The U of A Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (FURCA) is URI’s annual celebration of all things undergraduate research!
Why attend FURCA?
Current undergraduate researchers
This is your chance to shine! FURCA provides a supportive, low-stakes environment for students to share their research with a diverse audience of students, faculty, and alumni from across all disciplines. Presenting at FURCA is a great way to practice your presentation skills, get feedback on your work, add to your CV, and maybe even win some cash!
Prospective undergraduate researchers
Curious about undergraduate research and how to get started? FURCA is a great place to see examples of projects that students have been involved in, make connections with other students interested in research, and discover potential opportunities for you to engage in research!
Tentative schedule at a glance for FURCA 2025
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
- Poster Presentations (9 a.m. - 4 p.m., main floor SUB)
- Oral Presentations (9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Cascade Room, Lower Level SUB)
- Opening Remarks and Undergraduate Research Panel Discussion (12 - 1 p.m., SUBStage)
- High School Poster Session (TBD)
- High School Mixer (TBD)
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
- Poster Presentations (9 a.m. - 4 p.m., main floor SUB)
- Oral Presentations (9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Cascade Room, Lower Level SUB)
Thursday, March 13, 2025
- Undergraduate Research Involvement Fair (10 a.m. - 3 p.m., main floor SUB)
- Keynotes and Awards Reception (5-7 p.m., Cascade Room, Lower Level SUB)
Present your work at FURCA 2025! Call for Submissions
Who:
YOU! Any undergraduate student at the U of A, in any year of study and any program/discipline. Students may present as individuals or in groups.
What:
Students may present undergraduate research completed for academic credits (e.g. class projects, capstoned, honors thesis, certificate or other research-based course projects), or through non-credit experiences (e.g. summer research, internships, research abroad, student group activities, etc). The research project may be completed or currently in progress.
How:
FURCA recognizes that research can be disseminated through a variety of formats and approaches, including but not limited to those commonly seen at academic conferences (e.g. posters, oral presentations). creative activities/research-creation (e.g. design, creative writing, visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, textiles), performing arts (dance, music, theater), film, video, interdisciplinary arts, media and electronic arts, and new artistic practices are all welcome and encouraged.
When:
The deadline for FURCA abstract submissions is Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Students will be notified in early February if they are accepted. All approved presentations will take place during FURCA, March 11-13, 2025.
Submit your work
- The abstract submission form will ask for a project title and a 250-word abstract (summary) describing the research you plan to present.
- You will also be asked to submit your schedule for March 11-13, to facilitate scheduling of approved presentations. If your availability changes after you submit your abstract, please update us by email.
- If you are submitting as a group, please include all group members (and your mutual availability) in one Google Form submission.
- FURCA abstracts are not subject to a competitive process at the submission stage; however, the URI team will review each submission for eligibility and completeness.
- Although we make every effort to accommodate students’ preferred presentation format, this is subject to venue and scheduling constraints. If we are unable to accommodate your preferred presentation format, we will endeavor to offer an alternative option.
Need help preparing your abstract?
URI will be offering seminars in January on how to write an abstract. Students can also request an individual advising appointment to assist with your FURCA abstract. Visit the URI page on campusBRIDGE to register for seminars or to book an advising appointment. If you have any other questions about FURCA, please contact us at uri@ualberta.ca
Call for Volunteer Judges
The URI is currently seeking judges from a variety of disciplines to help evaluate student presentations during FURCA 2025.
We invite faculty, staff, graduate students, post-doctoral scholars and alumni from all disciplines to sign up for 2 hour shifts, where you will have the opportunity to engage with curious, creative U of A undergraduates, learn about their research, and provide constructive feedback to help students develop their presentation skills.
Please register as a volunteer through the U of A Alumni Volunteer Portal by January 31, 2025.
Register as a poster presentation judge »
2 hour shifts, in-person; involves standing/walking
Register as an oral presentation judge »
2 hour shifts, in-person; mainly seated
Not sure if judging is for you? Learn more about the experience from some of our past year’s judges .
