About Us
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities facilitates equitable access, opportunities, and support for students producing knowledge.
Developed as a resource to help guide students towards experiential education opportunities, the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) office seeks to enhance undergraduates’ time at UCSB through participation in research and creative activities. Together, these programs work to foster individuals who are prepared to apply their learned skills towards their future personal, academic, and professional goals.
Grant Programs
- Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) Grant
- Transfer Student Research Award
- Faculty Research Assistance Program (FRAP)
Showcase Opportunities
- Undergraduate Research Colloquium, Colloquium Unbound, Digital Colloquium
- Undergraduate Research Slam
- URCA Journal
Workshops and Info Sessions
URCA offers a series of workshops to support students. This includes info sessions to help students apply for our grants and prepare for the Colloquium. We also offer workshops to develop research skills. To view our upcoming events, please check bach here or join us on Shoreline.
Our Student Reseach Handbook is still in development, but you can preview it here.
URCA is a part of the UCSB Office of Teaching and Learning. OTL collaborates to enable and promote research-based, equitable teaching and learning across UC Santa Barbara.
Successful teaching and learning entails active exchange between teachers and learners. Office of Teaching and Learning units support this idea by helping faculty and students to:
- Learn how to identify, describe, and participate in communities of learners
- Define and understand how and why knowledge is created within different contexts, whether academic courses, workplaces, or other sites beyond the university
- Connect identities and commitments to academic study
- Activate sources of motivation, especially when encountering and working with challenges
- Use feedback, assessment, and evaluations to refine and improve teaching and learning