Submit a Proposal

All UWindsor students are eligible to submit proposals for the conference. This includes full-time, part-time, undergraduate, and graduate students from all faculties and programs.

Students can present on a broad variety of topics from any academic discipline. There will be an award for students who relate their work to some economic opportunity for a community or for themselves. For example, presenters can share a brief plan for how their work could impact their personal economic outcomes and/or the outcomes of their research project. This could include how the research relates to career aspirations, cost savings in a community, or cost benefits to a community.

This conference celebrates UWindsor students’ research, scholarship, original creative activity, and student initiatives. It is an expression of our university's goals and aspirations to develop deeper, broader connections between learning and the UWindsor community.

Many forms of original work are welcomed, such as:

• Research
• Creative art
• Performance
• Invention or sales pitch
• Interactive educational tools
• Student initiatives and more

Submissions could stem from individuals, volunteering, or course-related work, as long as the work belongs to the participants, or they have permission to show and share the work from the owners of the content.

Students can present their work using the following mediums:

• Eight-minute oral presentation
• Poster presentation
• Podcasts
• Other initiatives should be proposed by email to Dr. Brunet (tbrunet@uwindsor.ca).

The UWill Discover conference is an exciting opportunity to share your work among our UWindsor community. The conference is organized for students by students with assistance from faculty mentors and advisors on campus. UWill Discover is an experiential learning opportunity where students present, submit proposals, and get peer feedback. In short, if you've come this far, you should go for it. Hop on the UWill Discover Brightspace page and review the possibilities under the Assignments tab.

All participants must submit two components: a 200-word abstract and a proposal description of up to 500 words. Your references are submitted separately and do not need to be included in the 500-word proposal description.

The abstract is a summary of your research, scholarly work, or creative project. The abstract helps reviewers understand the purpose of your work, the question, idea or problem you are exploring, your approach or methods, your findings or anticipated outcomes, and why the work matters. Your project does not need to be complete when you submit your proposal. Conference presentations are excellent opportunities to take stock about where you are and where you hope to be. 

The proposal description gives you space to explain your project and situate the work. A strong proposal tells the story of your research or creative work: What are you exploring? Why is it important? How does your work connect with existing research, scholarship, creative practice, or knowledge in your field? 

Use in-text citations where appropriate to show how your project connects with existing scholarship or knowledge. Submit the references list in the designated section. You may also identify important keywords that help reviewers understand the subject and disciplinary context of your work. If you are proposing an unusual, interactive, creative, or performance-based presentation, use the proposal description to explain what the audience will experience.

Resources for Writing Your Abstract

• UC Davis Undergraduate Research Center — How to Write an Abstract — An excellent starting point designed specifically for undergraduate researchers. It explains the major components of a conference abstract, how to write for a multidisciplinary audience, and how to describe research that is still in progress.
• University of Chicago — Undergraduate Research Symposium: Abstract Writing — A concise undergraduate research guide covering background and context, research questions or goals, methods, results or anticipated outcomes, and the significance of the work.
• UC Davis Undergraduate Research Center — Presenting Your Research — Additional resources for undergraduate researchers preparing to communicate their work, including guidance related to abstracts, research presentations, and posters.
• American Psychological Association — Abstract and Keywords Guide — A worksheet-style guide to the purpose and structure of abstracts and the selection of effective keywords. Particularly useful for students working in disciplines that use APA style.
• University of Toronto — Writing an Abstract — Practical academic writing advice explaining the purpose of an abstract and strategies for summarizing a larger research project clearly and concisely.
• UNC Writing Center — Abstracts — A detailed guide explaining different types of abstracts, what information readers expect to find, and strategies for drafting and revising an effective abstract.

When you submit a conference proposal, you should demonstrate that you have reviewed a knowledge framework. Share with reviewers your level of knowledge about the literature and demonstrate how you will contribute to that body of knowledge.

Since UWill Discover is a multi-disciplinary conference, please use the citation style guide that suits your discipline. You can find citation style guide information and resources on the Leddy Library website.

Use the following naming format for submitted documents: lastname_firstname_theFirstThreeWordsofYourPresentation.

Abstracts are limited to 200 words, and the proposal description is limited to 500 words. Your list of references is submitted separately and is not included in the 500-word proposal description. Use in-text citations within your proposal description where appropriate.

Yes, you can present incomplete research and projects. UWill Discover is an opportunity to think critically about the progress of your project and get feedback about your next steps. If you have an exciting research project in the making, you should share it with UWill Discover.

Reach out to your networks.

• Contact your professor(s) during their office hours. It is okay to bring a friend.
• Meet with your advisor if you are a research assistant.
• Connect with the Outstanding Scholars Coordinator (tbrunet@uwindsor.ca).
• Talk with friends who have previous UWill Discover experience.
• Check in with UWindsor's Writing Support Desk.
• Contact the UWill Discover Ambassador team (uwilldiscover@uwindsor.ca).

When presenting work, be sure you have the permission and authority to share the content at the conference. Check in with your advisors about copyright, non-disclosure agreements, and patents.