Undergraduate Research Fair
Undergraduate Research Fair will take place Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 2250 Kirkhof Center (Grand River Room) - Valley Campus from 5:00 PM-7:00PM
The 2026 Undergraduate Research Fair (URF) will feature Grand Valley State University faculty and staff from academic departments and research groups, as well as local organizations providing information about research projects and internships. Tables will be set up throughout the Grand River Room, enabling undergraduate students to circulate among the tables and learn about research opportunities by talking with faculty to explore possibilities and find out how to become involved. The interactive nature of URF provides opportunities for students to 'window-shop' research projects and teams to find the ones that resonate with them. URF enables students to make significant progress in their academic and professional lives.
Participating in research and creative projects at GVSU expands students' intellectual and creative worlds, enabling them to explore a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to discovery and understanding. Here, students take first steps toward transformative insight into the culture(s) surrounding research. At the URF, they find connections that lead them to engaging, challenging, and safe opportunities to participate in research.
Research is a process of careful inquiry, leading to the discovery of new information or new analytical or conceptual frameworks for understanding. Research occurs in all disciplines; it is not limited to certain majors. At Grand Valley, we encourage students to explore areas of study beyond their major to expand their understanding of the variety of disciplined and ethical approaches to inquiry and to explore new interests.
What the evening looks like
Every table is staffed by someone doing the research. Faculty who lead projects that bring on students each year. Institutes and centers with labs, field sites, and collections. Organizations that host interns and community partners.
Circulate. Ask what a project actually involves, what a semester of it looks like, what a mentor hopes a student brings, and how someone gets started. These are low-stakes conversations by design, and you are not committing to anything by having one.
Research is not one thing
Research is a process of careful inquiry, leading to the discovery of new information or new analytical or conceptual frameworks for understanding. It happens in every discipline. It is not the property of certain majors.
Come to any table that interests you, including the ones outside your major. Students who look beyond their own department find a wider set of approaches to inquiry than any one program can hold, and the fair is built for that kind of looking.
Who you will meet
The 2026 lineup is still coming together, and this page will be updated as departments and organizations confirm.
Below is a list of last year's participants to get an idea of what you can look forward to this year!
Participating Departments and Organizations
Departments and schools
Anthropology · Biology · Biomedical Sciences · Cell and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Classics · Computer Science · Economics · Geography & Sustainable Planning · Geology · History · Hospitality Tourism Managment · Information Sciences and Technologies · Literacy, Educational Foundations & Technology · Mathematics · Mechanical Engineering · Modern Languages and Literatures · Movement Science · Nursing · Philosophy · Physics · Psychology · Public Health and Interdisciplinary Health · School of Communications · School of Interdisciplinary Studies · Seidman College of Business · Social Work · Sociology · Statistics · Visual and Media Arts
Institutes and research groups
Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) · Environmental and Climate Sciences Group
Programs that fund, place, and support students
Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships · McNair Scholars Program · Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship · University Libraries
Partners beyond campus
City of Grand Rapids · Michigan Community Service Commission (AmeriCorps) · Michigan Space Grant Consortium · Pierce Cedar Creek Institute · Van Andel Research Institute
For departments, faculty, and organizations
Tables are reserved through Friday, September 25. Faculty who want to bring a project, a lab, or a program to the room can register below.
The Faculty Resource Guide covers what to expect at the table, how to promote the fair to a class, and how to refer a student to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship at any point in the year.
Questions?
Center for Student Research and Scholarly Engagement
Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
230 Mary Idema Pew Library
Allendale, MI 49401
(616) 331-8100 · [email protected]
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.