Author: Berkey, Melissa

• Congratulations, Fall 2019 UConn IDEA Grant Recipients!

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Congratulations to the 11 undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the fall 2019 funding cycle!

The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from nursing to natural resources, and political science to biomedical engineering. They will conduct independent research and initiate programs that engage local communities.

Click here to view the full list of fall 2019 UConn IDEA Grant award recipients.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff who supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.

The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, research projects, prototyping and entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project.

The next application deadline is March 9, 2020.

• Congratulations, Spring 2019 UConn IDEA Grant Recipients!

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Congratulations to the 33 UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the spring 2019 funding cycle!

The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from anthropology to animal science, and from biomedical engineering to art. They will conduct independent research, develop creative works in different media, and lay the groundwork for entrepreneurial ventures.

Click here to view the full list of spring 2019 UConn IDEA Grant award recipients.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff who supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.

The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, research projects, prototyping and entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline will be in December 2019.

Developing an Elevator Pitch

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By Emy Regan, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

As someone who has engaged in research and creative activity, I have learned that marketing yourself and your work is a key step in the process itself. An important way to do this is through an elevator pitch, or a short but impactful statement describing what you do and why you do it. This elevator pitch is the first impression of your research or creative projects that you’ll share with your peers, mentors and employers, so you’ll want to make it attention catching and easy to understand. Continue reading →

Creating a Research Presentation

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By Divya Ganugapati, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

If you are ready to embark upon the exciting and rewarding journey of presenting your research – congrats! Whether complete or in-progress, take a moment to acknowledge all of the hard work you have put in to make it this far in your undergraduate research career. Now is time for the fun and creative part – displaying your research. Continue reading →

Managing Grad School Applications

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By Veronica Pleasant, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Toward the end of their undergraduate career, most students find themselves wondering about what’s next – the job market, graduate school, etc. Some students, however, have their hearts set on medical school, dental school, veterinary school or other professional programs from day one. The decision to apply to these programs is not an easy one- between the financial burden, mental and emotional burden, and the time commitment going forward, it is easy to get lost amongst the application cycle. I want to offer a few specific tips and tricks about the application process that I learned along the way. Continue reading →

Getting Started on Your Research Thesis

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By Natasha Patel, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

If you are finishing up research, are a senior, or are in the honors program, you may be starting a research thesis soon. I currently am beginning to compose my honors thesis for the research that I have been doing for the past three years. This definitely sounded like a daunting task, however hopefully this blog post can eliminate some of your fears and help you tackle and get started on your thesis! Continue reading →

Summarizing Your Research for Grad School Applications

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By Priscilla Grillakis, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

I recently applied to graduate programs to pursue a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Throughout the application process, I struggled with the challenge of condensing a year’s worth of research into the small space on the application and on my resume, and with explaining my research within the time allotted during the interview process. I also faced the dilemma of whether to apply for formal research opportunities in these new programs.

If you find yourself in this situation, here are a few tips that helped me: Continue reading →

Understanding and Communicating Your Needs

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By Jamie Georgelos, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Student Research Blog Post: Understanding and Communicating Your Needs. By PRA Jamie.When joining an established professional environment, it can be difficult to understand how to fit in while also receiving the resources and support you need to succeed. It is even more difficult as an undergraduate in an environment full of grad students who have very different needs and priorities from your own.

How can you simultaneously learn how to exist within this already established environment, learn your own work style, and ask for these resources in an environment where you are so far down in the hierarchy? Here’s what worked for me. Continue reading →

Learning from Mistakes in the Lab

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By Ariane Garrett, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Student Research Blog: Learning from Mistakes in the Lab. By PRA Ariane.We’ve all heard the saying, “everyone makes mistakes.” But when you’re the one who’s to blame, it’s can be harder to remember that you’re not alone. Over the past two years working in a lab at UConn, I’ve made many mistakes and been forced to face the consequences. In this post, I share with you some of my biggest ones in the hopes that we can all feel a little less alone the next time we mess up. Continue reading →

• Congratulations, Fall 2018 UConn IDEA Grant Recipients!

Posted on by

Congratulations to the 11 UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the fall 2018 funding cycle!

The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from English to materials science, and from biological sciences to design and technical theater. They will conduct independent research, develop creative works in different media, and initiate programs that engage the University community.

Click here to view the full list of fall 2018 UConn IDEA Grant award recipients.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.

The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, research projects, prototyping and entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline is March 11, 2019.