accepted. For many years, NCKU has conducted research competitions, subsidized research funds, and launched the Undergraduate Research Project to improve academic influence and cultivate more scientific research talents. This March, NCKU conducted Spark to Fire Cultivation Grant Program as the pilot internship for the MOST University Student Research Project, which provided financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A 6-month research subsidy will be granted to approved applicants so that they can focus on their studies and participate in research.
 
There were 178 approved projects, including 80 applications from Engineering College, 28 from Medical College, and 20 from College of Management. These were followed by 11 from the College of Planning and Design. Both the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Science have 10 approved projects. The College of Engineering broke the records in the number of application, the number of approved projects, and acceptance rate, while the acceptance rate of the College of Management reached 90.9% (applied 22 and passed 20).
 
Department of Environmental Engineering has 14 approved projects, accounting for 17.5% of the total number of the College of Engineering and ranking first in the university. Followed bythe Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, which had 10 and 11 approved projects respectively.
 
NCKU Office of Research and Development analyzed the undergraduates whose MOST University Student Research Projects have been accepted over the years and found that about 10% of these students have financial difficulties. As a means of helping economically disadvantaged students focus on their academic performance and research, NCKU has launched the Spark to Fire Cultivation Grant Program. An approval applicant will receive approximately 8,000 NT per month from July to December of that year, a total of 48,000 NT.
 
The Spark to Fire Cultivation Grant Program acts as a pilot internship for the MOST College Student Research Project and requires approved applicants to complete their research project, submit a report within half a year under the guidance of their research advisors and apply for next year's MOST University Student Research Project. On the basis of the stable research foundation established through this program, students could advance their research with their MOST College Student Research Projects.
 
Wen-Che Hou, director of the Project Administration and Assessment Division in the Office of Research and Development, discussed the importance and influence of the MOST University Student Research Project. Hou pointed out that the experience can be helpful to the students in applying graduate schools, studying abroad, and even finding a job. For instance, in recommendation and screening-based admission, many professors consider the student's interest in research as the first priority. The execution experience of MOST University Student Research Project signifies that the student has been actively engaged in research since college. The process and research results can also be a highlight in a student’s statement of purpose if he or she plans to study abroad in the future.
 
NCKU has been holding the Undergraduate Research Project (UR Project), an event that encourages students to become involved in research annually since 2019. Specifically designed for freshmen, this event includes lab visits, lectures, and poster presentations by seniors, which provide freshmen opportunities to gain a greater understanding of research directions in different fields, develop an interest in research, and envision future research directions.
 
NCKU organizes various activities and competitions to encourage students engage in research.
NCKU organizes various activities and competitions to encourage students engage in research.
 
Since 2021, NCKU has announced its Research Extension Budget Subsidy Program, which is especially geared toward funding research that undergraduate students are participating in. Each college will receive an equivalent subsidy based on the total amount of funding proposed by the colleges. During NCKU's 90th anniversary, each college hosted its own College Research Day, which focused on gathering academic strengths and presenting its development, as well as encouraging students to participate.
 
The Office of Research and Development, along with colleges, also hosted an awards ceremony to recognize students who excelled in university-wide Research Day events.
 
The MOST University Student Research Project is a special research grant designed to encourage outstanding college students to conduct research. The goal of this grant program is to cultivate talented researchers in the fields of basic science, applied science, humanities, and social sciences. It encourages both public and private students to apply, allowing them to begin receiving research training, conducting research, learning research methods, and strengthening their practical and conducting skills as soon as possible.
 
Provider: News Center
Date: 2022-08-19