RCMS: Special Project: National Conferences on Undergraduate Research

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9553316 Peak The National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is a not- for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and nurturing scholarship done by undergraduates in all academic disciplines and at all institutions of higher learning. The catalytic agent for NCUR's various programs in support of undergraduate research is its annual, three-day conference that brings together some 1200 students and 400 faculty representing about 300 colleges and universities from almost every stat in the nation. In addition to being the primary showcase for the intellectual achievements of American's undergraduates, this conference provides a unique opportunity to build communities of scholars. In particular, NCUR has a strong commitment to facilitating the networking of minority undergraduate scholars with each other and, to help meet that goal, NCUR has an avowed policy of providing scholarship support for minority students with financial need to attend the annual conference. Aided by continuing funds from the National Science Foundation, scholarships at the last six conferences have risen sharply from 33 to 115 and total attendance by those designating themselves as being of minority ethnicity now approaches 20 percent. The funding requested in this proposal will permit NCUR to continue to actively seek out wide participation of minority students and faculty (in the sciences and engineering) at the annual National Conference. It will permit NCUR to develop workshops and other activities at the annual conferences of special interest to these participants. And, finally, it will allow NCUR to develop a database to assess the effectiveness of undergraduate research participation in influencing the career choices of minority students.