The adoption of undergraduates into research teams upon entering university represents a marked change from the prescriptive lecture-lab format that underpins current teaching formats within the physical sciences. One such approach has been piloted at Nottingham Trent University - though not as a replacement for traditional teaching methods but rather to compliment and enhance the university experience for new entrant undergraduates. The programme has aimed to foster a student centred approach to their studies within chemistry through providing a genuine real world context wherein they can tackle real problems that will help to reinforce the academic content and develop transferable skills. While the programme can be viewed as an enhanced work experience programme for undergraduates its principal aim is to provide a pro-active mentoring framework that will nurture student enthusiasm for the subject. The logistics of running such a programme are outlined and the preliminary outcomes from the initial pilot are discussed.
