Student research to be celebrated at King's

The second annual King’s Undergraduate Research Conference (KURC) will be held in the King Student Life Centre on March 30, 2019 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The committee responsible for the conference has issued a call for papers, with abstracts due March 6, 2019. The abstracts should be approximately 250-500 words. Abstracts can be submitted at https://kingsundergraduateresearchconference.com/call-for-papers.

Students are encouraged to present research via an oral presentation or a poster presentation. To participate in the conference, students require faculty support. Participating students will be asked to list a faculty contact who will be contacted by KURC. This is a great opportunity for students looking at graduate or professional degree programs to experience presenting at a research conference.

There is also an opportunity to work with the KURC for the 2019-2020 academic year. The conference has the following two openings:

• The Undergraduate Research Coordinator helps facilitate a culture of undergraduate research, organizes the Research Week, and helps ensure the conference runs smoothly.
• The Chair of the Undergraduate Research Conference works to steer the direction of KURC and organizes a successful conference.

Both positions work closely with the Academic Dean’s Office to produce the Undergraduate Research Week and the King’s Undergraduate Research Conference.

Students can apply through www.kingsundergraduateresearchconference.com/join-our-team. Applications are due March 3, 2019.

The conference was created to provide a forum for students conducting independent research and to allow them to receive feedback from faculty and administration at King's.  Last year’s conference was the first iteration where students working on external research (research performed outside the classroom or taken on as a passion project) could pursue an outlet to present their work. What began as a conference has now led to a larger push to have more resources available to support and foster undergraduate research at King’s University College. That push has seen positive results, with an entire Research Week (March 23-30) now being dedicated to showcasing research.

The first annual KURC had 134 registered attendees, which included 21 members of the community, 68 students, 20 faculty members, three incoming students, and 22 conference presenters.  There were presenters from over nine different disciplines. Participants ranged from fourth-year honours thesis presentations to second-year experiential learning projects.

Last year’s KURC also saw the launch of the 2018 King’s Undergraduate Research Journal. It is a KUCSC initiative that was created two years ago. KURC organizers are hoping to have journal participants present their research during Research Week and at the conference.

For more information on the King’s Undergraduate Research Conference, visit https://kingsundergraduateresearchconference.com/