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Research, scholarship, and creative activity: the University Research Council (URC) is a motivating force behind all three. It is the Council’s charge to foster and stimulate research efforts and creative projects by providing financial support for the "extra" expenses of artistic and scholarly work. Applicants can receive from $100 to $2500 ($3500 for projects involving undergraduate students) for materials, supplies, travel expenses, conferences, publication costs, and guest speakers. This academic year, the URC has already allocated $50,350 of its $85,000 budget for projects submitted by  faculty in Sociology, Geography, Biological Sciences, English, Music, Art, and Adult Counseling, Health, and Vocational Education, among others.

The URC promotes undergraduate student participation in research activities in two ways. Faculty advisors can receive awards of up to $3500 for projects that include undergraduates. Students are not just washing the dishes and cleaning the labs. They are steeped in the process, working with their professors to contribute to their discipline’s body of knowledge. In addition, undergraduate students working under the guidance of a faculty advisor can receive awards of up to $500 to fund research, creative or scholarly activities through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. By offering undergraduates the opportunity to actively organize, design, and conduct research, the URC assists too in student retention. The combination of in-class work with practical application enriches a student’s experience and encourages continued work in graduate school. It is a head start that prepares students for advanced performance in their studies.

Enthusiastic undergraduate students are not the only focus of the URC. The Council collaborates with the University Teaching Council and the Faculty Professional Development Center to assist new faculty  in their teaching and scholarship. In addition, Distinguished Scholar Awards are presented annually to three KSU faculty members at the Celebration of Scholarship held in May. The event brings faculty together to learn about the university’s diverse scholarly projects.

In order to encourage such meritorious scholarship, the URC hosts an annual competition for Summer and Academic Year research appointments. This year’s accepted proposals, which extend from theatre to biology, reflect the Council’s interest in the progress of all disciplines. Because it is a multidisciplinary organization, composed of twelve faculty members, who represent the various scholarly areas of the university, the URC insures that diversity and originality in the pursuit of knowledge continue to surprise and enlighten us.

2009-2010 University Research Council Members