Haven't heard of The Undergraduate Awards? Nor had I this time last year.
UA is "the largest academic awards programme in the world". It aims "to celebrate and support the world's brightest and most innovative undergraduate students". If you are in your penultimate or final year of your undergraduate degree, you are eligible to submit three pieces of your coursework to UA. In 2015, there were
5,117 submissions from
39 countries around the world. There are
25 very broad categories.
What's in it for me?
Wicked networking. A really great experience.
Highly Commended entrants and Overall Winners are invited to the Global Summit in Ireland, Dublin. For Overall Winners, this is an all expenses paid trip. Pretty rad.
Here is what you can expect from the Global Summit.
Overall Winners are also published in
The Undergraduate Journal, which is a big honour, and are awarded with a nifty gold medal.
My experience
I applied on a whim briefly before the submission deadline in 2015. I submitted one paper (you can submit three) with absolutely no expectations of progressing.
I was Highly Commended in the Languages & Linguistics category for my paper on language development in children affected by Down syndrome. I was, ultimately, trumped by some bloke from Princeton University (lel) in the final stage, but I was stoked to make it that far. It's really given me the confidence to pursue a career in academia.
If nothing else, it's a wonderful CV builder, and it's
absolutely free!
So why am I posting this?
Because this community, of all communities, absolutely, definitely, unquestionably,
beyond doubt collectively has the ability to win The Undergraduate Awards. And how bloody intense would it be to have AN represented in Ireland?!
Submit. Be good. Do good.
#awardyourwork
http://www.undergraduateawards.com/P.S. I'm submitting three papers this year, so don't you dare beat me.NOTE: I post this only because I figure a lot of people on this forum might benefit from it. No other motive (in fact, this post probably
disadvantages me (especially if bloody Lauren enters)).