There is clearly a huge benefit for students undertaking their own laboratory based research project. Students need to engage deeply with scientific literature as they first plan, conduct and finally write up their projects. The project enables a student to learn advanced methods and practical techniques which could not be done in a class setting. The student generates and analyses primary data which needs interpreting and presenting in a clear and meaningful fashion. The student also experiences the reality of real research, where things do not always worked as planned. Countering these benefits is the increasing pressure on researcher’s time and resources. We need to overcome the reluctance of supervisors to offer and run projects, highlight the benefits, and encourage good positive interactions. We also need to make sure that the students gain the appropriate experience and rewards. In Oxford we currently run a programme for 175 medical and physiological science students. I will discuss how we try to generate interest from research laboratories to offer appropriate projects that are viable given the constraints of time. I will also review how we monitor student’s progress during the projects and how we assess the final project write up.