undergraduate research paper awards

The Global Undergraduate Awards

Submissions for 2024 season are closed, gua numbers.

The Global Undergraduate Awards is the world's leading academic awards programme which recognises top undergraduate work, shares this work with a global audience and connects students across cultures and disciplines.

From our blog

GUA News: Global University Leader Awards - Results

Global University Leader Awards: Celebrating Outstanding Universities and Their Commitment to International Opportunities for Undergraduates

GUA Intern Report: Is Asia your Postgraduate Destination?

Summer Intern Ava has been exploring Post-Grad Destinations - Where will you go?

GUA Intern Report: Exploring Unconventional Destinations for Post-Grads

What our students say.

"It was an amazing few days getting to know other winners from a range of different categories and countries. The opportunity to present my research and speak with so many brilliant minds is incomparable. I can’t wait to see what everyone achieves in the future." - Maggie Tighe, University College Cork, Global Winner 2022

"When I received my postgraduate offer from the University of Oxford, I couldn't help thinking about my experience winning an award from the Global Undergraduate Awards. I believe that winning that award is the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me into the academic world. It helped me build the confidence I needed to move forward in academia and gave me courage to explore the unknown possibilities in life." - Weifeng Tao, Australian National University, Regional Winner 2022

"The prize, the medal is a great bonus to have but I think more important are the connections that we have made, and the ideas that we have shared. It's an unbelievable experience." - Kang Rui Garrick Lim, National University of Singapore, Global Winner 2019

"It’s nice to have a platform where undergraduate work is recognised as being as revolutionary and groundbreaking as the stuff that’s produced at postgraduate level." - Jay Millard, University of Leeds, Global Winner 2019

"The research that we conduct is most often impacted by our intimate personal identities and so when you’re sharing your research you are sharing a part of yourself, your life, your identity, and your community with each other." - Istifaa Ahmed, University of California, Berkeley, Global Winner 2018

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AP-LS Award for Best Undergraduate Paper

AP-LS Undergraduate Paper Award Committee

June 30, 2024

• Description
• Eligibility
• How to Apply
• Proposal Review Criteria

The AP-LS Award for Best Undergraduate Paper is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate research paper that is focused on the interdisciplinary study of psychology and law.

First ($500), second ($200) and third place ($150) winners are conferred annually, and winners will be be encouraged to submit their work as a poster presentation at the AP-LS Annual Conference (as first author).

To be eligible for an award the student must be the major contributor to a project on a topic relevant to psychology and law (i.e., the student had primary responsibility for initiating and conducting the project even though the project will usually be conducted under the supervision of a mentor).

Data collection should be complete.

Students may submit their work during their first post-undergraduate year as long as the work was conducted during their undergraduate career.

Submit Here

Submissions (APA-paper and letter of support) must be emailed to to the Chair of the Undergraduate Paper Award Committee at [email protected] as .doc or .docx (Microsoft Word) files. Deadline for receipt of all materials is June 30.

• One copy of the APA-style paper being submitted for consideration.
• The paper should be a maximum of 25 pages of text (12-point font, one-inch margins), including the abstract and tables/figures.
• The 25-page maximum does not include the title page and references.
• A letter of support from the student’s faculty mentor.
• Each applicant must have their mentor submit a letter of support to the chair that characterizes the nature and extent of the student’s contribution to the project.
• This letter should be a maximum of two pages of text (12-point font, one-inch margins).

Applications that do not meet these requirements for the paper and letters of support will be disqualified.

Proposals will be reviewed by members of the AP-LS Undergraduate Paper Award Committee based on independence, originality, contribution to field, soundness of design and analyses and quality of writing.

Past Recipients

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ACM Student Research Competition

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC) offers a unique forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present their original research at well-known ACM sponsored and co-sponsored conferences before a panel of judges and attendees.

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC)

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC) offers a unique forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present their original research before a panel of judges and attendees at well-known ACM-sponsored and co-sponsored conferences.

Recognizing the value of student participation at conferences, ACM started the program in 2003, but it is much more than just a travel funding program. The ACM SRC provides participants a chance to meet other students and to get direct feedback on their work from experts. This year's competitions took place at 21 participating ACM SIG conferences, sponsored by SIGACCESS, SIGAPP,  SIGARCH, SIGBED, SIGCHI, SIGCOMM, SIGCSE, SIGDA,SIGDOC, SIGGRAPH, SIGHPC, SIGMETRICS, SIGMICRO, SIGMOBILE, SIGOPS, SIGPLAN, SIGSOFT and SIGSPATIAL as well as TAPIA which included more than 323 student participants. The SRC program is administered by Nanette Hernandez of the ACM, Douglas Baldwin of SUNY Geneseo and Adrienne Decker of University at Buffalo.

[Learn More about SRC]

2024 ACM SRC Grand Finals Winners

The 2024 ACM Student Research Competition Grand Finals winners are: 

GRADUATE CATEGORY

First Place-  Stefan Klessinger:  University of Passau

Second Place-  Zhewen Pan: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Third Place-  Chengjie Lu: Simula Research Laboratory

UNDERGRADUATE CATEGORY

First Place-  Jakub Bachurski: University of Cambridge

Second Place-  Amar Shah:  University of California, Berkeley

Third Place-  Rhett Olson:  University of Minnesota 

   The SRC Grand Finals are the culmination of a year-long competition that involved more than 323 computer science students presenting research projects at 21 major ACM conferences. 

Students can gain many tangible and intangible rewards from participating in one of ACM’s Student Research Competitions. The ACM Student Research Competition is an internationally recognized venue enabling undergraduate and graduate students to earn:

• Awards:  cash prizes, medals, and ACM student memberships
• Prestige:  Grand Finalists receive a monetary award and a Grand Finalist certificate that can be framed and displayed 
• Visibility:  opportunities to meet with researchers in their field of interest and make important connections
• Experience: opportunities to sharpen communication, visual, organizational, and presentation skills in preparation for the SRC experience

2024 SRC Winner, 1st Place, Graduate Category

Stefan Klessinger, University of Passau "Capturing Data-inherent Dependencies in JSON Schema Extraction" ( SIGMOD/PODS 2023 )

1 PROBLEM AND MOTIVATION JSON is a popular semi-structured data exchange format widely used across various technological domains. It describes data as keyvalue pairs, often referred to as properties. JSON is essential in web applications for data transmission and in document stores such as MongoDB or Couchbase. Even relational database management systems such as PostgreSQL and MySQL support JSON data types. A sample JSON instance from log data generated in the gameWorld of Warcraft [4] is shown in Fig. 1a. It describes two kinds of events, discriminated by the value of property type: depending on the value of type, either properties resourceChange and resourceChangeType or property overheal are present. Although JSON instances are selfdescribing, they may be accompanied by an explicitly declared schema, commonly encoded in the JSON Schema language. JSON Schema [1] allows to describe and constrain JSON data. It is the de-facto standard for schema description in JSON and adopted across many different use cases. Schemastore.org [2] lists over 800 curated and publicly available schemas, providing specifications ranging from configuration files, workflows, and pipelines, to components of content management systems, and video games. JSONSchema is supported by a wide range of tools and libraries in many different programming languages. It allows data analysts to define and enforce constraints on the data, which aids in identifying and correcting errors in JSON data sets. The conformity of a JSON instance to a JSON Schema can be analyzed with a wide range of validation tools. This improves the reliability and quality of data. Furthermore, the schema provides a documentation of the data structure to data consumers. [Read more]

2024 SRC Winner, 2nd Place, Graduate Category

Zhewen Pan, University of Wisconsin-Madison "The XOR Cache: A Catalyst for Compression" ( SIGMICRO 2023 )

Abstract—Modern computing systems allocate significant amounts of resources for caching, especially for the last level cache (LLC). We observe that there is untapped potential for compression by leveraging redundancy due to private caching and inclusion that are common in today’s systems. We introduce the XOR Cache to exploit this redundancy via XOR compression. Unlike conventional cache architectures, XOR Cache stores bitwise XOR values of line pairs, halving the number of stored lines via a form of inter-line compression. When combined with other compression schemes, XOR Cache can further boost intra-line compression ratios by XORing lines of similar value, reducing the entropy of the data prior to compression. Evaluation results show that the XOR Cache can save LLC area by 1.32× and power by 1.67× at a cost of 3.58% performance overhead compared to a 2× larger uncompressed cache. I. PROBLEM AND MOTIVATION Today’s computing systems dedicate tens to hundreds of megabytes of SRAM to caching, which contributes to a significant portion of die area, e.g, AMD’s Zen3’s 32 MB L3 cache occupies around 40% of die area [8]. Additionally, the power consumption of these systems also surges, further straining the overall energy efficiency. The demand for resources in thecache hierarchy will continue to increase due to the growthin dataset size and memory wall problem. However, large caches do not necessarily translate into better performance despite having more capacity; additionally, they come at the cost of high access latency, usually in tens of cycles. Given their resource-demanding nature, these factors combined maketraditional large caches inefficient for future systems.) [Read more]

2024 SRC Winner 3rd Place, Graduate Category

Chengjie Lu, Simula Research Laboratory "Test Scenario Generation for Autonomous Driving Systems with Reinforcement Learning" ( ICSE 2023 )

Abstract—We have seen rapid development of autonomous driving systems (ADSs) in recent years. These systems place high requirements on safety and reliability for their mass adoption, and ADS testing is one crucial approach to ensure their success.However, it is impossible to test all the scenarios due to theinherent complexity and uncertainty of ADSs and their driving tasks. Besides, the operating environment of ADSs is dynamic, continuously evolving, and full of uncertainties, which requires a testing approach adaptive to the environment. Reinforcement learning (RL) has shown great potential in various complex tasks requiring constant adaptation to dynamic environments. To this end, this paper presents RLTester, a novel ADS testing approach, that adopts reinforcement learning (RL) to learn critical environment configurations (i.e., test scenarios) of the operating environment of ADSs that could reveal their unsafe behaviors. To generate diverse and critical test scenarios, we defined 142 environment configuration actions and adopted the Time-To-Collision metric to construct the reward function. Our evaluation shows that RLTester discovered a total of 256 collisions, of which 192 are unique, and took an average of 11.59 seconds for each collision. Further, RLTester is effective in generating more diverse test scenarios compared to a stateof- the-art approach, DeepCollision. We also introduce an opensource driving scenario dataset, DeepScenario, which consists of over 30K driving scenarios. Index Terms —Autonomous Driving System Testing, Critical Scenario, Reinforcement Learning, Scenario Dataset [Read more]

2024 SRC Winner, 1st Place, Undergraduate Category

Jakub Bachurski, University of Cambridge "Embedding Pointful Array Programming in Python" ( POPL 2024 )

Abstract Multidimensional array operations are ubiquitous in machine learning. The dominant ecosystem in this field is centred around Python and NumPy, where programs are expressed with elaborate and error-prone calls in the point-free array programming model. Such code is difficult to statically analyse and maintain. Other array programming paradigms offer to solve these problems, in particular the pointful style of Dex. However, only limited approaches – based on Einstein summation – have been embedded in Python. We introduce Ein, a pointful array DSL embedded in Python. We also describe a novel connection between pointful and point-free array programming. Thanks to this connection, Ein generates performant, optimised and type-safe calls to NumPy. Ein reconciles the readability of comprehension-style definitions with the capabilities of existing array frameworks. [Read more]

2024 SRC Winner, 2nd Place, Undergraduate Category

Amar Shah, University of California, Berkeley "An Eager SMT Solver for Algebraic Data Type Queries" ( PLDI 2023 )

1 Introduction and Motivation Algebraic Data Types (ADTs) are a programming construct classically found in functional programming languages but are increasingly found in all kinds of modern languages. ADTs are a convenient generalization of structures like enumerated types, lists, and binary trees. A natural problem is the satisfiability of formulas over the theory ADT. This has applications in modelling languages [Milner 1978], proof assistants [Gonthier 2005] and program verification [Bjørner et al. 2013]. While the need to reason about ADTs have grown, the techniques to do so have not. Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) extends the Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem to include additional theories, in this case ADT. Most SMT solvers for ADT apply the same lazy approach that use a theory solver [Oppen 1980] in a loop with a SAT solver. We propose a fundamentally different approach: an eager solver for ADT satisfiability modulo theory (SMT) queries via a quantifier free reduction to Equality and Uninterpreted Functions (EUF) SMT queries. [Read more]

2024 SRC Winner, 3rd Place, Undergraduate Category

Rhett Olson, University of Minnesota "An Automatic Approach to Finding Geographic Name Changes on Historical Maps" ( SIGSPATIAL 2023 )

ABSTRACT Changes in place names offer insight into regions’ culture, politics, and geographical characteristics. This paper proposes an automatic approach to retrieve time-sequenced maps that show place name changes on many maps from across history. The proposed approach utilizes gazetteers (i.e., indexes for geographic names) to retrieve a place’s coordinates and name variants and searches for text labels from maps matching those coordinates and names. To search for multiple-word place names, the approach constructs minimum spanning trees from an edge cost function to link text labels into phrases. We present two experiments: one to evaluate the effectiveness of the minimum spanning tree approach at linking multiple word place names, and the other to evaluate the maps retrieved by the query approach. The resulting maps give rich visual insight into how place names change over time and could facilitate scholarly investigation of geographic name changes at a large scale. [Read more]

Library Prize for Undergraduate Research

The Library Prize for Undergraduate Research recognizes and honors excellence in undergraduate research at UCLA.

More Information

About the library prize.

*The submission period for the 2023-2024 Library Prize for Undergraduate Research is now open. The application deadline is Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

The Library Prize recognizes and honors research excellence and includes cash prizes ranging from $400 to $700 across various project categories. Submissions are open to any undergraduate student or group who has completed a research paper or project — either for a course or independently — over the past 12 months. Winners will be acknowledged during an award ceremony as part of Undergraduate Research Week (opens in a new tab) .

If you are a current UCLA undergraduate student and can answer "yes" to the questions below, your paper or project may be just what the selection committee is looking for!

• Did you or your team use UCLA Library collections for a research paper or project you completed for a course in the last twelve months?
• Did your use of library collections and services help to increase the scope, depth and significance of what you learned?
• Did your research skills grow because of your use of library collections?
• Did your use of library collections inform and strengthen other types of research you performed?

Please see our application procedures page for more details about eligibility, requirements and selection criteria.

Prize Categories

The Library Prize consists of awards in five academic categories:

Library Prize for Undergraduate Research Application Procedures

See past winners, background about the prize.

The inspiration for the UCLA Library Prize for Undergraduate Research came from Ruth Simon, lover of books and libraries.

Simon earned her B.A. in English at UCLA and served as UCLA’s campus counsel for many years until her retirement in 2003. Her many memories of her college years include countless hours spent in the undergraduate library, studying for classes and exams or enjoying classic works of English literature.

Guided by her passion for reading and research and wishing to share her love of libraries, Simon established the Ruth Simon Library Prize for Undergraduate Research, the first endowment of its kind at UCLA, to inspire and reward UCLA undergraduates for outstanding library research now and for generations yet to come.

Further Questions?

Associated topics, ucla library undergraduate art project prize, associated news.

Eleven students were recognized for incorporating Library resources into their scholarship and research in a variety of academic fields.

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Join the STR Class of 2024-25 and improve your ability to communicate the impact of your undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry experiences.

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Undergraduate Research Awards

UCSC recognizes excellence in undergraduate research through:

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Awards to Support UR

See the Funding section for each division's webpage.

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Selected ucsc awards for completed scholarly activities.

Please note that the following list is not inclusive.  Check with the department and division for a complete list.

Deans', Chancellor’s & Steck Undergraduate Awards

These awards recognize exceptional achievement in research projects or other creative activities. Winners are honored at an awards ceremony in June during the UCSC Annual Student Achievement Week. Applications are available starting in early Februrary from the DCA website here .

Dean's Award-  Fifty undergraduate students, ten from each of the five academic divisions, receive a Dean's Award (certificate and $100). Recipients are considered for the Chancellor's Award.

Chancellor's Award - The best three students from each of the divisions will also receive a Chancellor's Award (certificate and an additional $500). Recipients are considered for the Steck Award.

Steck Award - In recognition of the most outstanding completed senior thesis/research project, one undergraduate student will be selected as the recipient of the Steck Award. The student will receive $2,000 and a certificate. In addition, his or her senior thesis/research project will be bound and copies given to the student, the research supervisor, McHenry Library, and the Steck family, whose generous contributions have made this award possible.

Campus Application Deadline :   Early April Award Amounts :   $100 Dean’s, $500 Chancellor’s, $2,000 Steck Award  Application Form : Available Winter

Division & Department Awards

Please note that this is not a comprehensive listing of awards.  Check your department's and division's pages for more information.

Eduardo Carrillo Memorial Fund

The Eduardo Carrillo Memorial Scholarships are intended to support outstanding Art students with documented financial need with a maximum award of $1,000. The Eduardo Carrillo Scholarship supports students in painting, sculpture, or drawing areas and students are invited to apply during Winter quarter.

Grosvenor Cooper Memorial Scholarship

Established in 1992, this scholarship is a merit-based award (with financial need brought into secondary consideration) given to second and third year UCSC students who, in the spirit of Dr. Cooper, “demonstrate a joyful enthusiasm for music beyond academic pursuit.” The recipient does not need to be a declared music major, but must be currently enrolled in a music class.

Humanities  

Department of History Linda Peterson Awards

Each year, the History Department solicits nominations from its faculty for the best undergraduate papers written in a history course or as a history senior thesis. Specific awards may be conferred for work based on geographic distinctions (e.g., American, world, European or Asian history) Optional awards will also be awarded at the discretion of the Undergraduate Education Committee (UEC). A paper or thesis written in any quarter of the current academic year is eligible for nomination. Winners receive $100 in recognition of their achievement. The top three papers, irrespective of the departmental awards, will be forwarded to the Humanities Division for consideration in the Dean’s and Chancellor’s award competitions.

Literature- Best Undergraduate Essay

A prize of $250 will be awarded to the best essay written in conjunction with any Literature course. Submissions should be between 5-10 standard double-spaced pages in length, and may represent a revised version of work submitted for a course. Any currently enrolled Literature major, regardless of class standing, may submit one paper written in any language to be considered for this prize. Contact [email protected] for more information. 

Literature- Best Senior Essay/Thesis

A prize of $250 will be awarded to a graduating senior Literature major for the best essay that was prepared in conjunction with one of the Department's exit requirements: a Senior Seminar (Literature course 190x or LTCR 194) or a Senior Thesis. Submissions should be between 15-25 standard double-spaced pages in length. To be eligible for this prize, students must have graduated, or be on track to graduate, between fall quarter 2013 and summer 2014. Creative Writing students are eligible to submit material that takes the form of an essay (but not, for instance, poems or short stories). Nominations will come from faculty; students may not submit their own work for this prize. 

Jewish Studies Undergraduate Research Awards

To encourage and reward outstanding research and writing on Jewish themes by undergraduates at UCSC. Students should submit their papers to the Department of History via e-mail attachment ([email protected]). A letter of support from a faculty sponsor is recommended, but not required. Questions may be directed to Jewish Studies Academic Advising Coordinator.  

Sociology-The Sociology of Race, Class, and Gender Award

The Sociology of Race, Class, and Gender Senior Thesis Award was established in 2000 by Pamela Ann Roby, who is currently a UCSC Professor Emerita of Sociology.  To be eligible for this award, applicants must be UCSC undergraduate sociology majors who have written their senior thesis on race, class, and gender during the academic year.

Stephen M. Palais Memorial Undergraduate Research Award Created by the family in memory of former student, Stephen Palais, this award is administered by the MCD Biology and Mathematics Departments and recognizes meritorious undergraduate research.

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Annual Competitions and Prizes

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Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference   Cash prizes are awarded for outstanding presentations.

Honors Capstone Research Awards A group of twenty students are selected from the various schools and departments to give a ten-minute oral presentations on the essence of their capstone work. Another twenty students are selected to present their capstone work during the poster presentation period.  A panel of judges selects the students who will receive an Honors Capstone Research Conference Award.

Kogod School of Business

Annual Kogod Case Competition The Competition is one of the premier annual events hosted by the Kogod School of Business. It is an excellent opportunity for students to sharpen their communication skills, presentation style, and problem-solving techniques. Students have the opportunity to network with over 60 business leaders who judge the competition. The event is open to all graduate and undergraduate students at AU and invited Kogod-partner schools. The events are juried.   

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Vincenza and W. Donald Bowles Award The Vincenza and W. Donald Bowles Award to recognize students for conducting outstanding research or pursuing a course of study addressing productivity, income, or poverty in the United States through empirical, theoretical, or artistic efforts. The $750 award will be given annually in November, following evaluation by a committee comprised of teaching faculty and librarians from AU.

Research Award for Best College Writing Paper This award recognizes students for outstanding research and writing in a College Writing course. The $750 award will be given annually at the end of the spring semester following evaluation by a committee comprised of teaching faculty and library faculty from AU. Research Award for Best Undergraduate Paper This award recognizes students for outstanding research and writing in any AU course. The $750 award will be given annually at the end of the spring semester following evaluation by a committee comprised of teaching faculty and library faculty from AU.

School of Communication Visions 2014: Media That Matters The VISIONS festival attracts respected media industry professionals and students from all disciplines, culminates with The VISIONS Festival Award Ceremony. Outstanding undergraduate and outstanding graduate work is eligible for many awards.

School of International Service

SIS Undergraduate Research Symposium Outstanding papers, presentations, and posters are recognized at this student-organized symposium.  

School of Public Affairs

SPA Undergraduate Research Symposium This is an annual forum for undergraduate students to present their original scholarly and creative work before colleagues, friends, and faculty. Cash awards will be given for the best presentations, and top students will be recognized at the SPA Awards Ceremony .  Open to all students who have taken an SPA course.

Prize for Best Undergraduate Essay on Classical Liberalism The Political Theory Institute awards a prize of $500 at the annual SPA Awards Ceremony.  The contest is open to all AU undergraduates and is intended to foster critical reflection on the key authors, concepts, and arguments of classical liberalism, including but not limited to individual liberty, equality, democracy, constitutionalism, and commerce. As used here, classical liberalism denotes a topic, not an agenda, and the prize will be given to the most intelligent and well-argued essay on these topics regardless of philosophical or political perspective. Essays about the place of classical liberalism in the American political tradition are welcome.

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The Global Undergraduate Awards

The Global Undergraduate Awards is the world’s leading academic awards programme, open to all undergraduate students in almost every academic discipline and attracting submissions from hundreds of universities on every continent.

This is a unique opportunity to have your work recognised by an international panel of expert judges working in some of the world’s top academic institutions. We believe in rewarding students for passion and innovation early in their academic career, to encourage them to continue their work through postgraduate study or employment.

Submitting your entry is  quick, simple and free ! Through our fully anonymised online submission platform, UA has designed a fair and equal awards programme open to students regardless of background. Submit today for a chance to have your work recognised and awarded at an international level.

If you are planning to complete a four-year degree, you are eligible to submit in your third or fourth year of study. If you are planning to undertake a three-year degree, you are eligible to submit in your second or third year of study. Entries submitted must have been completed in partial fulfilment of an undergraduate degree, i.e. they must have been completed as undergraduate coursework with a portion of credits for the paper/project going toward an overall undergraduate degree.

Submission deadline: Friday, 27 May 2022

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As  America’s first research university , we have been tackling difficult questions and finding answers since 1876.

Every day, our faculty and students work side by side in a tireless pursuit of discovery, continuing our founding mission to bring knowledge to the world. Whether you study engineering, chemistry, music, anthropology, or all of the above, every student here—no matter his or her major—is an investigator.

You can find research in whatever field you want because everyone here is doing some sort of research, and you can help out.

Explore supernovae alongside a Nobel laureate. Learn how to make music with lasers . Create devices that will save lives in impoverished countries . Take a grand tour of the cities that inspired some of the Western world’s great thinkers—Venice, Florence, Paris, or London.

At Hopkins, you can do all of the above. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Two juniors named Goldwater Scholars

Program funds undergraduate summer research experiences

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Programs & fellowships.

• Provost’s Undergraduate Research Awards : Receive up to $3,000 and be paired with a full-time faculty sponsor for research on any topic of your choosing
• Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program : Engage in hands-on, independent learning with faculty mentors and receive funding of up to $10,000 over four years
• ASPIRE grants : Promote independent research projects among undergrads in the School of Arts and Sciences; awards range from $500 to $4,500 per academic year

Learn more:

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Undergraduate Research Awards (URAs) offer a  $1200 stipend   (optional)  and  up to $600 in research expenses  to students who wish to conduct research either on campus or at other research sites within the United States during the academic year (including January term), or in the summer.  URAs are designed to provide support for students doing independent research.  So, while s tudents may participate in a faculty member’s research, they should not serve merely as research assistants. If participating in a faculty member’s research, students should develop a specific research problem to investigate on their own with the advice and assistance of their faculty mentors. Students should have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of professional research: from the design and development of the project to the analysis and conclusions.

A successful URA project will require a substantial amount of time, effort, energy, and focus to complete. Students should anticipate 100-125 hours of research, though this may be configured in any number of ways to fit the research plan:  e.g., 8-9 hours per week during a 14-week semester; 35-40 hours per week during J-term, or a similar commitment of time during the summer.

• If you don’t need or desire academic credit for your research project, you may apply to the Hamel Center for both a  stipend  and an  expense award . 
• If you plan to pursue research for academic credit, you may apply to the Hamel Center for an  expense award  only, to help defray costs incurred in carrying out your project –  i.e. you may not receive both credit and a stipend for the same research during the same time period.
• Stipends and expense funds will be awarded (and thus may be used) only for research activities conducted  post  award notification, typically to be done in subsequent semesters – e.g., research during J-term or spring for students applying in October, or research during summer or fall for students applying in March. Students may not seek retroactive stipend and/or expenses for research activities that have already begun prior to or been completed at the time of application.
• Students may not accept both an Undergraduate Research Award and other awarded funding for the same research during the same time period (e.g. NSF, Pfizer, Space Grant, or other grant that awards money for research).  If you have any questions, please consult with Hamel Center staff.

Eligibility

• Undergraduate at UNH or UNHM
• Enrolled in a UNH or UNHM baccalaureate degree program
• Minimum 2.0 cumulative UNH/UNHM GPA at the time of application

(First-year and transfer students must have completed at least one full-time semester at UNH or UNHM at the time of application, with a minimum 2.0 GPA from UNH/UNHM courses.)

Application Deadline

October 4, 2023  for research during January Term or spring 2024

March 6, 2024  for research during summer or fall 2024

For help with your application , consult our advice for  writing an effective proposal   and consider attending a   proposal writing workshop.

Applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m.  on the deadline dates above.

URA Application Guidelines

Read the Application Guidelines before  completing the application forms. A complete URA application includes: 1) Application Intake Form (to be completed through the online application portal ) , 2) Proposal, 3) Budget (if requesting expense funds), 4) UNH Faculty Mentor Recommendation (to be submitted by the mentor through the online portal). Please refer to the Application Checklist which outlines every step in the submission process.  

What to do before you apply

We strongly urge you to take several steps before you write your proposal and complete your application. Some homework up front will minimize confusion at deadline time and will increase your chances of success! These steps are:

• Review the information in these guidelines for detailed information about the program and the application process. 
• Make sure you are eligible. To apply, you must be a UNH or UNHM undergraduate enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program, with a minimum 2.0 cumulative UNH/UNHM GPA at the time of application.  If you are proposing a group project, make sure all applicants are eligible. * Note: First-year and transfer students must have completed at least one full-time semester at UNH or UNHM at the time of application, with a minimum 2.0 GPA earned from UNH/UNHM courses.
• Talk with a Hamel Center staff member about your proposed research and any questions you may have – including how to identify a faculty mentor. If you are planning a group project, be sure to contact the Hamel Center office before applying.   * Note: Students may participate in a faculty member’s research; however, students should not serve merely as  research assistants. If participating in a faculty member’s research, students should develop a specific research problem to investigate on their own with the advice and assistance of their faculty mentors. Students should have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of professional research: from the design and development of the project, to the analysis and conclusions.
• For a group project, the UNH Faculty Mentor should write and submit a separate recommendation letter for each student applicant.
• In a co-mentoring arrangement, the two faculty mentors should prepare a joint recommendation letter that addresses the shared mentoring plan.
• RE: Need for an off-campus mentor:   Students who are planning to conduct their research at a non-UNH site off campus (e.g. during January term or in the summer) may require a second mentor at the off-campus site, depending on the nature of the research.  A student doing off-campus field research for a UNH-based project, for example, would not need a second mentor at the off-campus site.  A student working on research sponsored by another institution or one of its faculty, however, will need an off-campus mentor, in addition to a UNH faculty mentor.  This arrangement will require the approval of the Hamel Center director and the student’s UNH faculty mentor prior to application.  Students with these kinds of off-campus research projects should contact the Hamel Center office before applying.  More information is available here .
• Consult the Hamel Center website for advice on writing an effective proposal , and allow ample time to complete all application materials.  *Note: If you are planning a group project, be sure to contact the Hamel Center office before applying. 
• Attend a proposal writing workshop . The workshop presenter will go over the required elements of the proposal and will be available to answer any questions.  The schedule of workshops will be posted online at the start of each semester.
• You may also make an appointment with a Hamel Center staff member who can look over your proposal draft to see if it meets requirements for format and style.   (Note:  It is your mentor, not a Hamel Center staff member, who can critique your draft with regard to its discipline-specific content.)
• Ask your faculty mentor to review your proposal draft .  Be sure to allow sufficient time for your mentor’s review and comments before the deadline.
• Determine if your project will require approval from a University review committee.   Certain types of research are subject to federal regulations and University guidelines. For example, any projects involving interviews, surveys or questionnaires – i.e. all having to do with human subjects – must receive approval from UNH’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the research begins.  Similarly, research involving vertebrate animals, infectious agents, DEA controlled substances, lasers, x-rays, hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, carcinogenic material, recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, NMR/superconducting magnets, and/or patents and copyrights must receive approval from the appropriate University review committee before the research begins.  If you have questions about how to obtain research approval, talk with your faculty mentor or a Hamel Center staff member.  You do not need to submit written evidence of this approval with your URA application; however, if you are granted an award, the Hamel Center must receive confirmation of approval from the appropriate University review committee before dispensing your award money.  So, it is in your best interest to begin the approval process before or at the time of your application.  Read more about responsible conduct of research .

Proposal Requirements

The project proposal is the most important part of the application. To prepare a competitive proposal, students should follow the Proposal Outline carefully and adhere closely to the formatting guidelines.  Ideally, all URA applicants should use the Proposal Outline as a guide in organizing their proposal, using the subheadings indicated below. However, since research varies among the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and performing/fine arts, students may adapt the outline to their project and field of study when appropriate. 

Students are expected to write the URA proposal themselves, in its entirety.  Of course, students should consult with their mentor before writing the proposal and ask their mentor to critique it once they have written a draft.  Even with mentor input, however, the final proposal should reflect the students’ own work.  **Students should allow sufficient time for revision.

Proposal Outline

1.  Title page : including the project title, your name and major, your faculty mentor’s name and department, and the program  for which you are applying. 

2.  Abstract :  a brief summary of your proposed project , not to exceed 200 words.

3.  Project History and Definition

• general problem, theme, or issue to be addressed
• historical or theoretical context
• most relevant previous research, scholarship, or artistry on this topic by other researchers, scholars, or artists
• project’s specific question, hypothesis, or objective(s)

4.    Approach/Methodology

• methods, procedures, theories, or lines of thinking and/or creating you will use to address your research topic and answer the question(s) you pose
• if you plan to conduct interviews or surveys: what assumption/hypothesis/general principle you will test; the number of participants you will seek and how you will recruit/select them; sample interview/survey questions
• materials and sources you will need to study in order to pursue your project
• how you will analyze, interpret, and/or evaluate your findings (i.e., the material you study, the data you collect, or your creative experience)
• how and why your mode of analysis will enable you to accomplish your objectives and/or answer your research question(s)
• foreseeable challenges, obstacles, or difficulties – and how  you are prepared to address them

5.    Significance/Meaning/Implications

• contribution of your project to the problem and your field
• wider implications of your research or artistry (e.g., social, cultural, intellectual, creative, practical, theoretical)
• if this project is a portion of a more comprehensive research project being conducted by your UNH faculty mentor, include an explanation of how it fits into the whole

6.    Personal Outcome

• tangible product(s) of your project (e.g., report, paper, thesis, presentation, production, exhibition, film, etc.)
• contribution of the project to your educational goals, including how this project will enhance your understanding of your particular field
• contribution of the project to your long-term career goals

7.    Location

• principal location of project work
• other research or artistic sites and source locations to which you will travel
• if you will travel to an off-campus research site, describe specific resources and/or contacts at the site that will be instrumental to the project and to accomplishing your objectives
• if you need prior approval to gain access to your research site and its sources, describe how and when you will obtain written permission

8.    My Role/Preparation/Experience

• your specific role during the research period (if a group project, the role of each student on the project)
• your preparation and qualifications to undertake the project (e.g., previous coursework, jobs, extracurricular experiences; other research, training, or performance experience)
• your plans for further preparing yourself before undertaking the project (e.g., coursework in research methods or related subject matter, additional in-depth research on the topic, skills acquisition/training, practical experience, other resources)
• if one of your methods will be interviews and/or surveys: how you will prepare yourself to design and conduct these (e.g., coursework, training by your mentor, etc.)
• role of your faculty mentor and others (graduate students/technicians/collaborators), including the plans you and your mentor have made to communicate on a regular basis during the research period

9.   Timetable

• time allotted to each portion of your project (e.g., week by week, or stage by stage), with as much detail as possible
• brief explanation of research activities and timetable for your entire project, if the URA-funded portion is part of a larger project (e.g., senior capstone or thesis)
• Note: A successful URA project will require a substantial amount of time, effort, energy, and focus to complete. Your estimated URA Timetable should anticipate 100-125 hours of research, though this may be configured in any number of ways to fit your research plan: e.g., 8-9 hours per week during a 14-week semester; 35-40 hours per week during J-term, or a similar commitment of time during the summer.

10.    Appendices

• Statement of Previous Hamel Center-Funded Research (if applicable)

Students who have received Hamel Center funds previously (e.g. REAP, Undergraduate Research Award, SURF, IROP) must submit with their application a “Statement of Previous Support.”  This statement (no more than one page, double spaced per award ) should include the following information about previously funded research:  1) Hamel Center grant received, 2) Project Title, 3) Faculty Mentor, 4) project start/end dates, 5) a brief description of how the current proposed research extends and/or differs from research previously funded by the Hamel Center, including how the results of that former research might inform the research now being proposed (if applicable).

• illustrations, diagrams, or video/audio recordings as necessary
• one- to two-page bibliography of primary and secondary sources that you will use toward this project (e.g., books, journal articles, films, interviews, media sources, master classes).  Note: Be sure that all sources which you consulted in preparing the proposal are cited in the proposal text and listed in the bibliography.  Format the in-text citations and bibliography according to the style guidelines for your discipline.
• surveys, questionnaires, and interview questions, if these are part of your research

Proposal Format and Style  

The proposal should:

• be typed and double spaced , using Times New Roman 12-point font (black)  * Note:  You may single-space your Timetable.
• have one-inch margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, right)
• be no more than 8 pages long (for a group project, no more than 10 pages long) – this length excludes the title page, abstract, and appendices/attachments
• include page numbers
• follow the Proposal Outline carefully, using clear subheadings (as above) for each section
• include definitions of words specific to your field or research, if faculty members outside your field are not likely to be familiar with them.  * Note: In general, you should keep in mind that Faculty Review Committee members represent a range of disciplines, so your proposal should be written in a way that can be understood by an educated reader who is not necessarily a specialist in your field.  
• Save your proposal as a PDF to be uploaded to the online application portal.  Use this naming format: Lastname_Firstname_URA_Proposal

Budget Instructions and Budget Form

Please review the following instructions before completing the Budget Form .

In consultation with your Faculty Mentor, determine as accurately as you can your estimated expenses.  List each item and its exact cost per unit, and briefly note its importance to your project. Identify the most critical items in your budget. You may request up to a maximum of $600 for expenses directly related to the completion of your project. (For group projects: submit one budget, for expenses up to a maximum of $600 per group member.) Expense awards only cover costs directly related to the completion of your project.  They do not cover the cost of copying your thesis or research paper, or costs associated with presenting your research, such as research posters.

Note:  1) The Hamel Center may not be able to fund all your project expenses. It is understood that the budget represents your best estimate of the costs. Your budget should represent the total amount without which your project will not be possible.  If this total exceeds $600, please use the “Contributions from Other Sources” chart on p. 2 of the Budget Form to indicate the sources (including personal) from which the remaining expenses will be drawn.  2) Stipends and expense funds will be awarded (and thus may be used) only for research activities conducted post award notification, typically to be done in subsequent semesters – e.g., research during J-term or spring for students applying in October, or research during summer or fall for students applying in March.  Students may not seek retroactive funding for research activities that have already begun or been completed at the time of application. 

• Supplies: These include, but are not limited to: note-taking supplies (e.g. paper/notebooks, pens/pencils), art supplies, supplies for lab or field work (e.g. chemicals, lab animals, etc.).  You should provide the exact cost of each item. You may do this by talking to your faculty mentor, looking through supply catalogs, or shopping around. If you are ordering supplies from a company off-campus, be sure to include the cost of shipping and handling.
• Travel expenses during the regular academic year may not include commuting from your residence to campus, but may include travel to other research sites: e.g., libraries, archives, museums, and the field.  (If you are conducting research during J-term or the summer, please consult with the Hamel Center about possible commuting expenses.) Where possible, you are encouraged to consider public transportation, which is often cheaper. 
• Travel expenses may not include food/lodging expenses (e.g. if a hotel stay is necessary during research).
• If you wish to present the results of your research at a professional conference or meeting, there is a separate Research Presentation Grant for which you may apply after your research is complete.
• Other Expenses: This category refers to any expenses in the following areas – photocopies, phone calls, postage, special fees for access to research sites, fees for instrument time, or services rendered – along with any expenses that might not be covered within the other categories. Most of these items should be calculated by the number needed for your research project and the cost for each. For example, 100 photocopies multiplied by 10 cents each will give you the total amount of $10 needed by you. For “services rendered,” you should contact the person or department where the work will be done for an estimate of the cost.
• Software: The Hamel Center will approve the cost of software only in special instances, and where the student provides a clear rationale for needing to purchase the software – as opposed to accessing the software through other University resources. Several software applications (including SPSS) are available for use at no cost by the entire campus through a central UNH network license. Faculty and students can access these licensed applications through their own personal computers or through the campus-wide computer clusters. Thus, students who are requesting Hamel Center grant funds to support the cost of software must include in their application a clear explanation of why the purchase of software is necessary to the success of the research project.  For more information about UNH Academic Software Applications available through network license, see https://td.usnh.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=770  
• Books:  If you include books among your expenses, you must verify that these books are not available through the UNH Library system, including Inter-Library Loan (ILL) and the Boston Library Consortium (BLC).  See www.library.unh.edu for more information.
• Save your Budget as a PDF to be uploaded to the online application portal.  Use this naming format: Lastname_Firstname_URA_Budget

UNH Faculty Mentor Recommendation Form

Complete the top portion of the  URA Faculty Mentor Recommendation Form   and give the form to your mentor well in advance of the application deadline.  Please use this naming format when saving the form: StudentLastname_StudentFirstname_FacultyLastname_Form . Your mentor will be responsible for uploading the form and their letter of recommendation to the online portal no later than the application deadline. 

Criteria for Review of Applications

The Hamel Center’s Faculty Advisory Committee reviews all applications. Each proposal is read by at least three faculty reviewers drawn from one of the following two general areas of study: 1) departments in COLSA and CEPS, and 2) departments in COLA, CHHS, and Paul College.  An application may receive a maximum of 25 points from each reviewer.

1.    Quality of the Proposal : 12 points

• Is the proposal well written, well defined, convincing?
• Is the proposal complete? Are all parts clearly explained in accordance with the proposal outline?
• Is the proposal understandable to a general, educated reader who is not a specialist in the proposed research field?
• Is the project manageable and appropriate for the URA time frame (i.e., anticipating 100-125 hours of research)?

2.    Qualifications of the Applic ant: 5 points

• Are the qualifications, preparation, and experience of the student adequate for carrying out the project?

3.    Appropriateness of the Budget : 2 points

• Is the budget itemized?
• Is it clear why the items are necessary to the project?

4.    Faculty Mentor Recommendation : 6 points

• Past or present experience supervising the student in coursework, research, or independent work.
• Preparation of the student to undertake the project in the time period allowed.
• Significance of the project and its potential educational value for the student.
• Relationships between the student’s project and the faculty mentor’s own research, scholarly, or creative work or areas of expertise.

Notification:  All applicants and their faculty mentors will be notified of the review committee’s decision in writing within approximately six weeks of the application deadline.  If your application is successful, you will then be asked to sign a Letter of Intent and will receive further program information, including procedures for receiving your stipend and/or expense award.

URA Requirements and Expectations (for Successful Applicants)

In addition to the expectation that you will conduct/complete the research project proposed in your application, the Undergraduate Research Award comes with the following requirements:

• Final Report: describing your project and your findings (~2000 words).
• Final Evaluation: to be completed electronically by you and your faculty mentor. 
• Letter of Appreciation: to be written by you to your sponsoring donor(s).

Presentation of Research: URA students are strongly encouraged (though not required) to present the results of their research in an appropriate forum (e.g., to a class, to department majors and/or faculty, at an on- or off-campus conference). UNH’s Undergraduate Research Conference , held each spring, offers an excellent opportunity for presenting your research. 

URA students are also encouraged to consider publishing a research brief, commentary, or article in Inquiry , UNH’s online undergraduate research journal, and/or to contribute to the Hamel Center’s Undergraduate Research Blog .

Submitting Your URA Application

Students: Please have your completed PROPOSAL and BUDGET (if requesting expense funds) ready for upload before submitting your application here >>

UNH Faculty Mentor Recommendation for URA

Faculty mentors: Please follow the instructions in the URA  faculty mentor memo >>

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Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award: Details

• Previous Award Winners

Deadlines and important dates:

Deadlines and Important Dates

• Intent to Apply  due  April 19, 2024 (deadline extended!)
• All application materials due by 11:59 pm on April 26, 2024.
• The winners will be announced on May 10, 2024.

Application Materials Checklist

• A completed application form.
• A short abstract introducing the research question being explored by the submission. Include a discussion of hypotheses, methodology and/or results when appropriate.
• A final version of the research paper, project or poster presentation.
• A bibliography or other appropriate list of sources consulted/works cited.
• An email sent to [email protected] from the UIS faculty member who taught the course or administered the research project for which the paper/project/poster was originally submitted. The email just needs to be a simple statement confirming that that project was overseen or assigned by the faculty member.  

Award Contact Information

Undergraduate research, scholarly and creative activities are foundational components of a complete liberal arts education. With this in mind, Brookens Library and the Friends of Brookens Library are pleased to announce the ninth annual Undergraduate Library Research Award. 

This award was created to recognize and reward UIS undergraduate students whose academic work incorporates the use of Brookens Library’s collections and services and demonstrates exceptional information literacy skills. In addition to recognition at UIS, the award includes a monetary prize generously sponsored by the Friends of Brookens Library: 

• $500  for first place
• $400 for second place
• $300  for third place
• $2 00  for fourth place
• $100 for fifth place.

Important Information

How to apply.

Application for the Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award is a Two-step Process:

Step 1)  Fill out the online application form

Step 2)  One of the Brookens Librarians will contact you to arrange for you to electronically submit your materials using Box.com.  Respectfully, we request that you do not send in your project materials until instructed to do so.

Eligibility

The Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award is open to undergraduate students enrolled at University of Illinois Springfield in any academic level for the current academic year.  

• All disciplines are eligible.
• The paper, project or poster must be tied to a specific UIS course or other appropriate undergraduate research projects.
• Submissions must be from the current or previous academic year.
• Individual or team submissions are allowed (in the event a team submission wins the award, the prize will be split among the team members).
• The paper, project or poster must be completed by the application deadline.
• All submissions must contain an element of library research that demonstrates the use of primary and/or secondary sources. This could be a literature review, an annotated bibliography or other means of documentation appropriate to the project submitted.
• The submitted paper or project must have a reference list (works cited).
• All applicants must agree to give the library permission to upload winning papers/projects to the campus institutional repository ( IDEALS ).
• Previous Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award winners are allowed to submit another entry, but may not submit work that has already been awarded.

Evaluation Criteria

A committee comprised of librarians and UIS faculty members from different disciplines will judge all submissions using the following criteria:

• Demonstrated ability to select, evaluate, and synthesize appropriate library resources and successfully use them in the creation of a research project or paper.
• Evidence of significant scholastic and/or personal learning and the development of a steady research pattern or habits that can be utilized in future academic endeavors.
• Ability to describe and analyze the applicant’s research strategies, techniques, and learning process.
• Originality/uniqueness of the project/topic, mastery of content (appropriate to class level), clear writing, and overall quality of the project.

The scoring rubric that will be used for judging can be found here:  

• Undergraduate Research Award Rubric

2024 Winners

2024 1st Place Winners: Alayanna Alderman 

Six Children's Books by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel

2024 2nd Place Winner: Molly Harms

Social Movements and LGBTQ+ Rights: How Illinois Became a Leader in Queer Policy

2024 3rd Place Winner: Rith Scott 

Queer Representation in Literature: A Cycle of Digestible Queerness & Violence

2024 4th Place Winner: Elizabeth (Liz) M. Uhl

Why People Confess to Crimes They Did Not Commit

2024 5th Place Winner: Kyla Leones

Intergenerational Trauma and Coping Among Southeast Asian Americans

• Next: Previous Award Winners >>
• Last Updated: May 15, 2024 3:16 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uis.edu/researchaward

Research Paper Awards

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Library Research Awards 2024

Did you know that your research project could be worth $750?

American University’s Library seeks to promote and honor student research papers that reflect the best of the best among the thousands of papers submitted each year. Winners will be selected by teaching and library faculty and honored during a ceremony in April. Applications for the 2024 research awards are due on April 1st 2024.

All award winners, along with their friends and family, will be invited to join American University faculty and administrators on Bender Library’s 3rd floor to present their research and receive their awards at the ceremony. Food and drinks will be provided. The event will be hybrid to accommodate friends and family outside of the DMV. Award winners will be contacted about the ceremony after the winners have been determined.

Applications for the 2024 awards are now closed, but we will soon open up applications for 2025 awards. Please email [email protected] with any questions or comments.

Submit your Application or Faculty Recommendation Letter

Awards Categories

W. donald bowles award.

Endowed by Professor Emeritus Bowles, papers submitted for this award should reflect his interest in wealth inequality, poverty, and other topics related to the consequences of economic disparities. Students may have explored these topics within a course in any subject area.

Eligibility: current undergraduate or graduate students

Award amounts*

• 1st Place Graduate $750
• 1st Place Undergraduate $750

*Funds may be taxable and may impact financial aid.

Best Writing Studies Paper Award

Given that all undergraduate students participate in the Writing Studies program during their first year at American University, this award seeks to highlight the best papers that blend the writing and research skills learned through the WRT 100, 101, and 106 courses.

Eligibility: papers submitted during a 2023 or 2024 Writing Studies course

• 1st Place $750
• 2nd Place $500
• 3rd Place $250

Best Undergraduate Paper Award

Interesting research and high-quality writing are found across disciplines at American University. All undergraduate students are invited to submit their best research paper, from any class, on any subject, to be considered for this award.

Eligibility: current undergraduate students

Evaluation Criteria

• Resource Usage:  Substantial use of library resources and collections in any format, including but not limited to printed resources, databases, primary resources, and materials in all media.
• Original Thought:  Ability to locate, select, evaluate, and synthesize library resources and to use them in the creation of a project that shows originality and/or has the potential to lead to original research in the future.
• Learning:  Evidence of significant personal learning through the research process.
• Research Habits:  Development of a habit of research and inquiry that shows the likelihood of persisting in the future.
• Quality:  Mastery of content appropriate to class level, clear writing, and an overall high quality of presentation.
• W. Donald Bowles Award:  Undergraduate level papers demonstrate thoughtful approaches to the identification, description, and discussion of wealth inequality, poverty, and/or other topics related to the consequences of economic disparities, in addition to above criteria. Graduate-level papers demonstrate deep, original thought and research into wealth inequality, poverty, and/or other topics related to the consequences of economic disparities, in addition to above criteria.
• Rubric: This document is the rubric that will be used to evaluate applications.

Application Process

All applications for the 2024 award cycle are due by April 1, 2024.

Papers written by individual students from Spring 2023 – Spring 2024 are accepted for consideration. Students are able to submit up to one paper for each competition category. Only one award will be granted per individual no matter the number of categories entered.

Submissions are required to meet the following requirements:

All documents must be submitted as Microsoft Word or PDF files. Submissions are only accepted from individuals with individual work - no group work will be evaluated. Papers from study abroad courses taken for AU credit and supported by the faculty member who taught the course are eligible.

To apply, students must submit the following by April 1 using the submission form :

• Completed application with title of paper, title of course, semester the course was taken, name of professor, and email of professor. Upon submission, the professor will be notified of your submission.
• How did you determine your topic?
• What was your library research process?
• What role did library research play throughout the research process?
• How did you build or evaluate your list of sources?
• Did you consult with a librarian or use a library subject guide and how did they influence your process?
• Which databases did you employ, and how they did help you in your library research process?
• Did you include books, journal articles, and/or other types of sources, and why?
• Did you use materials from other libraries and why?
• Did library instruction on how to find, evaluate, and use resources inform your library research process, and if so, how?
• A bibliography or other listing of sources consulted, if not already included in the paper.

Projects that are in formats other than papers are eligible if a significant research component is present.  For information about other project formats, please contact [email protected] .

Applicants must also solicit a letter of recommendation from the faculty member who taught the course for which the paper or project was prepared. Applicants must request the letter, and the professor must use the submission form to submit the letter. Applicants will be notified when letters of recommendation are submitted.

All winning research projects will be added to AU’s institutional repository. By submitting a project for review, applicants agree to having their project added to the institutional repository.

Applications must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the faculty member who taught the course for which the paper or project was prepared. Faculty must submit the letter through the submission form as a Word document or PDF, as well as the applicant’s name, email address, and semester the student was enrolled in the course. The applicant will be notified when the letter of recommendation is submitted.

Faculty will receive notification when an applicant submits an application listing them as the faculty member.

Evaluation Committees

The following faculty members will be evaluating applications based on the criteria and rubric. The library wishes to thank all of the reviewers for their service!

W. Donald Bowles Award Committee Members

• Katie Hut, University Library (chair)
• Olivia Ivey, University Library
• Tom Husted, CAS Economics (former colleague of W. Donald Bowles and family friend)
• Stacey Snelling, CAS Health Studies

Best Writing Studies Paper Award Committee Members

• Clarissa Ihssen, University Library (chair)
• Alayne Mundt, University Library
• Kelly Joyner, Writing Studies
• Kate Wilson, Writing Studies

Best Undergraduate Paper Award Committee Members

• Melissa Becher, University Library (chair)
• Vicky Marchand, University Library
• Cindy Bair van Dam, Writing Studies
• Michael Clayton, Kogod Marketing

2024 Award Winners

Best bowles undergraduate research award.

Isabella Long

Decreasing Healthcare Disparities Among Undocumented Populations through Medicaid Expansion

Professor Celeste Davis

Best Writing Studies Research Award

1st Place: Bill-Luis Perez

The Fragmented World of the Owl Species: Case Study on the Northern Spotted Owl and the Barred Owl Removal Experiment

Professor Kate Wilson

2nd Place: Lila Barron

Thoughts and Prayers Are Not Enough: A Comprehensive Guide to Reducing Gun Violence in Michigan

Professor Angela Geosits

3rd Place: Eleanor Ragle

Partisan Power: The System Behind The Polarization Of Congress

Best Undergraduate Research Award

1st Place: Chaitanya Venkateswaran

Moderates, Radicals and the Making of Indian Anti-Colonial Narratives in post-World War 1 United States

Professor Sarah Cleeland Knight

2nd Place: Katherine Greenstein

Intersecting Histories: A Critical Discourse Analysis of AP US History Textbook Coverage of the Black Panther Party and Disability Rights Movement

Professor Timothy Titus

3rd Place: Madyson Brown

The Instagram AI Algorithm as a Pathway to Radicalization

Professor Brian Hughes

Listen to the students present their research at the 2024 library research awards ceremony:

2023 Award Winners

Undergraduate winner.

Tyler Godding

TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] Spending on Basic Assistance and State Poverty Rates

Professor Kimberley Cowell-Meyers

Graduate Winner

Signaling Women's Entry into Male-Dominated Occupations: Evidence from the Gender Desegregation of the U.S. Army

Professor Mary Hansen

1st Place: Yvette Nau

A Systematic Reset: How TikTok is Changing the Path to Musical Fame

Professor Jeremy S. Wade

2nd Place: Natan Kimelman-Block

Chanting for Change: The Musical Origins of Revolutionary Change During the Arab Spring

Professor Glenn Moomau

3rd Place: Calista Schloessmann

No-Knock Warrants as Death Warrants: Threatening Constituent Lives

Professor Tod E. Jones

1st Place: Robby Jones

Conditioned Taste Avoidance and Conditioned Place Preference Induced by the Third Generation Synthetic Cathinone Eutylone in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats

Professor Anthony Riley

2nd Place: David Brostoff

Politics Among Realists: Morgenthau, Kissinger, and the Problem of Vietnam

Professor Gregory Aftandilian

3rd Place: Molly Loprete

Mixed Method Research Design: The Human Cost of Democratic Backsliding Using the Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Data

Professor Horace Bartilow

Watch presentations from the 2023 award winners here:

2021 Award Winners

• Rachel Boose, 2021 Writing Studies Award for “Looking to Civil Rights to Save the Planet.”
• Niamh Burns: 2021 Library Undergraduate Research Award for “Astrophysical Contributions to the Great Filter: A Shakespearian Tragedy.”
• Jonah Kaufman-Cohen: 2021 Library Undergraduate Research Award for, “They want not only to hand over the bricks but also to lay them in place themselves: Expectations and Experience of Women in the Labor Zionist Movement.”
• Owen McCoy: 2021 Library Undergraduate Research Award for “The Impact of Government Type on Global Digital Activism Targets: A Comparison of Digital Activism in Authoritarian and Democratic Regimes.”

Faculty sponsors, Professors Kate Haulman, CAS - History, William T. Parsons, CAS - Physics, Kimberly Cowell-Myers, SPA and Kate Wilson, CAS - Literature.

Undergraduate Research Award

About the award, eligibility requirements, submission requirements, application evaluation criteria, submission deadlines, how to apply, frequently asked questions, past winners.

Each year, the Undergraduate Research Award honors an outstanding student researcher. Award winners receive $500, recognition at the Symposium of Student Scholars, and publication in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research (KJUR).

The KSU Library System’s Undergraduate Research Award is bestowed upon a currently enrolled (or recently graduated) undergraduate student who has demonstrated effective research processes and successful use of library resources and services. This includes utilization of at least one of the following:

• Online chat reference
• In-person reference at one of our Help! Desk locations
• In-person or virtual research consultations
• Library databases
• Physical books and/or eBooks
• GIL Express to borrow materials from other University System of Georgia libraries
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

One winner receives a $500 prize, which is awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research and disbursed through the Financial Aid department.

The winner is guaranteed publication in the KJUR upon completion of the revision process. All runner-up articles will also be reviewed and considered for publication in the KJUR .

The winner will receive their prize after they have revised and resubmitted their winning paper to the KJUR .

Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate students at KSU or recent graduates (within the last semester).

Applicants must allow the KJUR to publish and share their research article and library research project.

Applicants must submit both a research article and a project demonstrating their use of library resources.

For the research article , submit a current research paper you have recently written on any topic or subject and for any class. There are no minimum or maximum length requirements. Most submissions are 5-15 pages, double spaced.

For the library research project, select one of the following project options which highlights the library’s role in supporting the creation of your research article:

Option One: Application Essay

• Write an essay describing how library resources and/or services (see options in About the Award section ) were used in the writing of your research article.
• Refer to your research article within your application essay.
• Essays must range in length from 500-750 words.
• Word, RTF, or PDF formats are acceptable.

Option Two: Library Marketing Video

• Create a video that shows how library resources and/or services (see options in About the Award section ) can improve undergraduate research.
• Provide a one-page cover letter with a brief synopsis and either a link to your video or upload the video file.
• Refer to your research article within the application video.
• Videos should be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
• Videos can be formatted to your preference (all video file types are accepted).
• Contact Heather Hankins with any questions regarding video uploads.

The research article will be evaluated for clarity of writing, originality of ideas, use of library resources, and thoughtful analysis of the research topic.

The application essay or video will be evaluated for specific mention of library resources and services used, as well as the role of the library in your research process.

The submission portal is open now until December 1, 2023.

Finalists will be notified by January 17, 2024.

The deadline to complete your revisions is February 16, 2024.

• Click here to begin the submission process .
• Create an account with the system. You will be redirected to the upload page.
• Complete the Article Submission Agreement, fill in the required information fields, and include metadata for your research article (i.e. title, abstract, keywords, etc.).
• Upload your research article.
• At the bottom of the upload form, attach your library research project as a supplemental file.
• Submit your completed application.

The manager of the Undergraduate Research Award will contact you if there are any issues with your submission.

Q: Who will judge the applications?

A: Applications will be evaluated by a panel of KSU librarians.

Q: I recently graduated, but I conducted research and wrote a paper during my undergraduate education which I’d like to submit for publication. Am I eligible to apply for this award?

A: Yes, but only if you have graduated within the last semester.

Q: Can I submit more than one application per year?

A: No, you may only submit one award application per year. However, you may submit multiple articles to the KJUR separately from this award.

Q: Will the award money impact my financial aid?

A: Please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid with questions regarding any impact monetary awards might have on your specific financial aid situation.

Q: What is the Digital Commons@Kennesaw State University?

A: DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University is a digital repository of the intellectual and creative output of the university community at KSU. This includes theses and dissertations, student work, faculty publications and books, journals, conference proceedings, and more.

2022/2023 - Kaitlin Jean Kojali (winner), "The Survival of Manuscripts: Resistance, Adoption, and Adaptation to Gutenberg’s Printing Press in Early Modern Europe"

2022/2023 - Anna K. Poole (runner-up), "Reckoning Roanoke: A Historiographical Examination of the Lost Colony"

2021 - Lauren Campbell, "She Could Not Overcome It: How Race, Gender, and Jim Crow Shaped One of Georgia’s Gravest Miscarriages of Justice" (Unpublished)

2020 - Cadi Martin, "Exploring Cedar Songmaker's Native Identity in Louise Erdrich's Future Home of the Living God " (Unpublished)

2018 - Sagi Shaier, "A Mathematical Model for the Effect of Domestic Animals on Human African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)"

2017 - Kylah Pollard and Sarai Bauguess, "Prevalence and Incidence of Health Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls"

2016 - Angelica E. Perez, "Silhouettes of a Silent Female's Authority: A Psychoanalytic and Feminist Perspective on the Art of Kara Walker"

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Undergraduate Research Awards

• Alan K. Simpson Fellowship
• George A. Rentschler Fellowship
• Majewski Research Fellowship
• Peter K. Simpson Fellowship
• Women in Public Life Fellowship
• Travel Grants
• Teaching and Research Grants
• Graduate Student Research Awards

Centennial Complex

2111 Willet Drive

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-4114

Email: [email protected]

Each semester the AHC offers a cash prize to the best undergraduate research paper or project based substantially on materials — manuscripts, archives, rare books, photos, maps, audio, film and video, etc. — at the American Heritage Center. The award is entirely funded by voluntary donations from faculty and staff at the American Heritage Center. 

In order to encourage a diverse group of applicants, projects of any form — research paper, creative writing, individual or group exhibits or web sites, art, etc. — will be considered, as long as they are created for academic credit (i.e., they must be academic in nature) and are based substantially on research done at the AHC. 

Every faculty member from every department is eligible to submit, on behalf of their students, two projects each semester.  

Students are welcome to initiate application so long as their submission is accompanied by a letter from a faculty member. 

Submission will consist of a copy of the product (or in the case of a web project, an active link to the full project) and a cover memo by the faculty member — both can be in electronic form.

Submission signifies acceptance of the terms of submission, below. 

Projects other than traditional research papers must include a process paper, a 500- to 1000-word explanation of which sources were used and how, and a summary of the process of creating and developing the project. 

A committee comprised of AHC staff and faculty will select the winning project or projects. As a condition of accepting the award, the student(s) must agree to allow the AHC to post their project on its website, so that future applicants can benefit from their example and so that the student will be able to cite the website on their curriculum vitae. As a condition of accepting the award, the student(s) must agree to permit the AHC to publish their photo in its Annual Report, to accompany report of the award. The decision of the judging committee will be final, though with the student’s permission excerpts from the committee’s evaluation of the award-winning submission will be posted on the website along with the paper or project itself. The award itself will be in the form of a certificate and a check for $500.00. No restrictions are placed on the funds.

• Undergraduate Research Award Announcement (PDF)
• Past Undergraduate Research Award winners.

Send completed application materials electronically by March 29, 2024 , to AHC Archivist Leslie Waggener at [email protected] . Candidates will be selected in May and notified by e-mail.

Award for Undergraduate Research

Undergraduates, now is your chance to turn your research project into a cash prize.

The University of Maryland Libraries, the Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR), and Maryland's College of Information are partnering to showcase and reward undergraduate research projects.

Up to four awards of $1,000 each will be awarded to undergraduates who impress us with their research. The awards, provided by the University of Maryland Libraries, aim to promote the value and use of library services and information resources. 

Essays and projects of winning students will be included in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM) .

Submissions will be accepted beginning December 11, 2023.  The submission deadline has been extended and will now close at noon on March 29, 2024.

Apply here .

For questions and more information about the Library Award for Undergraduate Research, contact Patti Cosard, Indigenous Studies & Special Collections Librarian, at [email protected] .

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Award

As part of our ongoing commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA), the University of Maryland Libraries seeks to recognize and empower students to explore diversity issues, educate themselves, and inspire others to advance social justice by embracing the IDEA values through research. 

The Libraries are committed to creating and maintaining diverse and inclusive learning and research environment that nurtures the growth and development of our students.

We encourage individual submissions of research papers related to diversity issues including but not limited to race/ethnicity, gender identity, religious heritage, socio-economic status, first-generation university students, veterans, disability/ableism, ageism, national origin/immigration status, indigenous heritage, sexual orientation, etc. One of these four awards will be awarded to the individual IDEA winner.

Criteria and Guidelines

To be eligible for the awards , individual applicants must:

• Be a currently enrolled University of Maryland College Park undergraduate at any class level, and in any discipline (e.g. agriculture, arts, humanities, information science, public policy, social sciences, sciences, etc.).
• Have completed their research paper/project for a credit course or under the direction of a professor or a librarian at the University of Maryland College Park.
• Agree to submit their research paper/project to the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM). Research papers are not eligible for consideration if they are pending review by the publisher, accepted for publication, or already published in print or digital form. 
• Have their research papers/projects and the essay written in English. For papers written in a foreign language, follow the guidelines in FAQ section, item #7.
• Agree to have the application used as data in a study on trends of undergraduate information seeking and use.

To be eligible for an IDEA Award for Undergraduate Research , as well as the criteria above, the research paper should focus on research that promotes our understanding of diversity issues including but not limited to race/ethnicity, gender identity, religious heritage, socio-economic status, first-generation university students, veterans, disability/ableism, ageism, national origin/immigration status, indigenous heritage, sexual orientation, etc.

Papers/projects will be judged based on the following criteria:  

• Sophistication, originality, or unusual depth or breadth in final research product.
• A bibliography or other appropriate listing of sources consulted.
• A reflective essay.

An essay consisting of 750-1,000 words is required that describes your experience in using the information resources and library services. Explain your research strategy and how you used and evaluated the resources found. The following questions should be addressed in your essay. If one or more of the questions are not applicable, please explain why.

• How did you begin your research? Explain how you came up with your research query/topic.
• How did you discover your sources? Which library or other information sources did you use? Explain particular techniques or strategies that you used while searching and discovering information.
• Did you seek assistance from a librarian, a professor, or someone else? If so, how this interaction impacted your research process? Was there anyone in particular who gave you the inspiration to turn your research in a different direction?
• How did you select and evaluate the sources you found? Explain which criteria you used for selecting sources.
• What did you learn during the research process that will help further your academic or professional career?

Finally, reflecting back on your research experience, what would you change?  How could the library be a better place for your research needs? Be creative and bold in your imagination!

Applications must include all of the following:

• Application form. Applications are collected through a form. To submit your application, you will need the following information in addition to general information about yourself and your submission: Summary of the paper/project. - Course number and course name for which the paper/project was completed. - Year and semester the paper/project course was completed. - Citation style used for references (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). - Name of instructor or librarian supporting this application as well as their email, phone number, and the college/school and department to which they belong.
• Address the Review Committee
• Date the Letter
• Introduction: who the supporter is and how they know the applicant
• Description of applicant's library research strategy as known/observed by supporter
• Evaluation of the significance of research discussed in the applicant's paper
• Worthiness of the applicant's work for the award
• Reflective essay (750-1,000 words) describing applicant’s research strategies and use of library tools and information resources.
• Bibliography (please do not remove the references list from your original research paper/project)
• Written projects: The length of the paper may vary depending on the assignment.
• Digital projects: If web-based, include a URL of the digital project in your Application form (next to the Title of the research/project) along with the other application components. If the project is in a format that cannot be submitted electronically, such as an architectural model, CD or DVD, deliver it by the due date in person to Patti Cossard.

All necessary documents must be in .pdf format. Save your files using your last name and the name of the document:

• Lastname_Application.pdf
• Lastname_LetterOfSupport.pdf
• Lastname_Essay.pdf
• Lastname_ResearchPaper.pdf
• Lastname_Bibliography.pdf

You will receive a confirmation e-mail after you complete your application process. To be considered for the award, applications must be received by noon on March 15, 2024 . Late applications will not be considered.

Applications must be submitted online via this Application web site. Submissions may be accepted after the deadline. See the Application guidelines section of the left sidebar for more information.

If, due to format, your project cannot be submitted electronically, contact Patti Cossard,  [email protected] , to make alternate arrangements.

No, we are no longer accepting group projects.

No. Instead of submitting several research papers, choose the best one and describe your research experience in your essay. 

Yes. All submissions must include a properly formatted bibliography in a recognized style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). A bibliography is mandatory regardless of whether or not your professor originally required it. Check out the UMD Libraries' Citation Tools  for help creating your bibliography.

Yes. Students can still apply for the library award. 

If the research paper is written in a foreign language, translate it in English and place the following note at the beginning of your document in italics:

This is a translated English version of the original paper written in [state the language here]. The original text in [foreign language] follows on p. [….] in this document. 

When you submit items, you agree to the DRUM license and grant the University of Maryland a non-exclusive right to retain, preserve, and provide access to your material. The term "non-exclusive" means that you retain all copyright to your work. You can still enter into agreements with other organizations (such as publishers) granting them rights to use your material.

If you have further questions, please email [email protected] .

The jury consists of three to four  subject librarians , a faculty member of the Libraries' IDEA committee, and a faculty member from the iSchool , College of Information Studies.

Not necessarily. The prize will only be given when the work submitted is of high enough quality to warrant it. We anticipate giving the prize every year, therefore, but do not guarantee it.

This prize is aimed at promoting the use of library research among undergraduates in order to prepare them for lifelong learning. The goal is to promote and reward research strategies at an earlier stage of learning than graduate level work.

Yes, examples of past award winning papers can be found in DRUM Collection: Library Award for Undergraduate Research .

The award may affect your financial aid. Please consult your financial aid advisor or the Office of Student Financial Aid .

Past Award Recipients

Emily Eason,  Senior student. Major: Government and Politics (Concentrating in International Relations)

Faculty Librarian: Jordan Sly, University Libraries, Teaching and Learning Services

Library Award Essay and Project

Research Paper:  Olde Towne, New Townspeople: An Anthropological Analysis of the LifeStages of 1.5 Generation Latino Immigrants in Gaithersburg, MD

Winner of the 2022 Library IDEA Award for Undergraduate Research

Linette Kingston,  Senior student. Major: Health and Science Analytics

Faculty professor: Dr. Andrea Lopez, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Anthropology

Research Paper:  Surveillance in the United States: From the War on Drugs to the War on Terrorism

Lauren Krauskopf,  Senior student. Major: History

Faculty professor: Dr. Katarina Keane, College of Arts and Humanities, History

Librarian: Judy Markowitz, University Libraries, Teaching and Learning Services

Research Paper:  Discomfort and Unpleasantness: The Vietnam Antiwar Movement at the Supreme Court

Karoline Trovato,  Senior student. Major: Psychology 

Faculty professor: Dr. Karen O'Brien, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Psychology

Research Paper:  Educate and Empower: An Online Intervention to Improve College Women’s Knowledge and Confidence When Communicating in a Romantic Relationship

Jesse Anderson , Junior student. Major: Information Science (Concentrating in Data Science)

Faculty Librarian: Rachel Gammons, University Libraries, Teaching and Learning Services

Research Paper: In Support of Abstinence-Plus Education: Evaluating the Shortcomings of Peer-to-Peer Education and Abstinence-Only Programs in the Context of Attitudes, Intentions, and Behaviors

Winner of the 2021 Library IDEA Award for Undergraduate Research

Boban Dedović , Senior student. Major: Psychology 

Faculty professor: Edward Bernat, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Psychology

Research Paper: ‘Minds’ in ‘Homer’: A quantitative psycholinguistic comparison of the Iliad and Odyssey

William Wong , Senior student. Major: English and History

Faculty professor: Linda Coleman, College of Arts and Humanities, English

Research Paper: Strength in Contradiction: The Radicalization of Incel Rhetoric

Boban Dedović , Senior student. Major: History

Faculty professor: Matthew J. Suriano, College of Arts and Humanities, Jewish Studies

Research Paper: "Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld": A Centennial Survey of Scholarship, Artifacts, and Translations  

Peter Roberts ,  Senior student. Major: History

Faculty professor: Lauren Michalak, College of Arts & Humanities, History Department

Librarian: Eric Lindquist

Research Paper: Religious and Ethnic Motivations for the Philhellenic Movement During the Greek Revolution

Cecilia Sun,  Junior student. Major: Communication

Faculty professor: Carly Woods, College of Arts & Humanities, Communication Department

Archivist: Lae'l Hughes-Watkins

Research Paper: On Rachel Carson's Continuing Legacy: How Students at the University of Maryland Aim to Commemorate Carson in 21st Century Environmental Activism

Meron Gebre-Egziabher,  Freshman student. Major: Undeclared

Faculty professor: Norrell Edwards, College of Arts & Humanities, English Department

Library Award Essay and Project

Research paper: Dismantling of the African American Nuclear Family

Samantha Martocci , Senior student. Major: Behavioral and Community Life

Faculty professor: Elizabeth Aparicio, School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Life

Librarian: Nedelina Tchangalova

Research paper: Examining the Relationship Between Pornography Consumption and Rape Myth Acceptance Among Undergraduate Students

David Rekhtman , Sophomore student. Major: Biochemistry; and Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology and Physiology

Faculty professor: Dr. James Hagberg, School of Public Health, Department of Kinesiology

Research paper: The Role of Adrenergic Intervention on Thoracic and Abdominal Perivascular Adipose Tissue Expansion in Rats with and without Heart Failure

Rachael Edmonston , Sophomore student. Major: History

Faculty professor: Roger Bailey, College of Arts & Humanities, Department of History

Librarians: Eric Lindquist and Cecelia Vetter

Library award essay and project

Research paper: Confederate Female Spies: Changing Northern Perceptions in Fiction and Nonfiction and it’s Affect on Popular Opinion of the Confederate Cause

Sarvar Oreizi-Esfahani , Senior student. Major: Psychology

Faculty professor: Tracy Tomlinson, College of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Department of Psychology

Research paper: The Relationship between Student Burnout and the development of Aggressive Tendencies

Elizabeth Patterson , Junior student. Major: English

Faculty professor: Jessica Enoch, College of Art & Humanities, Department of English

Librarians: Elizabeth Novara

Research paper: Finding Eliza Messenger

Michelle Glazer , Senior student. Major: History

Faculty professor: Marlene J. Mayo, College of Arts & Humanities, Department of History

Librarians: Eric Lindquist and Amy Wasserstrom

Noah Jarrah , Sophomore student. Major: Aerospace Engineering

Faculty professor: Andrew Becnel, A. James Clark School of Engineering, Department of Aerospace Engineering

Sarah Schurman , Junior student. Major: English

Faculty professor: Mark A. Forrester, College of Art & Humanities, Department of English

Sophie Dean , Junior student. Major: Public Health Science, English

Faculty professor: Devon Corcia Payne-Sturges, School of Public Health, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health

Librarian: Nedelina Tchangalova

Library award essay and project  

Michelle Sauer , Sophomore student. Major: English, Secondary Education

Faculty professor: Zita Nunes, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of English

Librarian: Patricia Herron

Kathleen Weng , Senior student. Major: English (Art History minor)

Faculty professor: Yui Suzuki, College of Art & Humanities, Department of Art History & Archaeology

Library liaison: Tim Hackman

Matthew Gabb , Junior student, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Anthropology

Faculty professor: Sean Downey, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Anthropology

Library liaison: Otis Chadley

Lenaya Stewart , Senior student, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of English

Faculty professor: Laura Rosenthal, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of English

Library liaison: Patricia Herron

Robert Tully , Senior student, College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences, Department of Biology

Faculty professor: John Rosser Matthews III, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of English

Honorable Mention

Xiuyu Shen , Freshman student, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of English

Faculty professor: Ralph Bauer, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of English

Library liaison: Patricia Herron

Benjamin Kramer , Junior student, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of History

Faculty professor: Robyn Muncy, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of History

Library liaison: Lauren Brown

Aviva Pollack , Junior student, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of Art History and Archaeology

Faculty professor: Marjorie Venit, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of Art History and Archaeology

Library liaison: Sally Stokes

Jeffrey Rappaport , Senior student, Clark School of Engineering, Department of Bioengineering

Faculty professor: Silvia Muro, joint appointment with Clark School of Engineering and Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research

Library liaison: Robin Dasler

Molly Brune , Senior student, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Government and Politics

Faculty professor: John McCauley, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Government and Politics

Library liaison: Judy Markowitz

Samuel Sober , Senior Student, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of History

Faculty professor: Richard Bell, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of History

Library liaison: Eric Lindquist

Paul Tumulty , Senior student, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Government and Politics

Faculty professor: Scott Kastner, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Government and Politics

Jason Chun Yu Wong , Junior student, Environmental Science and Policy, Germanic Studies 

Faculty professor: Betsy Mendelsohn, A. James Clark School of Engineering/ Science, Technology & Society/ College Park Scholars

Kristen Tadrous , Senior Student, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of American Studies

Faculty professor: John Caughey, College of Arts and Humanities, Department of American Studies

Whitney Beck , Senior student, Environmental Science and Policy

Faculty professor: Joanna Goger, Environmental Science & Technology

Deborah Namugayi , Junior student, Agriculture and Resource Economics Dept.

Ho-Man Yeung , Senior student, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Dept.

Faculty professor: Ganesh Sriram, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Faculty mentor: Shilpa Nargund, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Library liaison: Nedelina Tchangalova

Gemstone Team: Genes to Fuels (14 students) 

Andrew Chang, Maria Chang, Chin-Hsiang Feng, Jasjeet Khural, Tana Luo, James McCarthy, Cory Mekelburg, Kelsey Nadig, Christine Perry, Sharad Thaper, Richard Urbanski, Pragun Vohra (representing the team), Christian Weber, and Justin Wong   

Faculty mentor: Jason Kahn, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Library liaisons: Bob Kackley and Jim Miller

Acknowledgments

This program was possible due to the generous support of the Dean of the UMD Libraries, Dr. Adriene Lim, and the collaborative efforts of faculty members from University of Maryland University Libraries, Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR), and iSchool (College of Information Studies) . 

The Library Award for Undergraduate Research was developed base on similar programs offered by academic institution libraries across the country: Ohio State University, Oregon State University, University of California - Berkeley, University of Alberta - Augustana, University of Georgia, University of Washington.

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The 2023-2024 University Libraries Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research submission period is now open.

Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m., April 28, 2024.

We look forward to receiving your projects!

The University Libraries are pleased to invite applications for the Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research. This award recognizes undergraduate students who have demonstrated excellence and innovation as part of an original course-related research project that utilizes library resources.

All currently enrolled undergraduate students are eligible for the award. One award of $500 will be given for an individual research project completed at the freshman or sophomore level and one award of $500 will be given for an individual research project completed at the junior or senior level. One award of $1000 will be given to a group research project completed at any undergraduate level. Awardees will also receive a certificate suitable for framing.

The submitted research project must:

• Be a research project completed by an individual student or group of students for an undergraduate course (including lab-based work and independent study) at the University at Albany within the previous calendar year. This can include traditional research papers or more creative text-based, visual, or mixed media works so long as the project is in a format that can be submitted for review.
• Represent the original work of the project author(s)
• Any use of generative AI tools needs to be noted (and appropriately cited) in the project and statement
• Utilize the libraries’ electronic or physical collections or other intellectual resources
• Show evidence of creative and critical thinking related to the research process
• Demonstrate, via the reflective essay, an understanding of information literacy concepts related to finding, evaluating, and using information appropriate to the context of the research activity; this is intended to be a personal narrative and, as such, it can be improved but not written by generative AI tools
• Include complete and suitable attribution of the sources used, such as a bibliography
• Be supported by a faculty sponsor who is familiar with the project and can speak knowledgeably about the work submitted
• Only complete submission packets will be considered

Ready to submit your research project?

Undergraduate research award faqs.

Questions about the award and the application process can be directed to [email protected]

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Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships (URDS) is comprised of nine allied offices, focused on excellence in academics and research among University of Oregon undergraduate students.

NEW: Browse the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium Program !

Center for Undergraduate Research & Engagement

CURE serves as a campus hub for undergraduate students to pursue advanced learning opportunities in research, scholarly engagement, and creative pursuits. ​​ Learn about research funding awards .

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The program is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Students must be US citizens or permanent residents who are also either first-generation college students who are low-income AND/OR students from groups historically underrepresented in US higher education. Apply to the McNair Scholars Program .​​​​​​

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Every year, several students receive awards for their outstanding work and faculty members are recognized for their support of undergraduate research.

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The Council for Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships functions as an advisory board for the allied offices of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE), Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS), Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, and Undergraduate Research Symposium. Read the council charge .  

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Learn More About the Undergraduate Research Award 

About the Award

The KSU Library System’s Undergraduate Research Award is bestowed upon a currently enrolled (or recently graduated) undergraduate student who has demonstrated effective research processes and successful use of library resources and services. This includes utilization of at least one of the following:

• Online chat reference
• In-person or virtual research consultations
• Library databases
• Physical books and/or eBooks
• GIL Express to borrow materials from other University System of Georgia libraries
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

One winner receives a $500 prize, which is awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research and disbursed through the Financial Aid department.

The winner is guaranteed publication in the KJUR upon completion of the revision process. All runner-up articles will also be reviewed and considered for publication in the KJUR .

The winner will receive their prize after they have revised and resubmitted their winning paper to the KJUR .

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate students at KSU or recent graduates (within the last semester).

Applicants must allow the KJUR to publish and share their research article and library research project.

Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit both a research article and a project demonstrating their use of library resources.

For the research article , submit a current research paper you have recently written on any topic or subject and for any class. There are no minimum or maximum length requirements. Most submissions are 5-15 pages, double spaced.

For the library research project , select one of the following project options which highlights the library’s role in supporting the creation of your research article:

Option One: Application Essay

• Describe how library resources and/or services (see options in About the Award section) were used in the research process and writing of the research article, and how they can improve undergraduate research. 
• Applicants must refer to their research article within the application essay.  
• Essays should follow a standard format including a title and structured paragraphs.  
• Length: 500-700 words 
• Acceptable formats: Word, RTF, or PDF  

Option Two: Library Marketing Video

• Videos must show how library resources and/or services (see options in About the Award section) were used in the research process and writing of the research article, and how they can improve undergraduate research.  
• Applicants must provide a link to their video or upload the video file. Videos must be formatted to YouTube or Instagram Reel. 
• Applicants must refer to their research article within the video.  
• Video must include a title slide/screen that includes the applicant’s name.  
• Video length: 30 seconds – 2 minutes  
• Contact Heather Hankins with any questions regarding video uploads.

Application Evaluation Criteria

The research article will be evaluated for clarity of writing, originality of ideas, use of library resources, and thoughtful analysis of the research topic.

The application essay or video will be evaluated for specific mention of library resources and services used, as well as the role of the library in your research process.

Submission Deadlines

The submission portal is open now until December 6, 2024.

Finalists will be notified by January 15, 2025.

The deadline to complete your revisions is February 14, 2025.

Q: Who will judge the applications?

A: Applications will be evaluated by a panel of KSU librarians.

Q: I recently graduated, but I conducted research and wrote a paper during my undergraduate education which I’d like to submit for publication. Am I eligible to apply for this award?

A: Yes, but only if you have graduated within the last semester.

Q: Can I submit more than one application per year?

A: No, you may only submit one award application per year. However, you may submit multiple articles to the KJUR separately from this award.

Q: Will the award money impact my financial aid?

A: Please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid with questions regarding any impact monetary awards might have on your specific financial aid situation.

Q: What is the Digital Commons@Kennesaw State University?

A: DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University is a digital repository of the intellectual and creative output of the university community at KSU. This includes theses and dissertations, student work, faculty publications and books, journals, conference proceedings, and more.

How to Apply

• Click here to begin the submission process .
• Create an account with the system. You will be redirected to the upload page.
• Complete the Article Submission Agreement, fill in the required information fields, and include metadata for your research article (i.e. title, abstract, keywords, etc.).
• Upload your research article.
• At the bottom of the upload form, attach your library research project as a supplemental file.
• Submit your completed application.
• The manager of the Undergraduate Research Award will contact you if there are any issues with your submission. 

Past Winners

2022/2023 - Kaitlin Jean Kojali (winner), " The Survival of Manuscripts: Resistance, Adoption, and Adaptation to Gutenberg’s Printing Press in Early Modern Europe "

2022/2023 - Anna K. Poole (runner-up), " Reckoning Roanoke: A Historiographical Examination of the Lost Colony "

2021 - Lauren Campbell, "She Could Not Overcome It: How Race, Gender, and Jim Crow Shaped One of Georgia’s Gravest Miscarriages of Justice" (Unpublished)

2020 - Cadi Martin, "Exploring Cedar Songmaker's Native Identity in Louise Erdrich's Future Home of the Living God " (Unpublished)

2018 - Sagi Shaier, " A Mathematical Model for the Effect of Domestic Animals on Human African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness) "

2017 - Kylah Pollard and Sarai Bauguess, " Prevalence and Incidence of Health Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls "

2016 - Angelica E. Perez, " Silhouettes of a Silent Female's Authority: A Psychoanalytic and Feminist Perspective on the Art of Kara Walker "

Questions about the award can be sent to its manager, Chelsee Dickson, Scholarly Communications Librarian .

Questions about the digital commons@kennesaw state university can be sent to [email protected] ..

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Undergraduate Research Award

The UW-Madison Libraries are offering an Undergraduate Research Award to support and celebrate excellence in undergraduate, library-based research. Undergraduate students who intend to make creative and intensive use of library resources as part of year-long research project (capstone, independent study, thesis, performance, exhibit, etc.) during the 2024-2025 academic year are encouraged to apply.

The selected student will receive $2,000, upon completion of the following requirements –

• An introductory meeting with the Undergraduate Research Awards team, where the student’s research interests and needs will be discussed and clarified.  
• One or more meetings with a librarian with expertise in the student’s subject area who will assist the student as they pursue their research. The Undergraduate Research Awards team will facilitate this meeting.  
• One to three check-in meetings per semester with a member of the Undergraduate Research Awards team, to assure that progress is being made and the student is being appropriately supported by the Libraries’ staff, collections, technologies, equipment, and other resources.  
• A presentation to library staff, to be determined by the nature of the student’s research. The Undergraduate Research Awards team will coordinate this presentation with the student. Date will be determined by the Undergraduate Research Awards team in collaboration with other stakeholders.  

The award will be distributed in two payments. The first payment of $1,000 will be distributed after acceptance into the award program and successful completion of Requirement 1. The second and final payment of $1,000 will be distributed after successful completion of Requirements 2, 3 & 4 within the same academic year as the project.  

Failure to meet any of these requirements could result in rescission of the award and notification of said rescission to the faculty/staff member indicated on the application.

Interested students are invited to complete a short application. The application deadline is Thursday, May 16, 2024.

To learn about the Undergraduate Research Award program and past winners, please see our press releases.

For more information, contact Raina Bloom .

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Library Research Award for Undergraduates

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The University Libraries recognizes the excellence and creativity of students through the annual Library Research Award for Undergraduates. The award is given to undergraduates who demonstrate outstanding ability to identify, locate, select, evaluate, and synthesize library and other information resources and to use them in the creation of an original course project. The award illustrates the mission of the University Libraries to enrich the quality of life and advance intellectual discovery by connecting people with knowledge and commitment to the educational mission of the University of Washington.

Since the inception of the Library Research Award for Undergraduates in 2004, the UW Libraries, through the generosity of The Kenneth S. and Faye G. Allen Library Endowment and Friends of the Libraries , has awarded more than $100,000 to students. Awardees have gone on to do graduate work in universities around the country including Columbia, Harvard, Rutgers, Syracuse, Yale, and the University of Washington. They have become scientists, professors, lawyers, economists, doctors, and more.

Application requirements

Application Form Including:

• Reflective essay
• Research project + bibliography
• Population Health Award essay (optional)

Before you apply

Important dates.

• Submissions Open: April 1, 2024
• Deadline: May 1, 2024 - 11:59 p.m.
• Reception: June 5, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Allen Library, Petersen Room
• Cash awards: $500 to $1,000
• Open to undergraduates on all three campuses for projects completed Spring 2023 - Spring 2024
• Individual and group projects are eligible

Funded by: The Kenneth S. and Faye G. Allen Library Endowment , Friends of the Libraries , and the Population Health Initiative

Acknowledgment: University Libraries would like to thank the University of California, Berkeley Library for its assistance and inspiration in the development of this award.

Undergraduate Student Research Award

This award recognizes outstanding original research conducted by an undergraduate student or team of undergraduate students on any topic in environmental, conservation, or population psychology. 

Deadline: April 1, 2023

Sponsor: Div. 34

• Description
• Eligibility
• How to Apply
• Past Recipients

The Div. 34 Undergraduate Student Research Award recognizes outstanding original research conducted by an undergraduate student or team of undergraduate students on any topic in environmental, conservation, or population psychology. The award consists of a certificate and a $150 prize. The award will be judged by a panel of division members and awarded on the basis of both the quality of the research and the writing. The submission may be an original empirical investigation, a qualitative review paper or a meta-analysis.

Papers may be authored by one or more undergraduate students. That is, team submissions are acceptable, as well as research conducted by individual students. If a team paper is selected to receive the award, the cash portion will be divided equally between the undergraduate authors.

There may be co-authors who are not students, but lead authors must be undergraduate students.

Students who would like their work considered for the award must make a submission. This submission should include the following:

• cover letter indicating that they would like to be considered for the award;
• letter from the faculty supervisor confirming that the applicant(s) is (are) an undergraduate student(s) in psychology or a related field (or was when the work was done) and that the applicant’s work on the project merits first authorship (In the case of a team submission, the confirmation should specify that lead authors are undergraduates, the work was a joint effort among the authors, and that the preponderance of the work was that of the undergraduate student authors.);
• full paper in APA style ( Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , seventh edition) reporting the project (This should be a complete report of the work, as would be written for a journal submission);
• two copies of the paper should be submitted: one with the authors' names included and one without, so blind reviews may be done.

Email your nominations along with any questions about the award to the current chair of the Awards Committee .

• 2021 : Mira Lerner "Influencing pro-environmental behaviors and understanding climate migration"
• 2020 : Logan Bickel “Environmental impassivity: Lower emotional responses across contexts underlie a lack of concern for the Earth”
• 2019 :  Grace Flores-Robles “My guilty (dis)pleasure: The effects of guilt on pro-environmental intentions over time”
• 2018 : Dana Goldstein, Anna Moore "Effects of Education on Recycling Behavior in Student Housing"
• 2017 : Elizabeth Bedrick "Cutting carbon from the shopping cart: Consumer perceptions of a carbon label on food products"
• 2016 : Annabel Price "Not So Far Away: Can Affinity Alleviate Intergenerational Discounting in The Climate Game?”
• 2015 : Benjamin K. Glor "Let the outside in: Impacts of biophilic design"

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Penn State Berks Graduate Earns Statewide Award for Criminal Justice Research

by Penn State Berks

Pictured above: Penn State Berks 2024 alumna Angela Bonopane (left) earned the Best Undergraduate Research Paper Award from the Pennsylvania Academy of Criminal Justice Educators (PACJE) – a statewide organization of faculty, practitioners, and students in criminal justice. Photo courtesy of Angela Bonopane

Penn State Berks 2024 alumna Angela Bonopane earned the Best Undergraduate Research Paper Award from the Pennsylvania Academy of Criminal Justice Educators (PACJE) — a statewide organization of faculty, practitioners, and students in criminal justice. She also received the PACJE Bernie Meyer Student Scholarship and presented her research at the conference. 

Bonopane, a criminal justice major with a minor in sociology from Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, won for her paper titled, “Police perspectives on overdose responses: Advancing preventative strategies,” which examines local police chiefs’ policies on naloxone training and use and their perceptions of law enforcements’ role in responding to overdose calls. 

Her interest in this area of research stems from her coursework and her independent research with Jennifer Murphy, associate professor of criminal justice, where they examined different harm reduction strategies and how police officers perceived their practical implementations. Additionally, Bonopane has witnessed the impact of drug use.  

As part of her research methods, Bonopane interviewed police chiefs about overdose calls, naloxone carrying policies within departments, and attitudes towards naloxone as a harm reduction strategy. From there, she analyzed the transcriptions of the interviews to look for recurring themes in the chiefs’ answers. 

“My results revealed that immediate overdose procedures closely resemble one another in terms of carrying and administering naloxone throughout police departments included in this study. Chiefs shared the view that naloxone is an important resource for implementing harm reduction strategies/policies, but they are still limited in their abilities to assist individuals following a successful overdose reversal,” Bonopane said. 

However, given that many overdose victims can refuse treatment after an overdose and are protected from many legal repercussions, officers’ unsuccessful efforts to divert them into treatment has led to a sense of burnout. Therefore, additional training on using evidence-based strategies for effectively persuading individuals to seek drug treatment may help to reduce officers’ limitations.” 

Bonopane credits the faculty at Penn State Berks for helping her succeed.  

“Penn State Berks set me up for success, particularly through the faculty members who invest their time in their students’ education and futures. I transferred to Penn State Berks as a 2+2 student and within my first semester, I was offered a student research position, exposed to several future internship opportunities, and given ample networking opportunities,” she said. 

As for her future career, she said she wants to establish and prioritize effective methods of addressing the opioid epidemic.  

“In the field of substance use prevention and treatment, many current practices lack a foundation that is supported by scientific evidence and are very limited in their positive effects,” Bonopane said. “As such, I want to ensure that all my professional practices are evidence-based to help the most people.” 

Bonopane plans to pursue her master’s degree in clinical social work at Temple University in 2025. She wants to assist veterans struggling with substance use disorder through the Veteran’s Association upon obtaining her licensure. Currently, Bonopane works as a case manager at a re-entry service center for formerly incarcerated individuals.

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CVPR 2024 Announces Best Paper Award Winners

This year, from more than 11,500 paper submissions, the CVPR 2024 Awards Committee selected the following 10 winners for the honor of Best Papers during the Awards Program at CVPR 2024, taking place now through 21 June at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, Wash., U.S.A.

Best Papers

• “ Generative Image Dynamics ” Authors: Zhengqi Li, Richard Tucker, Noah Snavely, Aleksander Holynski The paper presents a new approach for modeling natural oscillation dynamics from a single still picture. This approach produces photo-realistic animations from a single picture and significantly outperforms prior baselines. It also demonstrates potential to enable several downstream applications such as creating seamlessly looping or interactive image dynamics.
• “ Rich Human Feedback for Text-to-Image Generation ” Authors: Youwei Liang, Junfeng He, Gang Li, Peizhao Li, Arseniy Klimovskiy, Nicholas Carolan, Jiao Sun, Jordi Pont-Tuset, Sarah Young, Feng Yang, Junjie Ke, Krishnamurthy Dj Dvijotham, Katherine M. Collins, Yiwen Luo, Yang Li, Kai J. Kohlhoff, Deepak Ramachandran, and Vidhya Navalpakkam This paper highlights the first rich human feedback dataset for image generation. Authors designed and trained a multimodal Transformer to predict the rich human feedback and demonstrated some instances to improve image generation.

Honorable mention papers included, “ EventPS: Real-Time Photometric Stereo Using an Event Camera ” and “ pixelSplat: 3D Gaussian Splats from Image Pairs for Scalable Generalizable 3D Reconstruction. ”

Best Student Papers

• “ Mip-Splatting: Alias-free 3D Gaussian Splatting ” Authors: Zehao Yu, Anpei Chen, Binbin Huang, Torsten Sattler, Andreas Geiger This paper introduces Mip-Splatting, a technique improving 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) with a 3D smoothing filter and a 2D Mip filter for alias-free rendering at any scale. This approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods in out-of-distribution scenarios, when testing at sampling rates different from training, resulting in better generalization to out-of-distribution camera poses and zoom factors.
• “ BioCLIP: A Vision Foundation Model for the Tree of Life ” Authors: Samuel Stevens, Jiaman Wu, Matthew J. Thompson, Elizabeth G. Campolongo, Chan Hee Song, David Edward Carlyn, Li Dong, Wasila M. Dahdul, Charles Stewart, Tanya Berger-Wolf, Wei-Lun Chao, and Yu Su This paper offers TREEOFLIFE-10M and BIOCLIP, a large-scale diverse biology image dataset and a foundation model for the tree of life, respectively. This work shows BIOCLIP is a strong fine-grained classifier for biology in both zero- and few-shot settings.

There also were four honorable mentions in this category this year: “ SpiderMatch: 3D Shape Matching with Global Optimality and Geometric Consistency ”; “ Image Processing GNN: Breaking Rigidity in Super-Resolution; Objects as Volumes: A Stochastic Geometry View of Opaque Solids ;” and “ Comparing the Decision-Making Mechanisms by Transformers and CNNs via Explanation Methods. ”

“We are honored to recognize the CVPR 2024 Best Paper Awards winners,” said David Crandall, Professor of Computer Science at Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., U.S.A., and CVPR 2024 Program Co-Chair. “The 10 papers selected this year – double the number awarded in 2023 – are a testament to the continued growth of CVPR and the field, and to all of the advances that await.”

Additionally, the IEEE Computer Society (CS), a CVPR organizing sponsor, announced the Technical Community on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TCPAMI) Awards at this year’s conference. The following were recognized for their achievements:

• 2024 Recipient : “ Rich Feature Hierarchies for Accurate Object Detection and Semantic Segmentation ” Authors: Ross Girshick, Jeff Donahue, Trevor Darrell, Jitendra Malik
• 2024 Recipient : Angjoo Kanazawa, Carl Vondrick
• 2024 Recipient : Andrea Vedaldi

“The TCPAMI Awards demonstrate the lasting impact and influence of CVPR research and researchers,” said Walter J. Scheirer, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind., U.S.A., and CVPR 2024 General Chair. “The contributions of these leaders have helped to shape and drive forward continued advancements in the field. We are proud to recognize these achievements and congratulate them on their success.”

About the CVPR 2024 The Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference (CVPR) is the preeminent computer vision event for new research in support of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), augmented, virtual and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR), deep learning, and much more. Sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society (CS) and the Computer Vision Foundation (CVF), CVPR delivers the important advances in all areas of computer vision and pattern recognition and the various fields and industries they impact. With a first-in-class technical program, including tutorials and workshops, a leading-edge expo, and robust networking opportunities, CVPR, which is annually attended by more than 10,000 scientists and engineers, creates a one-of-a-kind opportunity for networking, recruiting, inspiration, and motivation.

CVPR 2024 takes place 17-21 June at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, Wash., U.S.A., and participants may also access sessions virtually. For more information about CVPR 2024, visit cvpr.thecvf.com .

About the Computer Vision Foundation The Computer Vision Foundation (CVF) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to foster and support research on all aspects of computer vision. Together with the IEEE Computer Society, it co-sponsors the two largest computer vision conferences, CVPR and the International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV). Visit thecvf.com for more information.

About the IEEE Computer Society Engaging computer engineers, scientists, academia, and industry professionals from all areas and levels of computing, the IEEE Computer Society (CS) serves as the world’s largest and most established professional organization of its type. IEEE CS sets the standard for the education and engagement that fuels continued global technological advancement. Through conferences, publications, and programs that inspire dialogue, debate, and collaboration, IEEE CS empowers, shapes, and guides the future of not only its 375,000+ community members, but the greater industry, enabling new opportunities to better serve our world. Visit computer.org for more information.

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School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of engineering, al jamal wins best paper award at 2024 ieee international microwave symposium.

Al Jamal’s research on origami-inspired phased array antennas represents a quantum leap in antenna reconfigurability at mm-wave frequencies and a paradigm shift in massive MIMO applications and beyond-5G communication.

Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. candidate Hani Al Jamal won first-place in the Student Paper Competition (Best Paper Award) at the 2024 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS), held June 17-20 in Washington, DC.

This prestigious award recognizes top technical papers at the conference. His paper was selected out of the 306 total submissions eligible for this award this year.

His paper, “Beyond Planar: An Additively Manufactured, Origami-Inspired Shape-Changing, and RFIC-Based Phased Array for Near-Limitless Radiation Pattern Reconfigurability in 5G/mm-Wave Applications,” was co-authored by fellow ECE Ph.D. candidates Chenhao Hu and Nathan Wille, in collaboration with George Mason University Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Kai Zeng.

Al Jamal and his team successfully demonstrated the first-ever additively manufactured, origami-inspired, shape-changing phased array at mm-wave frequencies, showcasing near-limitless reconfigurability. This work represents a significant leap, opening impactful opportunities for the advancement of massive MIMO and beyond-5G communication.

An origami-inspired, shape-changing phased array combines this traditional antenna function with the ability to electronically control the direction of the signal and mechanically change its shape through folding structures inspired by origami. This makes the antenna highly adaptable.

Al Jamal has been enrolled in the ECE Ph.D. program since 2022, and is a member of the ATHENA Lab , where he is advised by ECE Professor Manos Tentzeris .

He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the American University of Beirut with high distinction.

His research interests include the use of additive manufacturing techniques in designing highly integrated, heterogeneous, and conformal/flexible RF systems encompassing RF front-end circuits, antennas, and packaging up to mm-wave frequencies. He is also keen on advocating engineering education to high school and undergraduate students.

Through his research, Al Jamal aspires to design and build communication devices and RF electronics that draw inspiration from origami and art, leading to enhanced functionality and physical flexibility to seamlessly integrate with human-centered devices, thereby enabling more efficient and integrated communication networks for digital awareness.

Zachary Winiecki

[email protected]

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This competition is dedicated to the memory of IU Slavic alumnus, teacher, scholar, and administrator Professor Daniel Armstrong (1942-1979). Awards are presented to students for papers written for a class taken during the previous academic year in Russian, East European, or Central Eurasian studies.

The award is given in three categories: a graduate student paper, a Master of Arts essay, and an undergraduate paper. Winners receive a modest monetary prize and certificate of recognition.

The papers are read during the summer by a panel of REEI faculty. The identity of the students submitting the papers will not be shared with the jury. Papers are submitted directly by students, who may submit only one entry per year. Papers must be submitted by the third Friday after the Spring semester final exams week.

Papers awarded the Eva Kagan-Kans Memorial Award (given by the Office for Women’s Affairs) are ineligible.

Awards are presented to the authors of the winning papers in September at the annual REEI Fall Reception for faculty and students. Only winners will be notified.

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For information on how to give to the Daniel Armstrong Memorial Research Paper Award, please contact Mark Trotter, martrott@indiana.edu.

How to submit a paper to the Armstrong Award

Submit clean copies without comments electronically in .pdf format to Mark Trotter, REEI Associate Director, ([email protected]). The author’s name should be omitted from all pages.

In addition please include a single cover sheet with the following information:

• Author’s name and student ID number
• Course information (number/title, instructor, semester)

Papers copies will not be accepted.

The deadline to submit entries for the 2022 competition is Friday, May 20 th at 5pm.

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• SDSU lands six winners of the competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards

Research on an infectious pathogen and teaching English are among the plans for visits to countries ranging from Ecuador to South Korea.

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With destinations ranging from South America to Polynesia, at least six San Diego State University students and recent alumni have won Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for international study for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year.

Four SDSU Fulbright recipients will conduct research abroad, while two will work in Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant Program. Recipients will travel to Tonga, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, Ecuador and Argentina. Approval for a potential seventh grant is pending.

Funded primarily through the U.S. State Department, Fulbright grants provide students with the opportunity to expand their perspectives and improve understanding of different cultures. About 2,000 students nationwide receive one-year Fulbright grants annually.

“We are very proud of these impressive and newly minted Fulbright Scholars who have earned this highly competitive and prestigious honor,” said Cristina Alfaro , SDSU associate vice president of International Affairs.

Among them is Gabriela Contreras , who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry last fall and initially had low expectations about her Fulbright chances.

“I was thinking there are probably students from the Ivy leagues and top universities in the U.S. applying,” she said. 

In January, her hopes picked up when she was named a semi-finalist. Then this spring, she received an electronic notice that her Fulbright application had been updated. “I opened the portal, and I actually got it.” 

An alum of SDSU Professor Tom Huxford ’s Structural Biochemistry Lab, Contreras will focus her Fulbright research on combatting Staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic-resistant pathogen found in hospitals that is the leading bacterial cause of death worldwide. 

She will travel to South Korea and work in the lab of Kim Kyeong Kyu , a structural biologist and professor in the Department of Precision Medicine at Sungkyunkwan University, supported by the Samsung Biomedical Research Institute. After the trip, she plans to enroll in graduate school in the Bay Area.

“I am looking forward to seeing how people from different cultures conduct science,” said Contreras. “Dr. Kim Kyeong Kyu’s laboratory is diverse. There are people from Bangladesh, Vietnam. There have been a few Americans in the past. I am excited to be working in an international laboratory.”

SDSU’s success rate for Fulbright applications was a highlight of this past cycle, said Yoshiko Higurashi , SDSU professor emerita of Japanese and Fulbright Student Advisor for the university.

Of the 20 students who applied, 10 were named semi-finalists, with six receiving the honor to date. An additional student awaits authorization from the host country’s government, and another was named a Fulbright alternate. 

“All of them are ladies, by the way, brilliant ladies,” said Higurashi.

Last year, two SDSU students became Fulbright scholars. Since 2005-06, 108 SDSU students have been awarded Fulbright grants. The top year for SDSU came in 2013, with 11 student Fulbright recipients out of 45 applicants, said Higurashi.

Higurashi credited her predecessor, Provost Emerita Nancy Marlin , for much of the success. Marlin continued to advise SDSU Fulbright Student Program applicants through August 2023. 

The application window is open for the next round of Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for the 2025-26 cycle, with submission deadlines beginning in August. Higurashi hopes more SDSU students will apply for Fulbright awards given this year’s strong performance. 

Contreras agrees.

“Honestly, just apply,” she said. “Let them tell you no. Who knows, they might say yes like they did for me.”

Here is a look at the other SDSU student Fulbright recipients in the 2024-25 cycle:

As a child visiting relatives in Turkey, Gulce Ozturk loved snorkeling. These underwater adventures ignited her interest in environmental sciences. After earning her bachelor’s degree and working in the field, she joined SDSU’s Marine Conservation and Ecology Lab, also known as the Hovel Lab, as a graduate student. Her Fulbright research in Turkey focuses on the impact of invasive species on native urchin populations in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.

The daughter of immigrant parents from Tonga, Mele’ana K. Akolo witnessed the pain that substance abuse can bring to hard-to-reach and under-represented communities. Now advancing toward her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Research, Akolo will travel to the island nation of Tonga to probe gender differences in drug services and how the needs of women can be better addressed in treatments for substance use disorders.

As first-generation immigrants, Arianna Spata ’s family struggled with access to consistent and affordable health care. That led her to study biology on a pre-med track and join SDSU’s Maternal and Infant Health Among Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Woman Project. Now a Public Health Epidemiology and Latin American Studies graduate student, she will travel to Argentina to research the postpartum impacts of insufficient prenatal care among migrant women in Buenos Aires.

At 16, Madison Fitzpatrick joined an organization that provided English as a Second Language classes to Latinx adults. The experience taught her not only effective teaching techniques but also how small steps, such as helping individuals gain dual language skills, can be life changing. A SDSU International Security and Conflict Resolution graduate, Fitzpatrick received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award in Ecuador.

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Collaborative research work on adversarial machine learning between SKKU and LUC awarded the best paper award in SVCC’24

A paper titled "Unmasking the Vulnerabilities of Deep Learning Models: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Adversarial Attacks and Defenses" has been awarded the Best Paper Award at the 5th Silicon Valley Cybersecurity Conference (SVCC) 2024.

Computer Science Newsroom

A paper titled "Unmasking the Vulnerabilities of Deep Learning Models: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Adversarial Attacks and Defenses" has been awarded the Best Paper Award at the 5th Silicon Valley Cybersecurity Conference (SVCC) 2024 . This research is the result of an ongoing collaboration between Sungkyunkwan University and Loyola University Chicago , led by authors Firuz Juraev, Mohammed Abuhamad , Eric Chan-Tin , George K. Thiruvathukal , and Tamer Abuhmed . The study provides a comprehensive analysis of black-box adversarial attacks and defenses on deep learning (DL) models, highlighting the increased serious threat that can cause the DL model to misbehave and compromise the performance of critical applications that are using these vulnerable models.

This research addresses a critical aspect of deep learning by focusing on the robustness of models against adversarial attacks, said Dr. Sean Choi, session chair of SVCC 2024. Their findings provide invaluable insights that will help enhance the security and reliability of DL models in various safety-critical domains.

The paper's key contributions include a thorough investigation of various black-box attacks on diverse DL architectures. The authors demonstrate that while model complexity correlates with increased robustness, the number of model parameters alone does not ensure higher resilience to existing attacks. The research also explores how different components used in the model and training datasets impact model robustness, revealing significant insights for security-critical applications.

This award-winning research has significant real-world implications, particularly for enhancing the security and reliability of DL models in safety-critical domains like autonomous driving, healthcare and medical diagnosis, industrial automation, and surveillance. The findings emphasize the necessity of robust DL models that can withstand adversarial attacks, making it crucial to understand and defend against these threats. This study paves the way for future research on advanced attacks and the robustness of various DL architectures, including Vision Transformers, Graph Neural Networks, and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs).

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