Undergraduate Research and Fine Arts Conference 2024

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. 

CURS will put out a Call for Abstracts in early January. There are five presentation types: poster presentation, oral presentation, visual arts showcase, performance art showcase, and 4x4 Research Pitch Competition. All abstracts be approved by your faculty mentor prior to submission. 

Undergraduate researchers can present their work in the form of a research posters. Students display their work in a session ranging from 50-75 minutes. Presenters will answer questions and present their work to conference attendees during this time. A moderator will be available for questions and assistance. The poster session is judged. **Posters can be no larger than 32x36 inches.**

Undergraduate researchers can present their work in the form of an oral presentation. Typically there are 3-5 presentations per session. Oral presentations are typically 10-12 minutes with built in time for questions. A moderator will introduce each student and ensure the session runs on time. The oral presentations are judged. 

Undergraduate researchers can present their work in the form of the 4x4 presentation. Students must effectively explain their research to an interdisciplinary audience in 4 minutes utilizing 4 slides. The slides should be incredibly visual, with a limit of 20 words on the 4 slides. A moderator will introduce each student and ensure presentations fall within the time limit. The 4x4 is judged.

The Performance Showcase is an opportunity for students to share musical, dance, theatrical performances with the AU community. Special equipment/ location needs must be shared in the Abstract Submission. Performers will be expected to provide a 2-4 minute introduction to the piece including how the piece was generated, it's preparation, and significance.

The Visual Arts Showcase is an opportunity for students to share artwork of paintings, sculpture, photography, printing and short films. Artists will be expected to provide a 2-4 minute introduction to the piece including how the piece was generated, it's preparation, and significance. If you have questions about presentation or set up options, please contact CURS.

All accepted students will receive a letter of acceptance by email. This letter will explain all requirements for presenters and will include a schedule of presentations. 

At this time, presenters are limited to Augusta University undergraduates or graduates within the last 6 months. Other students, family members and community members are welcome to attend the event.

Students who graduated from AU with a Bachelor’s degree in the recent fall term (the most recent December commencement) are welcome to present with approval from their mentor. Students who are current AU graduate students should look into the Graduate Research Day. Graduate students ARE eligible for judging or moderating the URFA sessions. Questions should be submitted to CURS @augusta.edu.

Yes! Each session will have a certificate awarded to the top presentation author(s). Additionally, there will be cash prizes for the Best Poster, Oral, and 4x4 Showdown Presentations.

No. There are no registration fees to participate in URFA. 

Unfortunately, no we do not have the resources to print all the posters for URFA. Each presenter is responsible for printing their own poster prior to the conference. We can recommend University Copy and Print Center and the Center for Instruction and Innovation as on campus printing options. **Posters can be no larger than 32x36 inches.**

The 4x4 presentations will be emailed to CURS@augusta.edu or submitted to a shared box folder. 

Only if the research/scholarship being presented is different from each other. A separate submission must be made for each presentation type.

Yes. If your research group includes three people, all three students can present in the oral and poster presentation. However, the 4x4 is an individual presentation.

The URFA  Conference is intentionally interdisciplinary and welcomes participation from all disciplines. This means that scheduling is a detailed and complex process. We cannot accommodate personal schedules. Faculty, Mentors and Students should all be sure to plan ahead so that you can attend the full conference and support students engaging in co-curricular research.