Thursday, June 20 – Friday, June 21, 2024 – Online
Monday, June 24 – Wednesday, June 26, 2024 – Onsite | College Park, Maryland
2024 Theme: Undergraduate Research: What’s Next?
What is ConnectUR?
The annual ConnectUR conference will provide a forum around undergraduate research where on-site and online attendees can draw on knowledge exchange, scholarship of teaching and learning, group discussion, tangible and scalable practices, and community building to expand their efforts. This year the conference theme is Undergraduate Research: What’s Next? The conference will focus on revealing what is on the horizon for students, faculty, and institutions in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry, even as we pause to take notice of how far we have come. Attendees will get insights on how undergraduate research has, could, or will become a tool for future exploration.
Want to Speak at ConnectUR? Submit Your Proposal.
CUR’s Abstract Submission Portal will be open from November 15, 2023 – January 22, 2024.
CUR welcomes submissions that reveal what is on the horizon for students, faculty, and institutions in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry. The theme for this year’s conference is Undergraduate Research: What’s Next? CUR encourages submitters to share insights on how undergraduate research has, could, or will become a tool for future exploration.
Submissions can be made across the following five conference tracks:
Innovative and emerging pedagogy, strategy, techniques, and/or case studies in an individual course or discipline engaging students in the practice of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry.
Sample titles could include:
- Innovative Student Recruitment Practices to Mentored Undergraduate Research
- Introducing Research-Oriented Thinking in a First-Year English Course
- Undergraduate Research for Physics and Engineering Students
- Mentoring Undergraduate Research: The Heart of Experiential Education
Infrastructure and support of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry with a particular focus on institutional-, program-, and departmental-level strategies. Development of systems, structures, and models that support and elevate undergraduate research within the curriculum and co-curriculum.
Sample titles could include:
- From Student Complaint To New Initiative: How We Built Our Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Program
- Integrating Research Projects into Undergraduate History Courses
- Professional Development Strategies: Strengthening Us to Serve as the Mentors We Wish We Had
- Approaches for Initiating and Expanding Undergraduate Research at Small and Under-Resourced Institutions
Developing culture, community, and practice in undergraduate research that actively prioritizes diversity, equity, access, and inclusion both in general and specifically for minoritized and historically excluded groups.
Sample titles could include:
- Increasing Access to Undergraduate Research Experiences: The OURA Lab
- Creating Student-Centered Spaces for Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Conversations
- Communicating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Public Relations Class/Client Partnership with a DEI Focus
- A Research Mentorship and Apprenticeship Program (Research-MAP) for Increasing Access and Equity in Undergraduate Research
Developing and strengthening shared commitments, collaborations, and cohesion across units, divisions, communities, and organizations to increase opportunities and promote greater visibility of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry.
Sample titles could include:
- Showcasing Alumni as a Strategy to Highlight the Benefits of Undergraduate Research
- All Roads Lead to Fellowships: Collaborations with Graduate and Honors Colleges
- Partnering with University Communications: Developing Undergraduate Research Narratives
- Recruiting Undergraduate Researchers through a Career Services Model
Evaluation, assessment, target outcomes, sustainability, and measures of success for undergraduate research, scholarship and creative inquiry across courses, programs, departments, or institutional levels. Submissions for entry-level through advanced stages are welcome.
Sample titles could include:
- Using Data to Promote Awareness of and Participation in Undergraduate Research & Creative Works
- The NSF-LEARN program: A Six Year Review
Evaluation of Research Experiences for an Undergraduate - Program in Behavioral Sciences: For Two-year Research Sequence Courses
- Connecting Undergraduate Research Experiences with Departmental Learning Outcomes
Presentation Formats for 2024 Submissions
- Pre-Recorded Oral Presentation (20-minute presentation)
- Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies about the identified meeting track.
- Live Oral Presentation (scheduled in a series with an 18-minute presentation and two minutes of Q&A) (20-minute presentation)
- Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies pertaining to the meeting themes.
- Live “Share and Solve” or “Speed Dating” Presentations (scheduled over 60 minutes – the audience will rotate every 10 minutes to hear a new topic) (10-minute presentation repeated six times)
- These involve a 10-minute facilitator-led presentation where the audience rotates among rooms every 10 minutes. This format enables quick exchanges of ideas, diverse learning opportunities, and engagement with various topics or presenters in a dynamic and fast-paced setting.
- Optional pre-recording of 2-3 minutes with explanation/background on the topic.
- Poster (36″ x 48″)
- A mixture of text with tables, graphs, and pictures to present your findings in a visually interesting and accessible way. This will serve as a tool to prompt discussion with colleagues during a reception-style session. Items typically included: Title, Authors, Abstract, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments and References.
- Option to submit a digital copy of the poster for reference in the online community digital archive.
- Workshop (60-minute presentation)
- Active-learning sessions focus on topics currently being discussed and debated within undergraduate research. Facilitators introduce activities that engage participants in workshop-style activities.
- Oral Presentation (scheduled in a series with an 18-minute presentation and two minutes of Q&A) (20-minute presentation)
- Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies about the identified meeting track.
- Panel Discussion (60-minute presentation)
- A panel discussion is when a group of 3-4 experts discuss a topic. They share different views and have a conversation to help people understand it better.
Speaker Timeline
| November 15, 2023 | Abstract Submissions Open |
| January 22, 2024 | Abstract Submissions Close |
| March 18, 2024 | Speaker Acceptance Notifications |
| June 7, 2024 | All speaker slides + materials are due |
Register to Attend ConnectUR
Who should come?
This conference is open to all individuals with a commitment to or interest in the practice of undergraduate research and the impact it has on participants. That includes faculty, mentors, administrators, VPAAs, deans, directors, and many more.
Registration Options
- Online: This option allows attendees to only attend ConnectUR sessions during the online conference, June 20-21, 2024. Online content will be different than onsite content.
- Onsite: This option allows attendees to only attend ConnectUR sessions during the inperson/onsite portion of the conference, June 24-26, 2024 in College Park, MD. Onsite content will be different than what was presented during the online portion.
- Bundle: This option allows attendees to attend both the ConnectUR sessions during the online conference and the onsite portion. This version also has the most cost savings for the most educational content.
Registration Rates
| Early Bird Registration Rate: Ends April 19, 2024** | Online | Onsite* (special offer) |
| Enhanced Member | $265 | $575 |
| Institutional Member | $295 | $640 |
| Individual Member | $325 | $705 |
| Nonmember | $395 | $775 |
| Student Member (Graduate, Undergraduate, Postdoc) | $75 | $175 |
| Student Nonmember (Graduate, Undergraduate, Postdoc) | $115 | $215 |
** Group Rates available: 3+ from same institution is 15% off. 5+ from same institution is 25% off. Can not be stacked with other discount codes. Please contact CUR@CUR.org for this offer.
| Regular Registration Rate: Ends June 1, 2024** | Online | Onsite | Bundle |
| Enhanced Member | $280 | $600 | $700 |
| Institutional Member | $310 | $665 | $765 |
| Individual Member | $340 | $730 | $830 |
| Nonmember | $410 | $800 | $900 |
| Student Member (Graduate, Undergraduate, Postdoc) | $90 | $175 | $250 |
| Student Nonmember (Graduate, Undergraduate, Postdoc) | $130 | $215 | $290 |
| Last Chance Registration Rate: Ends June 14, 2024** | Online | Onsite | Bundle |
| Enhanced Member | $280 | $655 | $755 |
| Institutional Member | $310 | $720 | $820 |
| Individual Member | $340 | $785 | $885 |
| Nonmember | $410 | $855 | $955 |
| Student Member (Graduate, Undergraduate, Postdoc) | $90 | $200 | $275 |
| Student Nonmember (Graduate, Undergraduate, Postdoc) | $130 | $240 | $315 |
Traveling?
As the conference approaches, we will continue to update you with travel and accommodations.
- Southwest Airlines is pleased to offer ConnectUR attendees discounted fares. To utilize this discount, book via SWABIZ using Company ID 99318833. Discount valid for travel 6/21/24 – 6/29/24.
- United Airlines is pleased to offer ConnectUR attendees discounted fares. To utilize the discount, book using the code ZNYP841510 via this webpage. For questions on this discount, please reach out to the United Meetings Reservations Desk M-F at (800) 426-1122.
If you have additional questions about this event, please email CUR@CUR.org.