Virtual Undergraduate Research Conference (VURC) 2023
The Virtual Undergraduate Research Conference (VURC) is an annual conference highlighting undergraduate research. The conference is entirely virtual and free to participants (presenters and attendees). Undergraduate students and faculty whose work involves undergraduates are encouraged to participate.
The 2023 VURC presentations were outstanding, and we appreciate everyone who made the conference successful. We’re looking to make the 2024 VURC even better. Be sure to check out this page as well as our social media for announcements about the call for proposals and more details about the 2024 VURC. Until then, you can view the 2023 VURC schedule below and poster presentations on Twitter (X) with #CIWRVURC2023.
Congratulations to the 2023 VURC award winners!
| Poster Presentations | Paper Presentations |
|---|---|
| 1st place- Britney Raymond (University of Central Florida) | 1st place- Kathleen Velez (University of Central Florida) |
| 2nd place- Gargi Paranjape (Oviedo High School) | 2nd place- Spencer Mallott (Seminole State College) |
| 3rd place- Jasmine Mason (Texas A&M-Central Texas) | 3rd place- Aaron Carbone (University of South Florida) |
2023 VURC Program
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the Virtual Undergraduate Research Conference
Who can participate? The short answer- You! Undergraduate students from all disciplines can present their original research in either a poster or paper format. Faculty and others who incorporate undergraduates in the research process can also present their research in a paper format. Further, faculty and others who wish to discuss the undergraduate research process and other topics related to undergraduate research can propose a “big idea” discussion. For example, we had discussions about open science practices in undergraduate research and unconventional approaches to conducting research. And if you just want to watch the presentations, that’s fine too. This conference is free for everyone.
Why should I participate? Do we really need to answer that? VURC was created to give opportunities to showcase undergraduate research in a easy and free format. Often, undergraduate researchers and even their mentors face too many obstacles to present their work. The cost of travel and registration fees may prohibit participation in other conferences. To facilitate sharing undergraduate research, we developed VURC to eliminate many of the main barriers to participation. To further motivate you to consider participation, here are some other benefits:
- Opportunities to hear about research outside of your major/area of interest
- Prizes (in the form of gift cards) for first (student) authors of the top 3 poster and paper presentations
- Easy participation (completely virtual)
- No cost to participation (absolutely no fees to participate, either as presenter or audience
How does the conference work? Three different presentation types are:
- Poster presenters- Poster sessions will last 25 minutes and represent research by undergraduate students. Presenters are given 2-3 minutes to summarize their work. Extra time is provided for questions from the audience. Posters are uploaded to Twitter (X) before the session with a hashtag (e.g. #CIWRVURC2023 for the 2023 conference).
- Paper presenters– Paper sessions will last 25 minutes and represent research conducted by students and faculty. Presenters are given 7-10 minutes to present their work with additional time provided for questions from the audience.
- “Big idea” presenters- Because this type of presentation could take many forms, there is greater variety in presentation delivery. These presentations tend to be more interactive with the audience than the other two types of presentations; however, presenters have flexibility to decide what format will work best for the ideas under discussion. The time alloted to these presentations minutes will be set aside for these presentations unless presenters request more or less time.
To reinterate the highlights:
- Easy to participate as presenter or audience (Free, virtual format)
- The conference will take place on mid to late April 2024 (check here or social media for updates on the exact date and to access the presentation proposal form)
- Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 (as judged by CIWR personnel) student, first author poster and paper presenters.