CRA UR2PhD - Undergraduate Mentoring Workshop & Research Showcase Application Form

CRA UR2PhD - Undergraduate Mentoring Workshop & Research Showcase Application Form
Location: New Orleans, LA

Event Date: April 24, 2026 (Participants will likely travel to the event on April 23 and return home on April 25)

Priority Application Deadline: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Final Application Deadline: Monday, March 9, 2026

About the Workshop

The CRA UR2PhD Undergraduate Mentoring Workshop & Research Showcase is a premier one-day event designed to provide mentoring and an opportunity for students who have completed or are completing their first computing research experience to share their research and network with other undergraduate researchers from across North America. This workshop also aims to help beginning researchers to become aware of the opportunities and journey to a long-term career in computing research.

Participants will engage in high-level technical discussions, receive professional development mentoring, and explore the pathway toward a PhD in computing.

Why You Should Apply
- Research Visibility: Present your work in a professional Poster Session or apply for a 5-minute competitive Lightning Talk (including sessions dedicated to Artificial Intelligence).
- Professional Growth: Attend sessions on building a professional persona, overcoming imposter syndrome, and effective networking.
- Pathway Clarity: Hear directly from current PhD students, faculty, and industry researchers about graduate school daily life, funding, and post-PhD career trajectories.
- Community: Connect with a national cohort of 130 peers and mentors who share your passion for computing.
Eligibility:

To be eligible to attend this workshop, students must have completed a computing research project and be interested in learning more about computing research.

Priority will be given to students who are or have been involved in:
- UR2PhD's Undergraduate Research Training Course
- UR2PhD's Pre-Research Training Course
- A partner program (e.g. UCSD's Early Research Scholars Program, UVA's local iteration of UR2PhD)
- CRA's Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU)
Priority will also be given to students who have completed a formal research experience for undergraduates (REU) project.

NOTE: While the UR2PhD program is open to all students at North American institutions of higher education who meet the eiligibility listed above, funding is limited. Priority for financial support is given to domestic students (citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its territories, Canada, and Mexico).

Funding

Participants who are selected to participate will receive travel and accommodation support from the Computing Research Association (CRA).

Application Expectations:

Using AI to draft responses to application questions is not allowed. Please note that the use of large language models (LLMs) to generate, edit, or revise responses to any of the application questions will disqualify your application. Responses must reflect the personal experience and knowledge of the applicant.

Timeline:

Priority applications for the CRA UR2PhD Undergraduate Mentoring Workshop & Research Showcase will be accepted through February 28, 2026. Applications received by Monday, March 9 will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

We plan to begin reviewing applications in communicate selection decisions to all applicants on or around March 16, 2026. Please do not contact us prior to this date seeking a funding decision about your application.

Questions?

Any questions about this form or the UR2PhD can be sent to the UR2PhD Staff at: ur2phd_staff@cra.org with the subject line: "UR2PhD - CRA UR2PhD Undergraduate Mentoring Workshop & Research Showcase Application"
- Name*
  
  First NameLast Name
- Email*
  example@example.com
- Institution*
  Please type institution name in its entirety. Example: "University of California, Riverside" or "University of North Texas"
- YesNo
- Fall 2023Summer 2024Fall 2024Spring 2025Summer 2025Fall 2025Spring 2026Other
- YesNoOther
- YesNoOther
- Summer 2025Fall 2025Spring 2026Not Applicable / I haven't participated in an REUOther
- I have already graduatedSpring 2026Summer 2026Fall 2026Spring 2027Summer 2027Fall 2027Spring 2028Summer 2028Fall 2028Spring 2029Summer 2029Fall 2029Spring 2030Other
- Working in industry and still considering graduate schoolWorking in industry and not considering graduate schoolEnrolled in a Master's programEnrolled in a PhD programOther
- WomanManPrefer not to respondOther
- Not of Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish originCubanMexican, Mexican American, ChicanxPuerto RicanAnother Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish originPrefer not to answer
- African American/African/BlackAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeIndigenous or First NationsNative Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderArab/Middle EasternEuropean/WhiteEast Asian (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean)Southeast Asian (e.g., Cambodian, Vietnamese, Hmong, Filipino)South Asian (e.g., Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Sri Lankan)Other AsianSomething elsePrefer not to answer
- I do not have a disabilityAttention deficitAuditory disabilityAutism spectrum disorderBlind or visually impaired (does not include near/far sightedness)Health-related disabilityLearning disabilityMental health disabilityMobility or orthopedic disabilitySpeech or language disorderSomething elsePrefer not to answer
- No, I am not an international student; and I am studying in the U.S.No, I am not an international student; and I am studying in CanadaYes, I am an international student studying in the U.S.Yes, I am an international student studying in Canada.Other
- Faculty Mentor Name*
  
  First NameLast Name
- Faculty Mentor Email*
  example@example.com
- Faculty Mentor Institution*
  Please type institution name in its entirety. Example: "University of California, Riverside" or "University of North Texas"
- Please upload a PDF of your Statement of Interest.*
  
  Browse Files
  This only needs to be a short paragraph on why you want to attend and what you hope to learn about the PhD process. Consider: how did you learn about the event? What about the event interests you? Why should you be selected to participate? Cancelof
- In what research area is your project in?*
  e.g. "Artificial Intelligence," "CS Education," etc
- Please upload a PDF of your research abstract (if applicable).
  
  Browse Files
  This should be a brief summary of the undergraduate research project you will present (to be used for the poster session and/or lightning talk selection). Cancelof
- I would like to present a posterI would like to be considered for a 5-minute Lightning Talk
- Is there anything else you'd like to share with our team?
  For example: how did you learn about the event?
- All participants who apply for and receive funding must agree to abide by CRA's Code of Conduct (https://cra.org/code-of-conduct). Please sign below to indicate you have reviewed the and agree to the code of conduct. *
  
  Clear
- Internal - Ethnicity
- Internal - Race
- Internal - Disability
- Internal - Presentation Preference
- Should be Empty:

CRA UR2PhD - Undergraduate Mentoring Workshop & Research Showcase Application Form

Why You Should Apply

Eligibility:

Timeline: