Undergraduate students and instructors who are in the process of writing and grading particularly strong, final research papers, are encouraged to consider the Undergraduate Research Fair. Applications to participate in the multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Fair are due by Jan. 20, 2014 – but students are encouraged to apply early.
Associate Librarian speaks at undergraduate research fair at York U

Associate Librarian Catherine Davidson speaks to students during last year’s Undergraduate Research Fair

York University’s second annual Undergraduate Research Fair, jointly sponsored by York University Libraries and the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, will be held on Feb. 25, 2014 from 10:30am -1:30pm in the Scott Library Collaboratory.

Admission to the juried fair is competitive. Undergraduate students can apply by submitting a graded, research-based project or honours thesis prepared between January and December 2013, along with a 250-word abstract.

“While the 2013 fair was limited to undergraduate students in the social sciences and humanities, we still received nearly 100 remarkable applications,” explains Catherine Davidson, associate university librarian and Undergraduate Research Fair steering committee member. “This year we are welcoming applicants from all nine faculties, including Glendon College,to this pan-university celebration of student researchers, and we look forward to reviewing a large number of strong applications.”
Postering session in the Scott Library collaboratory

The Undergraduate Research Fair showcases poster presentations developed by York students. The posters documented research in progress.

Those undergraduate student researchers selected to participate in the Fair will have the opportunity to share their work by designing a poster and presenting the results of their research to the York community in a friendly, cross-curricular environment. 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 the participants.

Prizes of $500 (plus honourable mentions) will be awarded to participants deemed to have the best lower-year project, best upper-year project, best honours thesis and best poster session. In addition, the Libraries offer an Information Literacy award of $600 to the researcher who develops and explains his/her information research strategies best. Fair participants may also have their papers published in a peer-reviewed journal 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 the student-presenters.

“York’s Undergraduate Research Fair provides students with the opportunity to take pride in their work. Last year over 200 audience members came by to show support for the presenters and York’s research culture,” says Peggy Warren, librarian and the fair’s organizer.

This is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to participate in several components of the cycle of knowledge production and dissemination, says Warren.

For more information about the Fair, participant eligibility and application details, visit the Undergraduate Research Fair website.