National Student Conferences

Every year the Student Research Launch Pad funds and mentors undergraduate students from the university and its college partners to present their research at external conferences.

"I wanted to present my work at BCUR because I’m going into postgraduate studies, so it made sense to attend a conference. Before the event I was excited but slightly nervous; presenting isn’t my thing. In hindsight, presenting my poster was fun and it was great to see the work that other Brookes students had done. My favourite part was the Gala Dinner as I talked to fellow Brookes students and students from other UK universities. It was an amazing experience, and if you get the opportunity to go you should."

(Dan Jackson, BSc Biological Sciences, 2023)

POSTERS IN PARLIAMENT

We are delighted to announce that the following 3 Brookes students were accepted through a competitive process to present their work at Posters in Parliament on 24th May, 2023.

Find out about their work below!

Rosanna Mills: Do Conservative British tabloids portray Ukrainian refugees more positively than Syrian refugees?

Aminul Islam Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Policy-Making and Fair Politics

Naomi Jones Mothers’ experiences of empowerment from social workers following domestic violence and abuse: An intersectional feminism approach – A Literature Review

Aminul Islam, Brookes student presented reflected on the day:

Posters in Parliament (PiP) honours UK undergraduate research. The British Conference of Undergraduate Research organises this exhibition at Westminster Palace. Legislators, policymakers, and prominent figures can interact with some of the nation's top undergraduate researchers during the event.

Oxford Brookes University sent three students to PiP 2023. Computer science researcher Md Aminul Islam, Social Work student Naomi Jones, and Rosanna Mills, Applied Languages,

Oxford Brookes University senior lecturer Dr. Maheshan De Silva Kanakaratne supported students on the day, and Dr. Louise Taylor led the overall project.

By presenting, students were able to improve their CVs and make connections with UK university peers during networking and after the event. It also gave students the chance to discuss their work with industry leaders.

PiP offers networking, knowledge-sharing, and competition. The judges choose the best three posters based on quality and effect. These prizes provide funding for research and career advancement.

I would strongly encourage and recommend students apply for this opportunity!

We are delighted to announce that 10 students were accepted through a competitive process to submit their work to the Joint World Conference and British Conference of Undergraduate Research (WCUR and BCUR) in April 2023. Find out about their work below!

Marli Louise Peck, BSc Anthropology, 'Recreating the past with virtual reality: stone circles and evocative ethnography'
Hannah Cooke, BSc Nutrition , 'Effect of insulin supplementation on appetite, mood, stress, and gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy adults'
Daniel Jackson, BSc Biological Sciences, 'The localisation and expression of RLK-SMP24 to the plasma membrane of Nicotiana benthamiana'
Zachary Coleman, BA(Hons) English Literature & Creative Writing, 'Monstrosity and othering in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy fiction'
Katy Newell, BA(Hons) Early Childhood Studies, 'Stop scratching! Research into the knowledge and experiences of early years practitioners caring for children with atopic dermatitis (eczema)'
Victoria Allum, BSc Occupational Therapy, 'An exploration into intimacy as a meaningful occupation after spinal cord Injury in women: a scoping review'
Ioanna Sotirakou, BA (Hons) International Relations and Politics, 'To what extent are crypto-currencies enabling money laundering and the financing of terrorist organisations?'
Isobel Keen, BA History, 'The problem of child sexual abuse and the extent of public awareness in Bristol, 1880-1914'
Hilary Griffiths, MSc Infrastructure Planning and Sustainable Development, 'Hydroponics and aquaponics: a look into the future of alternative farming methods in the United Kingdom'
Naomi Jones, BA Social Work, 'Mothers' experiences of empowerment from social workers following domestic violence and abuse: an intersectional feminism approach'

Students were supported by Louise Taylor (Principal Lecturer, SRLP project lead) and Sue Moron-Garcia (Principal Lecturer)

Testimonials

(Dan Jackson, BSc Biological Sciences)

"My dissertation supervisor, Dr. Carmel Capewell, encouraged me to participate at BCUR even before conducting my research. Despite feeling nervous as a first-time attendee and presenter, I was instantly reassured when I met my fellow Brookes members who were so lovely and supportive; we all became friends instantly! The welcoming environment made presenting much easier, and I even received positive feedback from a lady who related to my research. This was probably the best thing about the event, having someone relate and appreciate your research. I would 100% recommend this event to anyone thinking of applying next year. It is an amazing experience and has made me really consider furthering my academic career. Also, the Gala Dinner was so much fun so definitely go to that!"

(Katy Newell, BAHons Early Childhood Studies)

“Thank you so much for all of your help getting me there: it has actually changed my trajectory where future plans are concerned, as well as my dissertation! I'm feeling so much more prepared than I was before the conference- simply watching others present their dissertations has put me in a place where I now feel prepared”

(Marli Peck, BSc Anthropology)

Isobel Keene's work

Dan Jackson's work

Hannah Cooke poster.pdf

Hannah Cooke's work

What is BCUR?

The British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) promotes undergraduate research in all disciplines and is the largest conference in the UK dedicated exclusively to undergraduate research.

The Conference meets annually every Spring in a different British university.

Undergraduates of all levels, and graduates within 6 months of graduating are invited to submit papers, posters, workshops and performances to the conference.

Abstracts are peer-reviewed and those accepted will be invited to attend the conference.

Previous conferences have seen over 500 delegates from 70 different institutions over the two days presenting their research work on a diverse range of topics.

BCUR 2023

This year the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) is joining with the World Conference for Undergraduate Research and will be held at Warwick University in April 2023.

The themes for the 2023 conference are Health, Power, Sustainability, Data, Create, Community, and the Future.

The conference value the unique contributions that undergraduate research makes to our collective knowledge, as well as the opportunities that multidisciplinary conferences provide to stimulate debate, foster relationships, and ignite the imagination.

For further information on the conference, see check out the BCUR 2023 website.

Share your work at BCUR 2023!

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR 2022-23

The Student Research Launch Pad project is seeking to support Oxford Brookes students from the widest range of disciplines from across the university to take part in BCUR 2023.

We will support your application to BCUR2023 as well as covering the costs (e.g., travel, accommodation) of attending the conference.

We understand that at this time of year, many of you will be in the early stages of your undergraduate research projects (i.e., planning, collecting data) - this is not a problem. You can still submit an abstract to take part at BCUR 2023 as long as your project is completed before April 2023.

How to submit an abstract to BCUR 2023?

The deadline for submitting your BCUR 2023 abstract was 31st October 2022.

We would ask that all Oxford Brookes students interested in taking part in BCUR 2023 to submit their abstract via the following link:

Please submit your BCUR2023 abstract here

If you are unsure how write an abstract, please consult the BCUR guide to writing an abstract.

***IMPORTANT***

Do not submit an abstract directly through the BCUR webpages unless you want to attend the conference independently without the support and funding of the Student Research Launch Pad project.

Any questions?

Email us at studentresearchlaunchpad@brookes.ac.uk