Undergraduate Research Award

Each year, the Undergraduate Research Award honors an outstanding student researcher. Award winners receive $500, recognition at the Symposium of Student Scholars, and publication in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research (KJUR).

About the Award

The KSU Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Award is bestowed upon a currently enrolled (or recently graduated) undergraduate student who has demonstrated effective research processes and successful use of library or Museums, Archives, and Rare Books (MARB) resources and services. This includes utilization of at least one of the following:

  • Online chat reference
  • In-person reference at one of our Help! Desk locations
  • In-person or virtual research consultations
  • Library databases
  • Physical books and/or eBooks
  • GIL Express to borrow materials from other University System of Georgia libraries
  • Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
  • Archives, Rare Books, and Special Collections

One winner receives a $500 prize, which is awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research and disbursed through the Financial Aid department.

The winner is guaranteed publication in the KJUR upon completion of the revision process. All runner-up articles will also be reviewed and considered for publication in the KJUR.

The winner will receive their prize after they have revised and resubmitted their winning paper to the KJUR.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate students at KSU or recent graduates (within the last semester).

Applicants must allow the KJUR to publish and share their research article and library research project.

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Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit both a research article and a project demonstrating their use of library resources.

For the research article, submit a current research paper you have recently written on any topic or subject and for any class. There are no minimum or maximum length requirements. Most submissions are 5-15 pages, double spaced.

For the library research project, select one of the following project options which highlights the library’s role in supporting the creation of your research article:

Option One: Application Essay

  • Write an essay describing how library resources and/or services (see options in About the Award section) were used in the writing of your research article.
  • Refer to your research article within your application essay.
  • Essays must range in length from 500-750 words.
  • Word, RTF, or PDF formats are acceptable.

Option Two: Library Marketing Video

  • Create a video that shows how library resources and/or services (see options in About the Award section) can improve undergraduate research.
  • Provide a one-page cover letter with a brief synopsis and either a link to your video or upload the video file.
  • Refer to your research article within the application video.
  • Videos should be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
  • Videos can be formatted to your preference (all video file types are accepted).
  • Contact Heather Hankins with any questions regarding video uploads.

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Application Evaluation Criteria

The research article will be evaluated for clarity of writing, originality of ideas, use of library resources, and thoughtful analysis of the research topic.

The application essay or video will be evaluated for specific mention of library resources and services used, as well as the role of the library in your research process.

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Submission Deadlines

The submission portal is open now until December 6, 2024.

Finalists will be notified by January 15, 2025.

The deadline to complete your revisions is February 14, 2025.

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How to Apply

  1. Click here to begin the submission process.
  2. Create an account with the system. You will be redirected to the upload page.
  3. Complete the Article Submission Agreement, fill in the required information fields, and include metadata for your research article (i.e. title, abstract, keywords, etc.).
  4. Upload your research article.
  5. At the bottom of the upload form, attach your library research project as a supplemental file.
  6. Submit your completed application.

The manager of the Undergraduate Research Award will contact you if there are any issues with your submission.

Questions about the award can be sent to its manager, .

Questions about the Digital Commons@Kennesaw State University can be sent to .

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who will judge the applications?

A: Applications will be evaluated by a panel of KSU librarians.

Q: I recently graduated, but I conducted research and wrote a paper during my undergraduate education which I’d like to submit for publication. Am I eligible to apply for this award?

A: Yes, but only if you have graduated within the last semester.

Q: Can I submit more than one application per year?

A: No, you may only submit one award application per year. However, you may submit multiple articles to the KJUR separately from this award.

Q: Will the award money impact my financial aid?

A: Please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid with questions regarding any impact monetary awards might have on your specific financial aid situation.

Q: What is the Digital Commons@Kennesaw State University?

A: DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University is a digital repository of the intellectual and creative output of the university community at KSU. This includes theses and dissertations, student work, faculty publications and books, journals, conference proceedings, and more.

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Past Winners

2023/2024 - Anna Poole (winner), Honor, Violence, and Recovery: The Stripping of Female Agency During the Partition of India

2023/2024 - Andrew Bramlett (runner-up), Thomas R. Marshall: Progressive Era Politics, a Presidential Hoax, and the 1920 Election

2023/2024 - Ingrid Baker (runner-up), The Introduction and Spread of Kudzu in Georgia

2022/2023 - Kaitlin Jean Kojali (winner), "The Survival of Manuscripts: Resistance, Adoption, and Adaptation to Gutenberg’s Printing Press in Early Modern Europe"

2022/2023 - Anna K. Poole (runner-up), "Reckoning Roanoke: A Historiographical Examination of the Lost Colony"

2021 - Lauren Campbell, "She Could Not Overcome It: How Race, Gender, and Jim Crow Shaped One of Georgia’s Gravest Miscarriages of Justice" (Unpublished)

2020 - Cadi Martin, "Exploring Cedar Songmaker's Native Identity in Louise Erdrich's Future Home of the Living God " (Unpublished)

2018 - Sagi Shaier, "A Mathematical Model for the Effect of Domestic Animals on Human African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)"

2017 - Kylah Pollard and Sarai Bauguess, "Prevalence and Incidence of Health Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls"

2016 - Angelica E. Perez, "Silhouettes of a Silent Female's Authority: A Psychoanalytic and Feminist Perspective on the Art of Kara Walker"

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