Research Story

previous winner of this competition

Velanie Chavez, 2023 Research Story Honorable Mention

Communicating the story behind a research project helps others to better understand the context of your research, and to see the journey you took in formulating and implementing your project. 

We invite you to share your research journey at UROC. 

The UROC Research Story Competition will award a $500 Department Award to the first-place winner, and $250 each for up to two honorable mention winners.  Department awards are similar to grants, and count as financial aid. Awards are deposited directly into student bursar accounts. Winning students who do not have an account balance will receive a refund check for the amounts listed above. Department Awards may be taxed for international students.

Students who are currently enrolled in any undergraduate degree program at any UNM campus are eligible to participate. Students who won previous "Research Story" competitions in previous years are ineligible, but honorable Mention winners from previous years ARE eligible to participate. Any questions regarding eligibility should be directed to urad@unm.edu.

To compete in the UROC Research Story Competition, complete the following steps:

COMPLETE THE PROPOSAL FORM (form available here) by 5:00 pm Friday, March 7, 2025.  The proposal form includes the following items:

  • Your name, email address and UNM ID number
  • Your faculty mentor, if applicable
  • Your co-researchers, if applicable. Note, your Research Story is an individual entry, but this item allows you to acknowledge your research collaborators.
  • Title for your research story
  • Brief paragraph (1000 characters maximum, approximately 200 words) that describes your research PROJECT.
  • Brief paragraph (1000 characters maximum, approximately 200 words) that describes your research JOURNEY.

FINALISTS SELECTED BY UROC REVIEWERS.  UROC Reviewers will select the finalists to advance to the next stage of the competition.  All entrants will be notified by 5:00 pm March 13, 2025.

SUBMIT RESEARCH STORY ESSAY.  Each of the finalists will then submit an essay that describes their research project and journey.  This essay will be limited to 6500 characters (approximately 1000 words.  This essay is due by 5:00 pm Friday April 4, and will be shared with the UROC competition judges prior to the UROC event.

This essay should be written for the general public, and should include elements of the following:

  • Your Path to Research: What previous experiences prepared you to conduct your research? Who was influential in helping you design and implement your project? Who was most supportive of your research?  Were you a part of any research program at UNM (e.g., McNair/ROP, URISE, El Puente, etc.) and how did that shape your path to research?
  • Designing Your Project: How did you decide on your research project or question? Why do you feel your research is important? Who will most benefit from your research?
  • Research Outcomes: What were the findings from your research? What are the implications for these findings? How did you share these findings with others?
  • Personal Outcomes: How did this project change you? What did you learn about yourself or your future from conducting this research? What would you do differently if you were to conduct this research again?
  • Peer Outcomes: What advice would you give to other undergraduate researchers who are just starting out on their journey?

PRESENT YOUR STORY AT UROC.  Each of the finalists will then share their research journey through an oral presentation at UROC on April 11, 2025.  For this presentation, you may utilize presentation slides, posters, video, artwork, or other media at your discretion.  Each presentation will be limited to eight minutes, and this session will be open to the public.  Presentations may include some of the same elements as the essay but may also include new information or stories.  While the judges will have read the essay, the audience in the room will not have.  So, the presentation should be able to stand alone, separate from the essay.

Judges will score each essay and presentation together for each contestant, and the highest scoring entry receiving first-place award, and the next two receiving honorable mention awards.  Winners will be announced at the UROC Closing & Awards Ceremony.

Judges will score your submissions based on the following criteria:

  • How well did the student describe their educational and/or personal journey leading up to their research, including why this research project is important to them and/or their community/region/world.
  • How well did the student explain their research in a way that is appealing and accessible to the general public or to first-year college students.
  • How well did the student describe personal outcomes from their research experience (for instance, how has the research changed them, what did they learn about themselves, what advice would they give other students).

Note that your judges will review your essay AND your presentation together.  As long as each criteria is conveyed effectively in EITHER your essay or your presentation, it does not need be included in BOTH.

MORE INFORMATION AND ADVICE.  If you have any questions, please contact us at urad@unm.edu.  We would be happy to talk through your proposal with you, helping you to refine your proposal, essay and/or presentation. 

See examples of previous UROC Research Stories here.

Submit Research Story Proposal