The Center for Undergraduate Research at Cal U welcomes research proposals for the fall semester.
Jamie Weaver with her research poster.
The Center for Undergraduate Research at California University of Pennsylvania has issued a call for proposals for the Fall 2020 semester
Proposals may request any level of support up to $2,000, which includes a maximum student stipend of $500. Read more about the call for proposals.
“We are encouraging proposals this year on the social, economic, political, geopolitical, literary, psychological, biological and other discipline-specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Azadeh Block, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and associate professor social work.
“It’s an opportunity for our students to be leaders in innovative research that looks at how COVID-19 is impacting our communities.”
Students who conduct research in Fall 2020 will have the opportunity to present their results at the University’s Strike a Spark Undergraduate Research Conference in Spring 2021.
“We want our students to realize they are more than capable of conducting their own research,” Block said. “Some feel intimidated when they hear the word ‘research,’ but our faculty can serve as mentors and advisers throughout the process.
“For those who are considering graduate school, undergraduate research is an invaluable experience.”
Jamie Weaver, a senior majoring in social work, received support from the Center for Undergraduate Research for her project, “Identity Development in Biracial Children: Contextual Factors from Social Work.”
She presented a research paper and poster at the 11th State System Summit on Inclusive Excellence and International Education, which was held at Cal U in November 2019. She also submitted her paper to the Keystone Journal of Undergraduate Research.
“Dr. Block helped me with a structure, and I was able to submit pieces of my research to her to review so I could revise it if I needed to,” Weaver said.
“It was a topic that was of interest to me. My daughter is biracial, and it helped me to see some ways I can help her navigate through some things in her life. Social work is all about research; it’s so much more than just ‘talking to people.’ It’s important to know the best ways to reach people in the field.”