Student Team Research Concept Competition
Empowering Creativity, Celebrating Achievement
It’s time to share your great ideas! Team research involves collaboration among multiple researchers focused on achieving the same goal. A few such goals include the design of a new technology, the creation of a new process, or the answering of an important question. Research exists in all academic areas at UNM, including fine art, health sciences, chemistry, engineering, and architecture, just to name a few.
We invite you and your student colleagues to develop a research concept to share during the Team Research Concept Competition at the 2024 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Conference (UROC) on April 12, 2024.
The winning team will receive $2,000 split among all team members.
Submit Your Team’s Proposal Here
How does it work? Teams of undergraduate students will pitch an Interdisciplinary problem they are interested in. Each team may include as many UNM undergraduate students as desired, as long as at least two academic majors are represented. Teams are limited to students in baccalaureate (four-year) degree programs only.
How does a team apply? The leader of each team should complete the application form by March 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm. The form asks for the name, major and contact information of your team’s leader (phone and email), and the name, major and contact information (email) for each team member. In addition, the form asks the team to describe: (1) The research goal they wish to address, and (2) A summary of the challenges associated with the research goal.
What happens after the application is submitted? From the applicants, UNM judges will select six undergraduate teams to advance to the Finalist stage. Each of these teams will be contacted on March 7, 2024 to help prepare them for the next stage.
What happens during the Finalist Stage? Each finalist team will develop a 5-minute presentation describing the following elements of their research pitch: (1) the research goal they wish to address, (2) a summary of the challenges associated with the research goal, (3) a description of the processes they would use to achieve their research goal, and (4) a summary of how each team member could contribute to those processes.
On April 12, 2024, each finalist team will present their five-minute pitch in-person at UROC, followed by five minutes of questions and answers. Judges will include UNM faculty, staff and graduate students.
How will the winner (winning team?) be selected? The contest judges will select the pitch that best meets the following qualifications: (1) the team has a solid understanding of the challenges associated with addressing their research goal, (2) the team’s processes for achieving the goal are likely to produce significant progress, (3) the team’s approach involves contributions from multiple academic disciplines, and (4) the team’s approach is comprehensive and/or innovative.
How will the winner be announced? The winning team will be announced during the UROC Awards Ceremony on April 12, 204. Winners will also be notified through email, and posted on the UNM URAD website.
Are the teams expected to implement their research project? No, the research concept competition is intended to help teams conceptualize and design their research, not necessarily to implement it.
What prizes will be awarded? The winning team will receive a $2,000 bursar credit, split evenly among all team members who present.
Who should I contact if I have questions? For more information, please contact Tim Schroeder at timschroeder@unm.edu.
Terms and Conditions:
The decisions of the judges are final.
All federal, state and local taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winners. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.
By entering in the competition, the contestants give permission to UNM to use the names of the winners and their project for publicity and/or trade purposes without further compensation unless prohibited by law. Contestants grant permission to record and publicize their oral and written presentations, in whole or in part.
Contestants and any business entities associated with them release and discharge The University of New Mexico, the judges, and prize sponsors, from any and all liability associated with participating in the Undergraduate Student Team Research Concept Competition.
Contestants should not present any information to the judges, orally or in writing, which they deem to be confidential, proprietary, or commercially sensitive. Information presented will not be kept secret.
Contact for more information:
Tim Schroeder, URAD Director. Email: timschroeder@unm.edu.
