On the 17th of May ICUR was busy all over the University of Warwick campus! First off, we were networking with students at our stall for the Student Opportunities Fair. The Monash Warwick Alliance Student Opportunities Fair was an event which allowed students to find out a little bit more about the decade long partnership Warwick has with Monash University, and all the international opportunities available to students at each institution – including ICUR! Then, we shifted over to the ICUR and URSS (Undergraduate Research Support Scheme) joint event. The URSS enables Warwick undergraduate students to carry out an interdisciplinary summer research or a public engagement project, and supports students by providing a bursary and skills development training.
Didn’t get a chance to attend the fair or our joint event? No worries! Here’s a quick rundown of the most frequently asked questions we received:
- Will I be able to apply for ICUR if I haven’t finished, or started, my research project yet? Of course! At ICUR we are fully aware that students are all at differing stages in their research, and our application accommodates this. In the final section of your abstract where you outline your findings and the impact of your research, simply hypothesise or let us know what you are hoping to find. If your application is successful, you will have a chance to amend this after finishing your project and prior to your abstract being printed in our conference programme.
- What is the application process for ICUR? Our application process simply involves writing a 250 word abstract on your given research project, which should include: Why? What? So what? Now what? The deadline for ICUR 2022 abstract submissions is the 5th of June 2022 – so get them in while you can!
- What if I don’t know how to write an abstract? If you’ve never written an abstract before, there’s no need to worry. At ICUR we have resources which explain the entire process, including a video guide by our student directors which talks you through each step. We also run weekly drop in sessions on our teams space, which you can join here. These take place every Thursday at 9am and 4pm (BST), and our student directors will be there to answer any questions or concerns you might have. We are also offering structured abstract writing training sessions and bootcamps in the upcoming weeks, which you can sign up for here!
- Can I submit a group application and an individual application for ICUR? As long as you are presenting two different research projects, this is totally fine! However, if you are presenting in a team, it may be worthwhile to let someone else take on the lead presenter role for that.
- Is my project eligible for ICUR? Whether you are undertaking primary or secondary research, we accept a wide range of research projects from all disciplines. If you’re unsure, drop us a message on our teams space and we’ll be happy to talk over the eligibility of your project.
- Can I submit the same research project for ICUR and URSS? Yes of course! Doing a URSS project will stand you in great stead for presenting at ICUR, as you will already have extensive knowledge on your chosen topic. ICUR will allow you to make the most out of your research project, whilst also developing your presentation skills, as you will be explaining your research to an interactive global audience.
- Does my ICUR presentation itself count as the public engagement aspect of my URSS project? Presenting your research at ICUR in itself does not count as a public engagement activity for URSS – however, getting involved in ICUR means that you will be eligible to take part in a dedicated public engagement activity as part of the conference that can fulfil the criteria needed for your URSS project! Follow this link to find out more.
As always, if you have any questions that haven’t been answered here, feel free to check out our FAQ’s or contact us over email, social media or in our teams space!