Applications sought for Undergraduate Research Fair celebrating student innovation

Particpants at the 2016 Undergraduate Research Fair event in the Scott Library
Particpants at the 2016 Undergraduate Research Fair event in the Scott Library

Applications for participation in the 2018 Undergraduate Research Fair are now open. Instructors who have recently graded final assignments are asked to note particularly strong research or creative art projects and to encourage those students to apply to York University’s sixth annual Undergraduate Research Fair, to be held on Wednesday, March 7, from 11am to 1:30pm, in the Scott Library Collaboratory.

Undergrad research fair
A 2017 Undergraduate research fair participant tries out a AR device headset

Jointly sponsored by York University Libraries and the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, the multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Fair honours undergraduate student researchers and provides them with the opportunity to share their work by designing a poster and presenting the results of their research to the York University community in a friendly, cross-curricular environment.

Fair applications are due by Jan. 28 and students are encouraged to apply now. Students wishing to present a poster apply by submitting a graded, research-based project or honours thesis prepared between Jan. and Dec. 2017, along with a 250-word abstract. A workshop on designing and presenting a poster will be offered to participating students, and the Libraries will arrange to print the posters at no cost to participants.

Undergrad students who have created a piece of artwork for a 2017 York credit course may apply to have their work displayed in the Scott Library Art Walk during the Undergraduate Research Fair. One artwork submission will be chosen to grace the cover of the e-journal Revue YOUR Review (York Online Undergraduate Research), associated with the fair.

Monetary prizes ($200, $500 and $600) will be awarded to poster session presenters deemed to have the best lower-year project, best upper-year project, best honours thesis, and best poster presentation. In addition, the Libraries offer an Information Literacy awards of $600/$200 to the Research Fair participants whose project (or creative work involving secondary research) best exemplifies excellent practices in library research and information literacy, evidence of critical thinking, and personal learning and growth. Fair attendees select a People’s Choice winner. All student-presenters will receive an invitation to submit an article on their project, to be considered for publication in the refereed e-journal Revue YOUR Review, sponsored by York University Libraries.

Last year’s fair drew a large audience of students, faculty and administrators from across the York community, as well as friends and family of student-presenters. The 2018 Undergraduate Research Fair welcomes applicants from all York University Faculties, including Glendon College.

This is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to participate in several components of the cycle of knowledge production and dissemination. For more information about the Fair, participant eligibility, and how to apply to present a poster or display artwork, visit the Undergraduate Research Fair website.