Workshops & Info Sessions

The Office of Undergraduate Research hosts lectures, information sessions, and workshops throughout the academic year.

These events provide you with tools that will help prepare for presentations, improve research techniques, and sharpen your research topics and more.

Organized and promoted by the Office of Undergraduate Research, these events are occasionally co-sponsored or co-arranged by the Provost Office, Writing and Multiliteracy Center, Fredrick Douglass Unity House, the Office of Faculty Development, the Honors College or independent departments.

Spring 2023 Events

2024 Marshall Scholarship

Click here to see a summary of a workshop on Marshall 2024

Opportunities for Research at New Bedford Research & Robotics

New Bedford Research & Robotics serves the region through an intersection of programming including STEM, corporate R&D, university and internal research, community programs, as well as helping startups and entrepreneurs. These are a few of the resources the organization brings during their engagements with the community: Robotics & AI, Data Science/Data Visualization, Vision/ VR/ Gaming, IoT Sensing, Laser cutting/ Etching, CNC, and 3D printing technologies. The Office of Undergraduate Research at UMass Dartmouth has organized an information session regarding how undergraduate students can become a member and get involved in New Bedford Research & Robotics. The session will feature representatives from New Bedford's Research and Robotics, including James Nanasca, Director of Design Technologies. The session will be moderated by Professor Pamela Karimi, Director of the OUR. Please join us on January 30th at noon.

More information about New Bedford Research & Robotics can be found HERE

Where? Zoom

When? Monday January 30, 2023 @12 noon

The recording of this event is available here

Discovering the Office of Undergraduate Research

Facilitator: Dr. Pamela Karimi, Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

In this session, Dr. Pamela Karimi, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), will discuss opportunities and support for undergraduate research, including faculty/student mentorship and collaboration. In particular, the session will address recent efforts in linking undergraduate research on campus to local industries, libraries, and archives. It will further address how, in conjunction with on-campus liaisons, the office helps identify and prepare outstanding students for competitive national research opportunities and scholarships. This event is organized by the Office of Faculty Development. To register, please contact Ellen Mandly at emandly@umassd.edu. 

Where? Wednesday, February 15, 2023

When? 3:00-4:00 p.m., Library 213

Introduction to Undergraduate Research in SUS 101 for Arts & Sciences

This introductory session about the Office of Undergraduate Research will take place in SUS 101, an introductory course in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

When? Thursday January 26, 9:30 am

Where? LARTS 

Highlights of Past Events (2016-2022)

Biology Research Capstone Symposium

When? December 5, 2‐4 PM 

Where? Library Grand Reading Room

Research Themes:

a) The Cellular Basis of Human Disorders

What's the cellular mechanism of the disorder?
What new treatments are in development?

b) Conservation Behavior

What are the impacts of human activity on animal behavior?
How does human‐induced behavioral change drive species decline?

Introduction to Undergraduate Research in CAS 101 for Arts & Sciences

This introductory session on the Office of Undergraduate Research will take place in CAS 101, an introductory course in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

When? Friday December 1 @1pm

Where? LARTS 112

Opportunities for Research & Internship in Boston

This information session focuses on opportunities for internship & research at Semester in the City, which is a fully-credited fellowship program that gives undergraduate students the opportunity to spend a semester learning hands-on through well-supported internships in the social sector. Moderated by Prof. Pamela Karimi, the session hosts Alex Johnson, who is the Director of the Semester for Impact at the College for Social Innovation (CFSI), as well as Alyssa M. Snizek and Eric Cabral of the Career Center at UMassD.

When? Wednesday November 30 @11am

Where? Zoom

The recording of this session is available here

Essential Grant Writing Skills

Undergraduate students are welcome to join an information session on writing grant proposals. The session is organized in conjunction with representative faculty members from STEM, arts, humanities, and the Writing & Multiliteracy Center. Bring any questions you have regarding your OUR grant applications for the Fall 2022 cycle (due Sep 26 by 5pm).

Where? Zoom.
When? Monday September 19, 2022 @4pm

View the recording of this event here

DoD SMART Scholarship: An overview for student applicants

This session provides an overview of the DoD SMART Scholarship. The video is published for Fall 2022, but was recorded in fall 2021. Some information may change from year to year, but other aspects of the program will persist. The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program, funded by the Department of Defense (DoD), is a combined educational and workforce development opportunity for STEM students.

View the recording of this event here

Truman Scholarship Overview

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive and prestigious federal scholarship granted to U.S. college juniors for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service. The scholarship is in the amount of $30,000 toward a graduate education.

View the recording from the foundation here

OUR Practice Sessions for Three Min Thesis Presentations

Registered presenters, please contact Professor Pamela Karimi (our@umassd.edu) to make an individualized zoom meeting.

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT^®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia for research students.

3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.

The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

OUR Info Session on Successful Research Trajectories of UMassD Alums

Please join us for a discussion panel and Q & A session with our successful researcher alums. Our panelists--former UMassD undergrad researchers, and current successful experts in their own respective fields--will speak about the impact of research on their career paths in the arts, humanities, and STEM fields. Our participants include, Dr. Zachary Grant who began his research journey at UMassD and subsequently graduated with a doctorate in computational science. He then pursued a career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy; Hannah Gadbois, a recipient of the Office of Undergraduate Research Grant at UMassD in 2016, who is now a PhD student in the Art History Department at the University of Illinois; and Jorge Fernandes, a former undergraduate math researcher at UMassD and a current data scientist at Pratt & Whitney.

When: Friday, Apr 8, 2022, 05:00 PM Eastern Time

Marshall Scholarship Virtual Summit

The British Government is conducting its nation-wide, two day long virtual Marshall Scholarship summit this year on 6 & 7 April, and I am reaching out to you today in hopes that you can share this with interested and outstanding students in your programs.

There will be nine 45-minute-long panels, all featuring Marshall Scholarship alums from a variety of years, dedicated to different areas of study (or the Marshall Scholarship application process/culture). These panels are open to students and fellowship advisors and will be recorded for future viewing as well. This is an opportunity for students aspiring to become Marshall Scholars to hear what the process is like from those who went through it themselves.

Please find the list of topics as well as the respective registration forms below.

View recordings of all these sessions here. 

Wednesday 6 April

(All times below in EDT)

12:00pm Marshall First Timers (*Introductory Address for first 15 minutes*) 

Hosted by the Chicago Consulate

1:15pm Steps to Marshall 

Hosted by the Embassy

2:15pm Diversity: Race 

Hosted by the Houston Consulate

3:15pm Arts & Literature 

Hosted by the Los Angeles Consulate

Thursday 7 April

12:00pm Climate & Environment 

Hosted by the New York Consulate

1:00pm IR & Government 

Hosted by the Embassy

2:00pm STEM 

Hosted by the Boston Consulate

3:00pm Application Questions

Hosted by the Miami Consulate

4:00pm Diversity: LGBTQIA + Gender 

Hosted by the San Francisco Consulate

Marshall & Truman Info Session

UMass Dartmouth alumnus Jacob Miller talks about the benefits of applying for the Marshall Scholarship and other national scholarships.

View the recording of the session here

Study/Work Abroad after Graduation with a US Gov’t Fulbright Fellowship!

Do you have strong leadership potential, academic and/or professional excellence and a commitment to mutual understanding in today’s world? Would you like to advance your career while having the opportunity to explore the world? Did you know you could get paid to receive your master's degree in a European university? Have you ever thought about becoming an English teacher in a foreign country after graduation? Can you imagine living in a beautiful tropical region while being trained, supported, and mentored by National Geographic experts?

Then consider applying to be one of more than 1,400 candidates who will receive a Fulbright grant each year to go overseas. Grants are available in all fields of study and can take you to one of more than 140 countries worldwide. Both undergraduate and graduate students may apply, as well as graduating seniors who will go on to graduate school.

To learn how to navigate the application process and formulate a strong proposal join us at the March 30th OUR Fulbright zoom information session. We will hear from Professor Timothy Walker who is a representative from the U.S. William J. Fulbright Program on our campus. Do not miss this opportunity to learn about the Fulbright Scholar Program and possibly embark on the adventure of your life! Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome!

OUR Information Session on Summer Awards

Engaging in Research with Human Subjects

In certain fields undergraduate research projects involve interactions with and/or identifiable data about human beings as participants. Some undergraduate research activities that involve human participants require approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB; the federally mandated committee that reviews human subjects research protocols). Please join us for a zoom session on February 22 (4-5pm) with Dr. Elizabeth Richardson (Chair of IRB at UMassD) and Leslie Young (IRB expert and 3rd-year UMD law student). The session will focus on the types of research that require IRB review, best practices for conducting ethical research, an overview of human subject protections, and other resources that may be helpful to undergraduate researchers.

View the recording of the event

To further explore the IRB send an email to

UMassD IRB Research: irb.research@umassd.edu

or, click on the following items:

Office of Institutional Ethics & Compliance

The Office for Human Research Protections

CITI Program Training

Exempt Research

Expediated Research

Research vs. Internship

Please join us for an Office of Undergraduate Research information session. We will discuss the relationships and the distinctions between research opportunities and internship positions. Experts from STEM, Humanities & the arts, the Career Center, and the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement will be there to discuss various opportunities.

When? Monday, Jan 31, 2022 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Where? Zoom

View the recording of the event

Essential Grant Writing Skills

Undergraduate students are welcome to join an information session on zoom regarding writing grant proposals. The session is organized in conjunction with representative faculty members from STEM, arts, humanities, and the Writing & Multiliteracy Center. Bring any questions you have regarding your OUR grant applications for the Winter/Spring cycle (due December 6) and/or other proposals.

Where? Zoom.
When? Dec 1, 2021 04:00-5:00 PM Eastern Time

View the recording of the event

Diversity in Life Science Event: Meet Biology Alumni of Color

& Leran about Different Career Opportunities in Research

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 (4-5pm)

Fredrick Douglass Unity House

This event is sponsored by the Biology Department and the Fredrick Douglass Unity House

The Changing Dynamics of Transnational Feminisms

Tuesday, March 27, 2018, 4pm
Charlton College of Business, Room 149

Lecture by Professor Manisha Desai, Professor of Sociology and Asian and Asian American Studies at the University of Connecticut. 

This talk is organized in conjunction with Assistant Professor Eric Larson's class "Beyond Borders? Immigration and Justice" (CJS 350)

Reflections on Research in the Visual Arts

Thursday, February 8, 2018, 11:15am

This artist talk is supported by the OUR and organized by Professor Ellen Mueller of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Sexting: Red Flag or Red Herring

Wednesday, December 13
5-5:30pm. Woodland Commons

Lecture by Professor Elizabeth Englander, Department of Psychology, Bridgewater State University
Director and Founder of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center
 
Followed by Psychology Research Poster Presentations
5:30-7pm
 
Funded by the OUR and organized by Psychology Department professors Trina Kershaw and Aminda O'Hare

Engaging Physics Undergraduates through Cross-Disciplinary Research

Thursday, March 23, 2017. 3pm
Center for Scientific Computing and Visualization Research
Textile Building, Room 105

A lecture by Professor Prashant Sharma, Department of Physics, Suffolk University

Essential Grant Writing Skills

Wednesday, March 22, 2017
2pm-3pm
Claire T. Carney Library, Room 314

A Workshop with Professor Elisabeth Buck, Department of English

Research and Teaching in the Urban Context: The Jewelry District in Providence

Wednesday, March 08, 2017
12pm-1pm
Claire T. Carney Library, Room 314

A Lecture by Dietrich Neumann, Professor of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University
Sponsored by OUR and the Urban Studies Program  

Strategies for Grant Writing

December 02, 2016
11am-11:50am
Honors Seminar Room, Library 212

Grant writing workshop by Professor Elisabeth Buck (Department of English, UMass Dartmouth)

Research Life After Graduation: A Panel with UMassD Alumni

February 14, 2016
12:00-1:30pm
Honors Seminar Room, Library 212

Discussion panel with Laura Ryan (Director of the Humanities Film Office at MIT), Lauren Scharf (Curatorial intern at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem), Bing Lin (Graduate student at the Dynamic Media Institute at Massachusetts College of Art and Design)

UMass Dartmouth Research Abroad

March 24, 2016
12:00-1:30pm
Honors Seminar Room, Library 214
 
Session I: Building A Global Network Of Biologists
Presentation by Professor Mark Silby (Department of Biology, UMD)

Session II: Exploring the Arts of China
Presentation by Professor Bryan McFarlane (Department of Fine Arts, UMD)                                                       

"So What?" A Panel of UMassD Faculty Discussing the "Real World" Applications or Implications of Their Research

October 27, 2015
1:00-2:00pm
Claire T. Carney Library Library, Rm 314

Discussion panel with Professor Laura Franz (Department of Visual Design, UMD), Professor Brian Williams (Department of History, UMD), and Professor Mehdi Raessi (Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMD).

Town-Gown Collaborations: Engaging Faculty and Students in Regional Research

February 24, 2016
12:00-1:30pm
Claire T. Carney Library, Room 114

Discussion panel with Professor Timothy Walker (Department of History, UMD), Lee Blake (President of the New Bedford Historical Society), and Corinn Williams (Community Economic Development Center of South Eastern Massachusetts).

Mentoring Undergraduate Research: Lessons from Humanities Research at Brown University

February 17, 2016
12:00-1:30pm
Claire T. Carney Library, Room 314

Discussion panel with Professor Sarah Thomas (Department of Hispanic Studies, Brown University) and Professor Lisa Marie Mignone (Department of Classics, Brown University)