The mission of the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is to promote undergraduate scholarship and creative activity, done in partnership with faculty members or other mentors, as a vital component of higher education. Specifically, the purposes of NCUR are to:
- Encourage awareness of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative opportunities as they exist in various disciplines and types of institutions;
- Promote appreciation of the valuable role these components play in complementing the other aspects of undergraduate education and in encouraging the pursuit of advanced study and academic careers;
- Communicate and celebrate the results of such student-mentor collaborations;
- Foster a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of researchers, scholars, and artists linked by a common enthusiasm for learning.
The most visible element of NCUR’s programmatic activities is its three-day annual conference, which is both its “voice” and its source of credibility. Unlike meetings of other professional bodies, this gathering of young scholars welcomes presenters from all institutions of higher learning and from all areas of the academic curriculum. Through this annual conference, NCUR creates a unique environment for the celebration and promotion of undergraduate student achievement, provides models of exemplary research and scholarship, and helps to improve the state of undergraduate education.
The conference has been held twice at Union (1990 and 1995).