In recent years, the University of Windsor has tried to encourage more undergraduate students to get involved in meaningful research projects. In part, administration has offered incentives to campus researchers who utilize undergrads on their project teams. The Centre for Teaching and Learning also runs workshops and mentoring sessions aimed at informing students and faculty/staff about the benefits of undergraduate involvement in the research process. This spring, UWindsor will take one step further by hosting its first annual undergraduate research conference.
“UWill Discover,” taking place March 24th from 9am-4pm, is an opportunity for undergraduate students from all disciplines to share their research with the UWindsor community (and win prizes for their trouble). The conference works in two parts:
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The Traditional Part: Participants put together a typical conference-type presentation, like a digital poster, oral presentation, performance, or demonstration (See “Types of Proposals” below).
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The Digital Part: Participants will also record a short video discussing the most exciting aspects of their work (think Mini-TED talk).
Submissions will require students to demonstrate the importance of their project, the existing state of knowledge in related fields, the research questions driving their research, the methodology of the project, and its findings.
What Can Be Submitted?
Submissions are welcome under the following categories:
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independent study projects
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honours thesis research
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co-op or practicum projects
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summer research projects
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volunteer research
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creative work in the visual and performing arts
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research completed while on Exchange
Example submissions include:
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interpretation of a performance, piece of music or art work
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interpretation of a piece of literature/literary criticism
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model design and development
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scientific experiments
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textual analysis
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historical interpretation
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case studies
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research/ term/analytical papers
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engineering research or development projects
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qualitative or quantitative research projects
Types of Proposals
You may submit proposals for presentations in the following formats:
Digital Poster
Posters are an excellent way to showcase research findings. During the poster session, you will be able to discuss your research with conference guests in a group presentation setting, and field specific questions with regard to your research. Further guidelines on how to prepare a poster will be available on the UWill Discover website.
Oral Presentation
Your oral presentation will be a ten-minute presentation on a panel with two or three similar talks. The talks will be grouped by research topic, i.e., discipline-specific or similar methodologies. The oral presentations will also include a question and answer period.
Performance
Your research-based performance work will appear on stage in the Open Space in the CAW Centre. You will also prepare a display that will showcase the research work you completed to prepare for the performance. You should also be prepared to field questions with regard to your research.
Demonstration or Installation
You may propose to display a research-based digital, mechanical, aesthetic, or other installation. You may also choose to demonstrate a process that you have developed. In either case, full compliance with safety regulations will be asked of you prior to the conference. You should also be prepared to field specific questions with regard to your research.
How to Submit
All proposals must be submitted on the UWill Discover website at Scholars at UWindsor:
http://scholar.uwindsor.ca/uwilldiscover/2015/
Digital submission of proposals begins on Thursday, January 15th, 2015, and will close three weeks later, on Thursday, February 5th, 2015.
