FURCA Awards
The Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (FURCA) celebrates the talents of U of A students, providing a place for the sharing of ideas between students, faculty, and the broader community.
Each year, awards are given in several categories. As all awards are sponsor or donor-funded, the value and number of awards may vary each year depending on funding availability and the pool of eligible presenters.
Award Categories + Information
General Awards
Recognizes students who are best able to communicate the results and impact of their research to an interdisciplinary audience. Note, this award is given out in each category of presentation (e.g., best poster, best oral presentation, etc.).
Sponsored by the Students’ Union and College of Natural & Applied Sciences.
Special Categories
The Outstanding Creative Activity Award recognizes outstanding research-creation. Research-creation, as defined by SSHRC, is "an approach to research that combines creative and academic research practices, and supports the development of knowledge and innovation through artistic expression, scholarly investigation, and experimentation. The creation process is situated within the research activity and produces critically informed work in a variety of media (art forms). Research-creation cannot be limited to the interpretation or analysis of a creator’s work, conventional works of technological development, or work that focuses on the creation of curricula. Fields that may involve research-creation may include, but are not limited to: architecture, design, creative writing, visual arts (e.g., painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, textiles), performing arts (e.g., dance, music, theatre), film, video, performance art, interdisciplinary arts, media and electronic arts, and new artistic practices." (SSHRC definition)
Sponsored by the College of Social Sciences & Humanities.
Recognizes a 1st or 2nd-year student for outstanding research undertaken during their first year of study. Note: First-year students presenting work completed in high school are also eligible for this award.
Sponsored by the College of Social Sciences & Humanities.
Recognizes outstanding research performed outside of Canada (e.g. international fieldwork, research-abroad experiences, etc.).
Sponsored by International Education + Enrolment.
Recognizes outstanding research performed by an international student at the U of A.
Sponsored by International Education + Enrolment.
The Sustainability Council is proud to recognize the top undergraduate researchers who are building a better world. The winning projects demonstrate an integrated approach that considers human and environmental factors in the challenges we face and the solutions we need. A panel convened by the Sustainability Council selects the top projects within this field for the award.
Recognizes undergraduate research projects that involve the following:
- Community or participant based/guided/co-produced/engaged research
- A knowledge mobilization plan directed towards the non-academic community. This plan should clearly identify your intended knowledge users, a description of the ways in which you will share knowledge, and a description of how you will disseminate your knowledge products to your knowledge user(s) in an engaged way.
Sponsored by University of Alberta Libraries & Research Impact Canada.