Registration is now open for UNC Charlotte’s Undergraduate Research Conference (URC), a University-wide showcase of undergraduate research projects.
Sponsored by Academic Affairs, Atkins Library, the Charlotte Research Institute, Honors College, and Levine Scholars Program, the conference will be Friday, April 21, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center. Colleges and departments across the University also provide conference support. This event will be open to the campus community and to invited guests.
Work being presented can range from in-class projects to year-long honors theses. Students can organize their work in poster or oral formats, individually or in groups. Both formats are judged during the conference, and general prizes are awarded by discipline. Students may submit up to two research projects as first or sole author by 5 p.m., Friday, March 24.
Beginning this year, all registrants will be required to provide a project abstract, a succinct, single-paragraph summary of the paper’s purpose, main points, method, findings and conclusions. Abstracts should provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context that demonstrate its attempt to make a unique contribution to the area of inquiry. For the URC, abstracts have a 200-word limit.
“We’ve added an abstract to our registration process to help students become familiar with the format,” said Erik Byker, chair of the URC Organizing Committee and assistant professor in the Cato College of Education. “Abstracts are commonly required in most conferences, so this brings us in line with other school’s undergraduate research requirements across the country. The abstracts also provide a stepping stone for our UNC Charlotte students to present their research at national conferences like the National Conference of Undergraduate Research.”
Four types of awards will be presented: the conference General Disciplinary Awards, (general awards) sponsored by UNC Charlotte academic departments; Levine Scholars’ Sustainability Awards; Honors College Awards; and Atkins Library Undergraduate Research Awards. All students who register for the conference and present their research will be automatically entered into the general awards contest - no other application is needed.
Students who are interested in presenting a more detailed written description of their research may apply for the Atkins Library Undergraduate Research Awards. A faculty advisor must submit a letter in support of the student’s application in order for it to be accepted. Five $1,000 awards are given annually in the following categories:
- Arts/Architecture/Humanities
- Social Sciences/Education
- Physical Sciences/Engineering
- Biological Sciences/Health Sciences
- Math/Computer Sciences
“We’re asking our faculty members to encourage their students to register and submit their research before the March 24 deadline,” said Byker. “Doing research as a college student provides a robust experience, demonstrates commitment to scholarship, and looks great on a resume.”
Information, including eligibility requirements, and registration are online; email questions to undergrad-research@uncc.edu.