The University of Central Florida’s Student Research Week is planned for March 30-April 2 at the UCF main campus. The event is a celebration of student research, as well as a platform for skill building for those already involved and those wanting to get involved in research. Whether you are a graduate student about to defend your thesis or a first-year student who is curious about ways you can dive in, Research Week is for you.
The week kicks off with a day of workshops including associate professor Tim Brown’s Communicating Your Research Workshop, ideal for those planning to present at one of the student research showcases later in the week. For those students who are not yet involved in research but would like to learn more, Kimberly Schneider, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, will be presenting Getting Started – Undergraduate Research that will review the research programs at UCF, how to find a faculty mentor, and more.
The day will come to a close with a workshop for all UCF students on how to find, apply, and be competitive for national and international scholarships and fellowships. This workshop presented by the College of Graduate Studies will offer attendees a look at some of the largest and most prestigious financial awards that students can apply for and how to prepare their applications.
On March 31 and April 2, UCF students from all disciplines across campus will share their research with the UCF community at the Graduate Research Forum and Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence respectively. Both open house events will be held in the Student Union Pegasus Ballroom and are open to everyone. Student presenters will receive faculty feedback, share their work, and compete for cash awards for best-in-category presentations. These celebrations of student research are also excellent opportunities for students early in their research career to ask questions of others and learn more about their academic disciplines.
April 1 will feature three workshops ranging from a panel discussion about Planning for Success in Graduate School, a workshop entitled The Library- Your Research Partner for Finding and Organizing Your Literature, and finally a new addition to student research week: Student to Student: Debunking the Myths of Undergraduate Research, which will allow undergraduates the opportunity to converse with current researchers about how they got involved in research and what the experience is like.
Student Research Week is to highlight the excellence of scholarship at UCF and also encourage others who may be interested in getting involved with research.