ConnectUR

ConnectUR 2025 is a pivotal opportunity for faculty, staff, administrators, and many more to deepen their commitment to high-quality mentored undergraduate research. Aligned with CUR’s mission, the conference provides a platform for attendees to engage in professional development, explore innovative practices, and collaborate with peers dedicated to advancing impactful research programs. By attending, participants gain valuable strategies to enhance the research environment at their institutions, build stronger communities, and contribute to a national movement that champions the role of undergraduate research in addressing real-world challenges.

The 2025 ConnectUR conference will highlight the role of undergraduate research in addressing important challenges and fostering positive change within communities and institutions. With the theme The Power of Undergraduate Research: Solutions for a Better World, this year’s event will provide an engaging forum where both on-site and online attendees can share knowledge, participate in collaborative discussions, and build community connections. By focusing on practical, scalable practices and the scholarship of teaching and learning, participants will explore how undergraduate research can drive innovation and progress within their own educational environments. The conference will emphasize emerging trends and offer insights into how students, faculty, and institutions can utilize undergraduate research to make a meaningful impact on their campuses and beyond.

This conference is open to all individuals with a commitment to or interest in the practice of undergraduate research and the impact it has on participants. That includes faculty, staff, administrators, and many more.

Join us for ConnectUR 2025: from Monday, June 16, to Wednesday, June 18, in Grand Rapids, MI, or participate online from Tuesday, June 24, to Wednesday, June 25.

The onsite program will be held at the Amway Grand Plaza, 187 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Infrastructure and support of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry with a particular focus on institutional-, program-, and departmental-level strategies. Development of systems, structures, and models that support and elevate undergraduate research within the curriculum and co-curriculum. This track seeks programs that support COEUR 2.0 in the following areas:

Campus Culture and Administrative Support 

• Mission and Strategic Planning (1)
• Funding and grant support (2 and 6)
• Internal and external grants – student travel, summer research, research start-up grants

Support for Faculty – Building and Growing Undergraduate Research 

• Professional Development Training (4): Mentorship; creating a sense of belonging, culturally sensitive mentorship, communities of practice, interdisciplinary practice …etc.
• Infrastructure – Research space (3)
• Collaboration across campus units – e.g., library, technical staff, career services, community engagement, health services (3)
• Recognition – Award for Mentoring Activities (5): Tenure and Promotion with UR mentorship

Innovative and emerging pedagogy, strategy, techniques, and/or case studies in an individual. course or discipline engaging students in the practice of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry. This track seeks proposals addressing the following COEUR 2.0 areas:

Support for Students 

• Dissemination of Undergraduate Research (7): hosting campus conferences; supporting students to travel for off-campus regional and national conferences; publishing
• Recruitment, early access, and sustained involvement (8): including historically under-represented, first-generation, low-income students
• Peer Mentoring and Teamwork (8)
• Summer Research Program (10)

Curriculum Designs (9) – Contribution to the Practice of UR 

• Research Supportive Curricula
• Faculty teaching load
• Student course credit for research

Evaluations and measures of success for undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry across courses, programs, departments, or institutional levels. Submissions for entry-level through advanced stages are welcome. This track seeks proposals to support COEUR 2.0 in the following areas

Assessment (11) – Assessment, Accountability + Sustainability  

• Student Learning
• Program effectiveness

Developing inclusive culture, community, and practice in undergraduate research that actively promotes equity, access, and inclusion both in general and specifically for all students and faculty mentors. 

• Campus Culture (1)– Accessible Opportunities for Undergraduates; broad disciplinary participation.
• Student Centered Issues (6)– Opportunities for early sustained involvement; peer mentoring and teamwork
• Strategic Planning (1) – resources needed to foster a research community for students and faculty.
• Building Partnerships with Local, Regional, and National Communities (1)– Expanding Access to Undergraduate Research through Civic Engagement and Collaborative Learning

1. Campus Mission and Culture
2. Administrative Support
3. Research Infrastructure
4. Professional Development Opportunities
5. Recognition
6. External Funding
7. Dissemination
8. Student-Centered Issues
9. Curriculum
10. Summer Research Program
11. Assessment Activities

• Preconference Workshop (Two-hour presentation – requires separate registration from the main conference and at an additional fee) – Preconference workshops should be focused on professional development, innovative teaching strategies, or research-based practices. Ideal workshops will provide attendees with practical tools, insights, and strategies to enhance their academic roles. Sessions should be interactive, encouraging peer collaboration through activities such as case studies, simulations, or facilitated discussions. Proposals should outline clear learning objectives, methods for active engagement, and anticipated outcomes relevant to participants’ work in undergraduate research.
• Poster (36″ x 48″) – A mixture of text with tables, graphs, and pictures to present your findings in a visually interesting and accessible way. This will serve as a tool to prompt discussion with colleagues during a reception-style session. Items typically included: Title, Authors, Abstract, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments and References. Option to submit a digital copy of the poster for reference in the online community digital archive.
• Workshop (60-minute presentation) – Active-learning sessions focus on topics currently being discussed and debated within undergraduate research. Facilitators introduce activities that engage participants in workshop-style activities.
• Oral Presentation (scheduled in a series with an 18-minute presentation and two minutes of Q&A) (20-minute presentation) – Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies about the identified meeting track.
• Panel Discussion (60-minute presentation) – A panel discussion is when a group of 3-4 experts discuss a topic. They share different views and have a conversation to help people understand it better.

• Pre-Recorded Oral Presentation (20-minute presentation) – Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies about the identified meeting track.
• Live Oral Presentation (scheduled in a series with an 18-minute presentation and two minutes of Q&A) (20-minute presentation) – Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies pertaining to the meeting themes.
• Live Workshop (50-minute presentation) – Active-learning sessions focus on topics currently being discussed and debated within undergraduate research. Facilitators introduce activities that engage participants in workshop-style activities.
• Live “Share and Solve” or “Speed Dating” Presentations (scheduled over 60 minutes – the audience will rotate every 10 minutes to hear a new topic) (10-minute presentation repeated six times) – These involve a 10-minute facilitator-led presentation where the audience rotates among rooms every 10 minutes. This format enables quick exchanges of ideas, diverse learning opportunities, and engagement with various topics or presenters in a dynamic and fast-paced setting. Optional pre-recording of 2-3 minutes with explanation/background on the topic.

• Oral Presentation (scheduled in a series with an 18-minute presentation and two minutes of Q&A) (20-minute presentation) – Present findings, works in progress, or new methodologies about the identified meeting track.
• Workshop (50-minute (online) or 60-minute (onsite) presentation) – Active-learning sessions focus on topics currently being discussed and debated within undergraduate research. Facilitators introduce activities that engage participants in workshop-style activities.

CUR membership is NOT required to participate, but you will need to create a CUR account to register.

Two days will include unique content as an online offering and three days will include unique content as an in-person offering. You can choose to attend either online, onsite, or both.

The onsite program will run on June 16, 2025, between 4:00-6:30 pm, ET, on June 17, 2025, between 8 am-6:15 pm ET, and on June 18, 2025, between 8:00 am-3:00 pm ET. Note: There are some pre-conference workshops on Monday, June 16, 2025, in the morning that require separate registration. The online program will run on June 24, 2025, between 11:30 am-5:00 pm, ET and June 25, 2025, between 11:30 am-3:30 pm, ET.

The early bird registration deadline is April 18, 2025 (Online Only and Bundle), the regular registration deadline is May 30, 2025 (Onsite and Bundle), and the late registration cut-off is June 6, 2025 (Onsite and Bundle) and June 18, 2025 (Online Only)

See the registration fee table above.

Please see CUR’s Event Policies and Procedures page for questions related to accepted payment types, registration cancellation policy, substitution policy, schedule and agenda changes, data and photo use, and code of conduct. Specific dates for check payment and cancellation/refund/transfers are included below.

Yes. Payment is required at the time you register. If you are paying by check, please see the address instructions. Until payment is received, your registration is not complete.

Online content sessions will be recorded and made available for at least three months post-event.

Group Rates available: 3+ from same institution is 15% off. 5+ from same institution is 25% off. Can not be stacked with other discount codes. All registrants must register through the main institution membership contact. Please contact CUR@CUR.org to get your group rate invoice.

Credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are all accepted.) Check payment must be received by June 6, 2025.

CUR will honor cancellation requests and provide a refund, less a $50 processing fee, for all requests submitted in writing no later than May 20, 2025. No refunds will be permitted after May 20, 2025. Please submit cancellation requests in writing to cur@cur.org. Transfer of registration to another individual before the cancellation deadline is free of charge but subject to member classification charges due to differences in conference rates. Transfer of registration after the cancellation deadline will be charged a $50.00 transfer fee. Institutions may not substitute one participant for another without prior approval of the CUR National Office.