In 2024, we will celebrate 16 years of research and professional development. If you are a student, we hope you will celebrate with us! Students will have the opportunity to give their talk and engage with faculty members, researchers, and their peers in the field! Applications for GCURS will open in late summer.
Participants
If you are an adviser, we would be delighted to have your students apply, and have you join us as a mentor. An interest form for prospective students is here. If you are an adviser and wish to be added to our mailing list, email gcurs@rice.edu.
History and format
First held in 2008, the annual Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS) is one of the longest-running and most prestigious undergraduate research conferences in the southeast. Open to students from all universities and hosted by top-ranked Rice University, GCURS provides students around the world the opportunity to present their original research to an audience of their peers.
What we believe
GCURS is unique in many ways, but a significant one is that it is not a poster presentation. We believe the ability to explain your research to a diverse audience is an essential skill for all student researchers and prospective graduate students to master. GCURS was established to give undergraduate researchers in the southeast the opportunity to practice and to master that skill. Participants give 10-12 minute oral presentations on their original research or course project. After the presentation, they are coached by faculty and graduate student advisers and receive mentoring and feedback on their presentation skills and their work. We believe this kind of mentorship will allow students to develop their skills in a positive and nurturing environment.