Abington College Undergraduate Research Activities (ACURA)
ACURA is a program that provides hands-on research experience for motivated Penn State Abington students in all disciplines working under the mentorship of our research faculty.
The program begins in the fall semester of each academic year. The standard format involves a period of familiarization, which includes assigned background readings, instruction in specialized lab techniques, and attendance at regularly scheduled meetings. From time to time, the student may be asked to write short reports on what he/she has observed or to make presentations to a group. During the spring semester, the work progresses, building towards a poster fair. All ACURA students are required to take part in this poster fair and students who prepare the best posters may be asked to present their findings in a lecture format at the Fall Colloquium.
Providing that they spend at least three hours a week on their ACURA project and fulfill other requirements agreed to by the student and the faculty sponsor, ACURA students receive one academic credit in the fall semester and two credits in the spring.
The ACURA mentors are comprised of full-time Penn State Abington faculty (standing and Fixed-Term I) who are expected to meet regularly with their students to guide them in their work.
ACURA offers funding for research expenses ($500.00 for the first project and $250.00 for each additional student; requests for additional expenses will also be considered).
Undergraduate Research Conference Travel
Penn State Abington undergraduates who are presenting the results of their research at professional conferences may request financial support to defray the costs of attendance at the conference. If the request is approved, the Academic Affairs Office, the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE), and the sponsoring academic division will each share 1/3 of the costs. If the student is enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College (SHC), the distribution will be 1/4 College, 1/4 (OUE), 1/4 (division), and 1/4 (SHC). The contribution from each one of these offices is capped at $300 per student.
An Undergraduate Research Travel Request Form, together with a letter of support from the faculty mentor and any other supporting documentation, should be submitted to Leah Devlin’s office in Woodland or by email to cld5@psu.edu at least thirty (30) days before the travel date.
