Happy Friday! And a particularly happy Friday it is, given that we’ve all very nearly survived another frenzied fall semester, more-or-less intact, though certainly a bit worse for wear. Even more happily, we’ve done some very fine work together to build the College’s UR Program, and as we approach this holiday season, there is much to be proud of as we look back and reflect on all that we’ve done together over just a dozen weeks or so.
Among the many great things that we’ve done together is planning our first interdisciplinary travel to the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), which is fast approaching indeed. Approaching even faster is the deadline for abstract submissions, which is December 2. As a reminder, funding for this event was only very recently approved, and we’ve had to scramble to find student participants. It is a great opportunity: All expenses will be paid for eight lucky students selected to attend. And a few spots are still available. It would be particularly nice to get a couple of students from social sciences and couple from the humanities. Unfortunately, we’re having work through existing networks of faculty and students to organize this initial foray into student travel to a regional UR conference. I’m working to secure ongoing funding for future years so that we can plan for broader access to this opportunity. But for now, if you identify a student who is interested, please have them send an email to UndergraduateResearch@tsc.fl.edu. Most importantly, I want to again acknowledge J.T. for his able leadership of this project. It is coming together quickly, and it is almost entirely due to his efforts.
On an entirely unrelated note, I spent some time this week looking into the issue of IRB approval for student projects (You’re welcome!). After combing through the federal regulations that govern IRBs, I’m now satisfied that students whose projects do involve human subjects, in any way, should submit IRB protocols if they intend to present the findings of their research beyond the classroom, including at our campuswide UR Symposium, through publication in our student UR journal, or via publications or events beyond the College, such as at FURC. Further, since TSC’s IRB is registered with the Department of Health and Human Services as the guarantor of Federal Wide Assurance (more information here, for your reading pleasure), students must submit protocols by way of the IRB’s established processes. However, each IRB does have considerable latitude in terms of how those processes operate. Given this, I am now working with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, which houses the College’s IRB, to create a streamlined process for student projects that does not impose undue burdens on student researchers or their faculty mentors. I’m very hopeful that we’ll be able to stand this up quickly. My goal will be to have that process in place by the start of the spring semester. More to come on this real soon.
Also worth a mention is that we’ve got three (3!) abstract submissions as of today which, it must be said, is three more than we’ve ever had during the fall semester. Thanks to everyone for everything you’ve done this semester to promote symposium submissions. One recent addition to our promotional efforts is a beautiful flier, attached, that Communications and Marketing created for us. Special thanks are due this week to Marissa and Cherie for posting fliers in their respective areas. I’ve got a veritable mountain of handsome full color copies. If you’d like a pile of them to post in your own area, just let me know, and I’ll hand deliver them to you forthwith.
I’ll plan for one last installment of “The Week in UR” for 2024, coming to you next Friday. Then, mercifully, I’ll defer to academic tradition and let it rest until after the winter break. As I hope we all will be doing quite soon indeed. Best wishes for the penultimate week of fall semester. We’re very nearly there.
Dan
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