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University Research Week

University Research 2021

Mark your calendars! University Research Week will be November 8-12, 2021. This week-long event is an annual celebration of Carolina’s research excellence and an effort to increase participation by students, of all levels, in research activity. This year’s theme is Research Perseveres. Through more than 40 keynote presentations, symposiums, workshops, and more, we will be highlighting the tenacity and dedication of our researchers and students, and the strategic initiatives that make Carolina one of the top research institutions in the world.

New for this year, we will be hosting the Health of Our State and Beyond speaker series, presented by the Creativity Hubs initiative. During the series, presentations will be given by interdisciplinary teams of researchers who, after winning Creativity Hubs funding, are now tackling some of the greatest challenges facing our state by building coastal resilience, identifying the causes of deadly obesity, developing antiviral therapeutics to stop the next pandemic, and providing affordable, sustainable access to clean drinking water.

Additional events include workshops hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research for students interested in pursuing research activities; a pan-campus symposium on structural racism with an award presentation for racial health equity at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health; a three minute thesis competition hosted by the Graduate School; and many, many more.

Please check the website often as new events are being added and join the celebration in November. If you are interested in hosting an event during URW 2021, please contact Layla Dowdy in the Office of Research Communications or Bob Pleasants in the Office of Undergraduate Research.

What is University Research Week?

University Research Week (URW) is an annual, campus-wide event designed to improve awareness of what it means to be a research university, align the University’s missions of producing world-class research and providing a world-class undergraduate education, and promote opportunities for students to discover and engage in research and scholarship. In support of this week-long effort, departments are encouraged to coordinate department-specific activities such as research interest group meetings; workshops for faculty and students to network and foster new research opportunities; symposia highlighting faculty and student research and scholarship; and tours of laboratories and other research facilities. In addition, faculty are encouraged to take 15-20 minutes during a class that week to discuss their own research with undergraduate students.

University Research 2020

University Research Week 2020 took place October 19-23, 2020. Please visit the site for details, including a number of recorded events available on demand.

Click here for 2020’s full University Research Week Schedule.

Posts that are made in regards to University Research Week, should include the hashtag #UNCResearchWeek making posts easy to find and to help promote the week.