SRP IMPLEMENTATION PLAN PRIORITY PROJECTS
2023 SRP Progress Report
A detailed summary of the progress we made on SRP Priority Projects in 2023.
SFU Strategic Research Plan (SRP) Priority Project
Involving Undergraduate Students in Research
On this Page:
Challenge
SFU is a research-intensive institution, doing world-class work across a wide range of disciplines. Our undergraduate students should have the opportunity to learn about and to participate in that research.
Action
We will review the VPRI Undergraduate Student Research Awards program to consider its goals, funding levels and accessibility. We will create web resources to highlight and support undergraduate researchers.
Working with the provost, deans, and the library, we will consider new ways to provide undergraduates with exposure to SFU research including opportunities to participate and potentially to earn degree credits for the work.
With communications and marketing (C&M) teams across the university, including SFU's central C&M portfolio, we will consider how to raise the profile of SFU research among undergraduates at the institution.
Project Goals
- Engage with USRA (Undergraduate Student Research Awards) program stakeholders to explore opportunities and challenges related to this program as well as other strategies for supporting undergraduate involvement in research link
- Improve support and prominence of Undergraduate Research Symposium link
- Identify ways to raise awareness around events highlighting the SFU research experience for the undergraduates at the institution link
- Begin planning around research supports and funding opportunities for SFU’s future undergraduate medical students link
1. Engage with USRA (Undergraduate Student Research Awards) program stakeholders to explore opportunities and challenges related to this program as well as other strategies for supporting undergraduate involvement in research
Updates
-
January 2024
Higher level conversations have started to seek and evaluate the current USRA program. There has also been a review of recent USRA utilization data.
Updates
-
April 2024
Undergraduate Research Symposium was held April 9th, 2024. Office of Vice President Research & Innovation supported the planning, hosting and promotion of the event in collaboration with Graduate Studies and SFU Library.
-
October 2023
VPRI Office contributed $8k to the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium event to cover cost of poster/presenter awards and as honoraria for creating a graduate student mentorship initiative.
3. Identify ways to raise awareness around events highlighting the SFU research experience for the undergraduates at the institution.
Updates
-
January 2024
It is an ongoing effort to identify and implement ways to amplify communications for events in the university that involve research by, or research opportunities for, undergraduates.
4. Begin planning around research supports and funding opportunities for SFU’s future undergraduate medical students.
Updates
-
February 2024
Exploratory conversations are underway with Fraser Health to identify high-quality opportunities for partner-engaged research opportunities for SFUMS students.