Making It Happen: Workshops on Developing Your Research or Creative Project
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships announces the Fall 2018 workshop series “Making It Happen: Developing Your Research or Creative Project.” This series of interactive workshops takes participants through the key stages of project development, from articulating the question that inspires your inquiry through writing a winning proposal–and everything in between. Whether you have a detailed idea for a project or simply think you might be interested in getting started, these workshops will help you take the next steps on your path to deeper involvement in research and creative endeavors.
The “Making It Happen” workshops are strongly encouraged for students applying for an Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors Award (deadline for spring proposals is October 31) and required for applicants for a 2019 Summer Scholars Independent Research Fellowship (SSIRF). The SSIRF is the university’s most robust award for students taking on research and creative projects requiring the greatest degree of independence and sophistication. These awards support original, student-initiated independent research, creative performance, and project-making in close collaboration with a faculty mentor.
Northeastern students undertook a total of 27 projects in summer 2018, ranging from an intensive study of the gut microbiome to a photographic narrative about the threats oil drilling presents to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. SSIRF awardees presented their projects to faculty, staff, and students at the Creative Endeavor and Research Experience Symposium (CERES) in September. Learn more about some of these innovative, original projects in the video above, then register for the workshops to start developing your own.
Finding Your Sources: Using the Library
October 15, 5:30 PM — Register
Meet the dedicated staff and discover specialized resources—from 100,000 e-journals, to 30 years of recordings of Boston alt-rock station WFNX, to the archives of queer performance group The Theatre Offensive–that will help you conduct smart, targeted searches of our vast collections to find the essential sources in your field of endeavor.
Developing Your Research or Creative Question
October 23, 5:30 PM — Register
All research and creative endeavors respond to a question, gap, or problem—but where do you start? Learn how to focus your project on a question that is both meaningful to your discipline or audience and precise enough to be feasible.
Cultivating a Faculty Mentor
October 30, 5:30 PM — Register
Strong mentoring relationships are essential for success in research and creative endeavor, as well as graduate school and fellowship applications. But mentoring isn’t only about what you can get—it’s about building long-term, mutual relationships. Learn how to identify and approach potential mentors, be a gracious mentee, and cultivate your connection into the future.
Ethical Conduct of Research and Creative Endeavor
November 6, 5:30 PM — Register
Research and creative projects must be both intellectually rigorous and ethically sound: protecting human subjects, respecting animals, and treating our peers, collaborators, and communities with respect. This session covers both fundamental principles and the specifics of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
Formulating a Project Proposal
November 27, 5:30 PM — Register
You’ve developed a question, researched the background, devised the methods—but how do you communicate the elements of your project effectively to an external reviewer? This session covers the construction of a compelling—and, hopefully, winning—project proposal.