uuraf
2026 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)
The 28th annual UURAF will be held Friday, April 17, 2026 at the Breslin Center and online. UURAF 2026 will be a hybrid event with in-person activities held at the Breslin Center and online activities hosted on Symposium by ForagerOne. Multiple presentation formats will all be on display. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and concessions will be available for purchase.
Friday, April 17 @ Breslin: Doors open 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Over 210 posters are presented each session with a 30-minute change between each of four sessions.
Presentation topics are divided into 30+ categories throughout all sessions.
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
A creative arts showcase of 8 student projects will be available for viewing throughout the event.
Thursday-Friday, April 16-17 Online Presentations: Asynchronous
Includes Online Poster, Film, and Oral Presentations
Event Details
See the UURAF 2026 Forum page - Located at the bottom of this webpage.
UURAF (pronounced: you-raff) provides Michigan State undergraduate students with an opportunity to showcase their scholarship and creative activity. Held each spring, UURAF brings together an intellectual community of undergraduate students to share their work with faculty, staff, peers, and external audiences. Participants will gain experience in presenting their research, answer questions about their work from audience members and guests, and receive constructive feedback from judges.
Graduate School Recruitment Fair
Student presenters are encouraged to visit with MSU graduate programs to learn more about future educational, research, and career opportunities.
MSU graduate programs are invited to participate in the graduate school recruitment fair at UURAF. The fair will run concurrently with UURAF presentations. The $150 registration fee includes: lunch for up to two recruiters, a 6-foot table, and validated parking. There is a $30 charge for additional recruiters. Units with support services for undergraduate researchers and RSOs focused on the graduate student experience may register free of charge for a 6-foot table.
Registration will open in January and will close in March. Questions? Contact Brian Keas, Director for Undergraduate Research.
Next Forum
UURAF 2026
The 2026 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum will be held on April 17 at the Breslin Center and Online
Late breaking registration is now open 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.
The 26th UURAF was held onsite at the Breslin Center and online at 
The 25th UURAF was held onsite at the Breslin Center and online at 
The 24th UURAF was held at the 
