Upcoming uuraf 2026
The 2026 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum will be held on April 17 at the Breslin Center and Online
Registration
Late Registration is now closed. Late breaking registration will open March 23 until April 5, 2026. Those that complete late breaking registration will be assigned to a late breaking category and will not receive judging and therefore will not be eligible for first place awards. Abstracts and titles must be complete in order to be registered. To register for late breaking presentations, please fill out this survey between March 23 - April 5 and our office will get back to you after reviewing your submission.
Students: Save a presentation slot during Priority Registration! Category and modality choices are limited after registration closes. Late Registration begins Monday, February 16. Late-Breaking Registration opens March 23 and will not receive judging or awards. Current MSU undergraduates and December 2025 graduates are eligible to present at UURAF 2026.
Abstracts/Proposals do not need to be complete at the time of registration. Final edits to UURAF registrations are due March 12.
Visitors, mentors, family, and friends are welcome to attend the forum, and registration is not required.
Types of research and creative activity accepted:
- Preliminary
- In Progress
- Completed Projects
- Course-based Research
- Arts-based Research
- Internship/REU
- Education Abroad
- Community-based Participatory Research
- Creative Expression
- Work conducted during any semester (fall, spring, summer) or over multiple semesters
- Work conducted during high school
- Presented at other venues (college/department forums, off-campus conferences, etc.)
- Any stage of the research process (literature review, method development, etc.)
- Other types that we missed on this list!
Click on the links that follow for more details about poster, oral, performance, visual art, film presentation requirements.
Schedule of Events
April 16 - 17
Symposium
- Online Poster, Film, and Oral Presentations | Asynchronous
April 17
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Session A Presentations: 9:00-10:30 am
Session B Presentations: 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Session C Presentations: 1:00-2:30 pm
Session D Presentations: 3:00-4:30 pm
Breslin Center
- Onsite Poster Presentations
- Creative Arts Showcase
- Graduate School Fair
The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and concessions will be available.
Resources
- Online Program Book - available April 1
- Visitor Parking - available April 1
- Visitor Guide - available April 1
What to Expect at UURAF
There is a great deal of activity happening throughout the event. An information desk is located on the Concourse and is a good resource for answering questions during the in-person event. If you have technical issues related to the online event site, please use the chat box. For online presentation related questions, contact the Undergraduate Research Office.
Student presenters, check out our What to Expect Guide for more details. -available April 1
Tranquility Room
A tranquility room will be available at any time during UURAF for attendees to pray, meditate, or find a quiet place away from the flurry of activity during the event.
Accommodations
Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Direct requests for accommodations to Brian Keas, Director for Undergraduate Research. Requests received after March 31, 2026 will be honored whenever possible.
At least one person in this setting reports chemical or scent sensitivity that may adversely impact their participation. We therefore request your cooperation in making this a scent-controlled environment by refraining from the use of scented products whenever possible.
Prizes
First-place presentations in each category section receive a $100 prize (group presentations of 2-3 people evenly split $100; groups of 4 or more people receive $25 each). Note: only MSU undergraduate student presenters are eligible for monetary awards. Student presenters without RCR training are not eligible for prize money. Winners will be celebrated during the UURAF Awards Ceremony on April 24 from 1:00-2:45 PM at the Kellogg Center. Undergraduate Research Mentors of the Year will also be honored during the awards ceremony.
All presenters must complete Level 1 Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training by March 12 to be eligible for awards. Level 1 RCR training includes the following modules: Introduction, Authorship, Research Misconduct, and Plagiarism. Click here and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to complete the training.
UURAF Grand Prize
All first-place award recipients are eligible to submit their work for consideration for the UURAF Grand Prize, a $500 award. A total of two grand prizes will be awarded to one program from the science, engineering, and mathematics related categories and one program from the social sciences, arts, and humanities related categories.
