Student Research - How does IATL do it?
IATL is the nest for education innovation at Warwick and aims to advance the academic discourse on Student Research and to create models for its implementation.
Discover how IATL achieves this and explore practical examples that can benefit you and your Department:
International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR)
IATL believes that every undergraduate student should have the opportunity to conduct research and share their findings.
To facilitate this, IATL created and hosts the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR)Link opens in a new window, an event first established in 2013 through the Monash-Warwick Alliance. ICUR connects students, at a large in-person event at Warwick, and across six continents through webinars, allowing them to present their research and share posters with an interdisciplinary and intercultural audience worldwide. ICUR provides undergraduates with a platform to find their voice within the academic research community and to gain valuable intercultural experience without leaving Warwick. The conference underscores the significance and respect for undergraduate research at Warwick. To ensure students' initial research dissemination experience is both realistic and positive, they receive structured training, both in-person and online.
The event is co-created with undergraduate students, who take on essential roles such as Student Director, Session Chair, AV Technician, and Conference Volunteer. These roles help students develop organisational and research skills, creating a supportive environment where peers assist one another in effectively communicating their research findings.
Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research
Since 2007, IATL’s Reinvention journalLink opens in a new window has been publishing undergraduate research and providing structured resources to support students in their initial publishing efforts. The journal is co-created with students, who take on roles such as Editor, Assistant Editor, and Marketing Coordinator. These roles allow students to lead, shape, and develop this important research publication with the support of IATL staff.
Submitting authors receive guidance and online training to help shape their work and understand the submission process, mirroring the procedures of other academic journals. Successful submissions undergo peer review by academic staff, offering authors feedback on their ideas and helping them critically evaluate their work. Through this process, authors gain essential skills in analysis, writing, and critical thinking.
Reinvention enables undergraduates to apply their theoretical knowledge and prepares them for graduate studies or professional careers. Importantly, the journal showcases diverse contributions from students at the beginning of their research journey, providing fresh and varied insights into the academic discourse.
The British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR)
The British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR)Link opens in a new window is run by an open coalition of universities dedicated to encouraging a national culture of undergraduate research.
Since its inception in 2011, IATL has supported Warwick students to attend BCUR. This national event, hosted by a different higher education institution each year, gathers hundreds of undergraduates from across the country to share their research findings. BCUR offers students the chance to present their research, network with peers from other institutions, and experience a full national academic conference.
IATL facilitates Warwick students' attendance, ensuring that they consistently form one of the largest contingents representing their institution. In 2023, Warwick became the first institution to host BCUR for a second time, having initially hosted it in 2012. IATL welcomed hundreds of students to Warwick for both events, with the 2023 conference running alongside the World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR). Hosting such events not only provided Warwick students the opportunity to attend an academic conference at their home institution but also reinforced the respect and importance given to the undergraduate research community within Warwick's broader research landscape. IATL staff have also been members of the BCUR Executive Committee since its formation, helping to shape and drive the national undergraduate research agenda.
The World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR)
Alongside BCUR, IATL hosted the third World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR)Link opens in a new window in 2023, bringing undergraduate research students from around the world to Warwick to share their work. WorldCUR is an in-person, international event held every 3-4 years at different institutions globally. It provides students with the opportunity to present their research to an international, interdisciplinary audience and to engage with peers from around the world. WorldCUR 2023 featured keynote addresses, themed panel sessions, and complementary sessions on topics such as design thinking, archival research, writing for publication, and intercultural awareness.
IATL Project Fund
IATL provides support for studentsLink opens in a new window to undertake their own research projects or to co-create projects with Warwick staff. This support includes funding, workshops, resources, and expertise, ensuring that students can confidently pursue extracurricular projects, either within their discipline or in a new area. Many staff-led projects also centre on student research, offering opportunities for students to engage in collaborative research efforts. IATL-funded projects allow students to discover and pursue their 'passion projects,' fostering independent research in areas of their choice. These projects develop critical thinking, analytical skills, communication, project management, and ethical and professional skills.
Student Research through IATL Modules
IATL offers a range of interdisciplinary modules at both undergraduateLink opens in a new window and postgraduateLink opens in a new window level. In all modules, IATL invites students to become co-creators of knowledge and bring their own experience to help shape their assessment. This gives students the opportunity to undertake research as part of their assessment, as well as being encouraged to develop research skills throughout the modules. IATL also has an interdisciplinary module 'Your idea, your research: How to pursue your passion project at WarwickLink opens in a new window' which introduces undergraduate students to the field of research and supports them to explore and reimagine what interdisciplinary research looks like.
Student Research Working Group (SRWG)
The Student Research Working Group was formed in April 2015, and is chaired and coordinated by IATL staff. The Group contains members from across Warwick, including representatives from IATL, the Doctoral College, the Community Engagement Team, the Students Union, the Widening Participation team, the National Centre for Research Culture and URSS. Its aim is to present student research opportunities to students at Warwick in a cohesive way and to form and support a network of staff interested in student research activities. The SRWG addresses key topics such as equality of opportunity, supporting diverse early researchers, the link between undergraduate and postgraduate research and researchers, and how to best foster opportunities for all students to research at Warwick. To join the SRWG staff or students can email IATL at IATL@warwick.ac.uk
International Collaborations
IATL staff have fostered numerous international relationships through their work on student research. These networks have not only supported and informed IATL and Warwick's initiatives in this field but also ensured that our support for students is consistently informed by an international perspective. IATL's undergraduate research conference ICUR connects with institutions across the world, offering international links for students and also providing a platform for international institutional collaboration. ICUR partners include Warwick's key strategic partners in Australia, Asia and across Europe and the US.
IATL staff have close ties with the Alliance for Global Undergraduate Research (AGUR), who co-ordinate the WorldCUR event, and the team have been a part of an Erasmus+ project on digital undergraduate research, leading to membership of an informal network of European institutions interested in supporting and developing undergraduate research practices.
Posters in Parliament
Posters in ParliamentLink opens in a new window is an annual event organized by IATL and overseen by Jane Bryan from the School of Law as part of the Student Research Working Group. This event is an integral component of the British Conference of Undergraduate Research and has been held since 2013. Institutions throughout Britain are invited to nominate up to two student researchers to showcase their research posters to Members of Parliament and policymakers at Westminster. The event includes a guided tour of the House of Lords and Westminster Hall, along with a workshop titled 'Get your voice heard in UK Parliament'. It provides an opportunity for over 50 undergraduate students annually to present their research to legislators and policymakers, offering first hand exposure to some of the innovative research being conducted by students nationwide.