Illinois Office of
Undergraduate Research

blog posts

• Undergraduates, publish your research at Re:Search

  Oct 17, 2016 3:45 pm52 views

  Are you an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois looking to publish your work? Re:Search, the Undergraduate Literary Criticism Journal at the University of Illinois, is seeking submissions for its fourth annual publication! Re:Search is an undergraduate-produced, peer-reviewed online journal that is designed to annually publish works exclusively authored by undergraduate students.

• We are live! Come visit the 2021 Undergraduate Research Week and Virtual Symposium!

  Apr 26, 2021 7:00 am50 views

  To all members of the Illinois community, we hope you will take some time to visit both Undergraduate Research Week events and the Symposium and witness the hard work of our students, and we invite you to provide encouragement and feedback on their presentations. For a full list of events taking place during Undergraduate Research Week, please view the full digital program at:  https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/researchweek.html.  

  The Symposium will be on display April 26 thru April 30 through ForagerOne, our host platform. To protect the intellectual property of the presenters and their mentors, the Symposium is restricted only to those with an active University of Illinois email address. To register and view the event, please go to: https://go.illinois.edu/URS2021.

  We hope you will drop in, engage with our students, and come away inspired!

• Deadline Approaching - Applications to Undergraduate Research Symposium 2018

  Oct 2, 2017 10:00 am50 views

  The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is still accepting submissions for the 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), set for Thursday, April 19. The URS is the signature event of Undergraduate Research Week (April 15-21), and brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, as well as corporate partners and sponsors, to learn more about undergraduate research and its potential to change the world.

  For more information on Undergraduate Research Week, the URS, and OUR programs, please visit our website at: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/symposium.html

  Deadline for submitting an application to the URS is Friday, February 16, 2018, at 11:59 pm. The application can be found at http://go.illinois.edu/urs

  Questions may be addressed to ugresearch@illinois.edu; please put “URS Application” in the subject line.

• #IMPARTOFIT Social Media Contests 2018

  Apr 4, 2018 1:30 pm48 views

  Dear Researchers,

  The Office of Undergraduate Research is excited to announce its second annual #IMPARTOFIT campaign. All undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are eliglble for a chance to win up to $50 in gift cards and restaraunt vouchers.

  Promote your research or Undergraduate Research Week (including the Undergraduate Research Symposium) presentation for a chance to win! Don’t forget to use the hashtags #IMPARTOFIT and #URS2018 and tell your friends! For instructions on how to be part of it...

• Drop-in Hours have concluded for Fall 2017

  Dec 12, 2017 9:00 am44 views

  Drop-in Hours have concluded for Fall 2017

• Image of Research -- UR Edition

  Feb 22, 2021 1:00 pm43 views

  The Image of Research — UR Edition competition is a multidisciplinary competition celebrating the diversity and breadth of undergraduate student research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All undergraduate students are invited to submit entries consisting of an image and brief text that articulates how the image relates to the research.

  “Research” is defined broadly to include creative and scholarly work in all fields. The image submitted can represent your work either concretely or abstractly. Perhaps it is an image of your research itself, an activity related to your research, or the impact of your research. In addition to the image, you will submit a short narrative (between 100-200 words) that articulates the connection between the image and your research. 

  • First prize: $300
  • Second prize: $200
  • Additionally, there may be up to two honorable mentions.

  Deadline:  Friday, March 19, 2021 

  Learn more about the competition details and get tips and tricks for visualizing your research by attending our workshop! 

  Workshop #1: Friday, 3/5 from 2-3pm https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/78251811  

  Workshop #2: Friday, 3/12 from 12-1pm https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1548212894 

  For more about competition details, visit: http://publish.illinois.edu/imageofresearch/undergraduate-image-of-research/undergraduate-competition-details/ 

   

• Invite Your Parents to the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase! Saturday, November 11

  Nov 6, 2023 9:00 am37 views

  Dear Students & Families,

  We invite you to attend our upcoming Undergraduate Research Showcase. This new event offers a small glimpse into the world of exceptional research being conducted by our talented undergraduate researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  During this one-hour event, coinciding with Dad's Weekend, you will have the privilege of witnessing research presentations by three invited presenters, followed by an open panel and Q&A session.  This event is a perfect chance for students interested in learning more about undergraduate research at Illinois to get their questions answered by experienced student presenters. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Feel free to bring your family and friends. Light refreshments will be served.

  Event Details:

  • Date: Saturday, November 11, 2023
  • Time: 10 – 11 AM
  • Location: Illini Union Ballroom (2^nd Floor)
  • Please register at https://go.illinois.edu/ResearchShowcaseRegistration

  Invited Presentations:

  VR-Based Electrocardiogram Training Simulator (Arnav Shah, Senior in Computer Science)

  VR technology provides an immersive way to train healthcare professionals cost-effectively. However, incorporating clinical feedback into the simulation design is a challenge. We discuss a pipeline for creating an ECG training simulator and present the results of usability and validity assessments. Researchers can use the proposed approach to develop other VR-based medical training simulators.

   How are Caregivers included in Alzheimer's Disease & Related Dementias (ADRD) Clinical Trials? (Eve Rubovits, Senior in Community Health)

  Family caregivers of people with ADRD have significant responsibilities within healthcare, and yet these responsibilities are not necessarily communicated clearly through clinical trial information. This study aimed to assess types of caregiver information given through an analysis of ADRD trials on clinicaltrials.gov from the last 30 years.

   Hg UMEs: A Tool for Developing Next-Generation Batteries (Curtis Althaus, Junior in Chemistry and Astrophysics)

  With a huge global push to find alternative sources of energy, the ever-increasing demand for clean power is met with a similarly urgent demand to store it. Through the use of mercury ultramicroelectrodes, I am exploring the ways in which Lithium interacts at a battery cathode surface to develop a ground-up model for novel-electrolyte development. This could enable new high-capacity, fast-charging Li-ion batteries that are greatly needed in technologies like electric cars, smartphones, and space exploration.

• Our Undergraduate Research Ambassadors Are Here to Help!

  Jan 22, 2024 9:00 am36 views

  Whether you're just beginning to explore the world of undergraduate research or are a seasoned researcher seeking support for your next steps, our Ambassadors are here to offer tailored advice based on your experience, interests, and goals. Our Ambassadors are excited to meet with you and are dedicated to ensuring you feel empowered to take your next step in your undergraduate research journey.

• Image of Research -- UR Edition Competition

  Feb 14, 2020 4:30 pm35 views

  Due to COVID-19, the Image of Research -- UR Edition has been canceled for Spring 2020. We hope to be back Fall 2020!

  -----

  Do you learn from imagery? Have you participated in undergraduate research? Submit an image of your scholarly work and win up to $300! 

  The Image of Research – UR Edition is a multidisciplinary competition celebrating the diversity and breadth of undergraduate student research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Students are invited to submit entries consisting of an image and brief text that articulates how the image relates to the research. 

  Entries will be judged by a multidisciplinary panel for:

  • Connection between image, text, and research
  • Originality
  • Visual Impact

  First prize: $300

  Second prize: $200

  Additionally, there may be up to two honorable mentions. 

  For more information: https://go.library.illinois.edu/image 

  All entries will be on display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and are archived for long term preservation in IDEALS.

• RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: Modeling Selfish Public Entities in Suspicious Communities

  May 8, 2024 4:15 pm34 views

  Work with a 4th year Ph.D. candidate on conducting a follow-up to some recently published work. The published work is an agent-based model of a public entity (e.g., an organization that provides social services) in a community, and how that community's trust in the public entity might affect how well the entity is able to do its job. 

  This is a summer/fall 2024 research opportunity for course credit.

  For more information, including how to apply, please see full description.

• Drop-in Hours Suspended Until Further Notice

  Mar 12, 2020 7:00 am32 views

  Due to growing concerns with and uncertainty about COVID-19, the Office of Undergraduate Research has decided to suspend it's weekly drop-in hours until further notice. We apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and encourage you to email us with questions.

• Joint Area Centers Symposium on Governing Globalization – Call for Undergraduate Research Presentation and Poster Proposals

  Jan 30, 2017 9:00 am31 views

  LAS Global Studies would like to invite paper and poster proposals from undergraduate students at the University of Illinois  for the  Joint-Area Centers Symposium on Governing Globalization, organized by the Center for Global Studies (CGS). The symposium will be held on March 31 and April 1. There are two opportunities for undergraduate participation at the event, the first of which is a four speaker panel to be held on Friday, March 31 and the second being a research poster session on Saturday, April 1.  

  Please see the attached Call for Proposals for more information.

  Proposals for papers and posters are due by February 28, 2017.

• Calling student authors! Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research

  Aug 30, 2022 9:30 am28 views

  Did you write a paper last year that you are interested in publishing? Consider submitting your work to the Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research!

  The Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Research is seeking student submissions, faculty/staff reviewers, and faculty/staff editorial board members. 

  This refereed, multidisciplinary, online undergraduate journal’s goal is to advance knowledge in new scholarly arenas by presenting intellectual and reflective work by undergraduates. This journal seeks undergraduate contributions to the literature on service learning and community-based research. To submit a paper or learn more about the different submission categories, visit our website. Student submissions for the Fall 2022 issue are due by September 16th, 2022 and are accepted on a rolling basis. Submissions received after that date will be considered for our next issue, with a submission date of January 31st. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Jill Waity, journal editor, at ujslcbr@uncw.edu

  If this deadline doesn't work for you, there will be new deadlines later in the fall semester and next spring! 

  Contact Merinda Kaye Hensley if you would like to talk about publishing your research in an undergraduate research journal - there are many more journals that we could explore! mhensle1@illinois.edu 

   

• Drop-In Hours Today 10/31/2019

  Oct 31, 2019 9:00 am22 views

  Drop-in hours today will shortened today from 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM. Happy Halloween; Stay Spooky!

• Facilitating Student Growth and Elevating Access: The Inaugural Edition of Peer Review

  Mar 17, 2015 1:30 pm21 views

• RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: Modeling Selfish Public Entities in Suspicious Communities

  May 8, 2024 4:15 pm7 views

  Work with a 4th year Ph.D. candidate on conducting a follow-up to some recently published work. The published work is an agent-based model of a public entity (e.g., an organization that provides social services) in a community, and how that community's trust in the public entity might affect how well the entity is able to do its job. 

  This is a summer/fall 2024 research opportunity for course credit.

  For more information, including how to apply, please see full description.

• Student Appointments / Drop-in Hours with The Office of Undergraduate Research

  Aug 19, 2019 8:00 am2 views

• Inaugural cohort of research teams to participate in national advocacy program

  Oct 26, 2022 8:00 am1 views

  Four teams of Illinois faculty, staff, and undergraduate researchers were selected to take part in a new program to build national awareness of the benefits of undergraduate research as a high-impact educational practice. These four Illinois teams were funded and supported by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Office of the Provost.

• Beckman Program Provides Undergrads with Research Experience, Professional Development

  Aug 14, 2017 9:30 am0 views

  This summer, 10 undergraduate students performed research at the forefront of advanced imaging and microscopy technologies through the “Discoveries in Bioimaging” Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Funded by the National Science Foundation, the 10-week program, which ended Aug. 4, allowed the students to experience life as a graduate student.

• 12 Undergraduates and OUR Director Among Those Named NCSA Fiddler Innovation Fellows for AY2019-2020

  Oct 31, 2019 12:30 pm0 views

  This year’s class of undergraduate Fiddler Fellows includes 12 students from a variety of disciplines, spanning from Architecture to Engineering and even the humanities. Fiddler Innovation Graduate Student Fellowship Awards were also presented to three graduate students, and the Fiddler Innovation Faculty Fellowship was awarded to five faculty members.

  The undergraduate award, which consists of a $1,000 stipend, was given to students whose research at NCSA crossed over into multiple disciplines, encouraging exploration of new topics and innovation. Awardees from this year studied everything from real-time immersive virtual environments for education and learning to food insecurity on college campuses.