Collaborative Research: National Conference
of Undergraduate Research
Each year, about 2,200 undergraduate students competitively chosen from colleges and universities nation-wide present their original research at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Traditionally, Hamline’s College of Liberal Arts has been able to provide on average forty grants (covering travel expenses, accommodations, and registration) for Hamline students presenting research they have conducted for advanced classes, independent studies, honors theses, and/or collaborative research.
The Hamline student contingent, which brings together scholars from the entire spectrum of academic disciplines and programs, is one of the largest in the nation. Of the 300+ colleges and universities that send delegations, Hamline consistently places in the top 5 in terms of students sponsored, and the 92% acceptance rate places the selected students respectably above the 82-84 nation-wide rate.
Students selected to present at NCUR, together with the accompanying faculty members, foster a collaborative community committed to a challenging and nurturing intellectual environment. While travelling --the Hamline group usually leaves the Twin Cities early on Wednesday to return late Sunday-- students live in close quarters which provide a unique opportunity to foster interdisciplinary scholarly connections. Delegates typically attend each other's presentations to provide formative feedback on both research content and form of delivery. Each presenter further receives an evaluation from at least one faculty member.
2013 NCUR Application Process - NCUR 27
The 27th National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) will be hosted by University of Wisconsin La Crosse between April 11 and 13, 2013. The Collaborative Research program will provide conference travel funds for roughly forty undergraduates to present results of their academic work at Hamline. Students in all divisions, majors, and programs who have conducted original research in their courses, independent studies, honors theses, creative projects, or collaborative research are encouraged to apply.
INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS
In order to participate in NCUR 2013, all interested students must first
submit their abstract (prepared with view to NCUR-specific abstract guidelines)
to a Hamline University-wide selection committee that will make recommendations
for Hamline NCUR representatives. To be considered, email your abstract to ncur@hamline.edu by 11:59 pm on November 1,
2012. Please send your abstract as an email attachment in either Word or PDF
format, and use your official Hamline email account.
Because the Collaborative Research program plans carefully to maximize its
budget use to a large pool of selected applicants, the program cannot fund
students who skip the internal selection process and apply directly to NCUR.
Your submission should be in the following format (for more information and
tips on preparing your abstract, please read the NCURabstract guidelines):
Abstract Title:
Of Squirrels and Men: A story of Platelet Storage
Name of Author(s), Institution and Institutional Address:
Bailee Sliker (Scott Cooper) Biology Department, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse,
La Crosse, WI 54601
Abstract:
Platelets
are routinely used in transfusions, yet they cannot be stored in a refrigerator
or else they will be cleared rapidly when re-injected into a patient. The
objective of this experiment is to see if platelets from ground squirrels are
resistant to cold storage, and thus could serve as a model to develop methods
to store human platelets in the cold. To test this we will fluorescently label
platelets from humans and ground squirrels, store them at 4°C and 37°C for up
to 48 hours, and measure their uptake by cultured human liver cells. Previous
research has shown that human platelets stored at 4°C are rapidly taken up, and
we predict that ground squirrel platelets stored at 4°C will be resistant to
this cold storage.
NATIONAL SELECTION PROCESS
Students selected in the internal selection process will be invited to submit their abstracts to the national level via the NCUR 2013 by December 4, 2012. Submitted abstracts will be evaluated by discipline-specific panels of experts who will select conference presenters. The results of that selection process are to be announced in late January per the NCUR 27 timeline.