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Exhibit of Mentored Student Research and Creative Activity

View the 2026 Exhibit

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The Exhibit of Mentored Student Research and Creative Activity showcases exceptional mentored research and creative activity by students in the College of Creative Arts and Media.

Awards will be announced by the end of the Spring 2026 semester.


Application

  • To be considered, the application must be completed in full. This includes the research/creative activity title which should be 3-14 words long and uses language that is accessible to the general public, and the abstract (160-250 words) describing the creative, research and/or scholarly work.
  • The application must include a statement from your WVU faculty or staff mentor(s) describing their mentorship of the research/creative activity.
  • The application must include an “unlisted” YouTube link to an audio/visual recording introducing yourself and your research/creative work. Presentations are limited to a maximum of 5 minutes.
  • Students may only submit one application per cycle.
  • Faculty or staff may be included in more than one student entry.
  • Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026

Eligibility

  • All full-time or part-time West Virginia University faculty or staff and all currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Creative Arts and Media are eligible to apply. While all WVU faculty and staff are eligible to be mentors and to be recognized as award winners, only those in the College of Creative Arts and Media are eligible to receive funding awards.
  • To be considered for the award, a creative, research and/or scholarly work must be related to a College of Creative Arts and Media area of study and have been completed between March 4, 2025 and March 4, 2026.

Awards

Graduate Student Awards

First Place: $1,000 awarded to the student* and $1,000 for professional development awarded to the faculty/staff member. (If 2 faculty/staff mentors, the faculty/staff professional development award is $500 each. Faculty/staff must use their award funding by June 30, 2027.)

Honorable Mention: If applicable

Undergraduate Awards

First Place: $750 awarded to the student* and $750 for professional development awarded to the faculty/staff member. (If 2 faculty/staff mentors, the faculty/staff professional development award is $500 each. Faculty/staff must use their award funding by June 30, 2027.)

Honorable Mention: If applicable

Collaborative Awards

Two or more students (any combination of undergraduate and graduate students); One or more faculty or staff mentors.

First Place: $1,500 total awarded to students*, split evenly between each student, and $1,500 for professional development awarded to the faculty/staff member, split evenly between faculty/staff members if more than one mentor. Faculty/staff must use their award funding by June 30, 2027.

Honorable Mention: if applicable

Each winner will also receive a certificate of achievement.

*Because of federal financial aid guidelines, students may not be able to receive all or part of an award if they are capped in the amount of funds eligible to be received in any academic year. Students will be notified if they fall into this category.

Criteria

The primary criteria for the selection of the awards is how applicants demonstrate exceptional work through mentored research and creative activity. This can be evidenced through, but is not necessarily limited to: works, exhibitions, performances, publications, or any other form of scholarly, creative and/or research work related to the College of Creative Arts and Media areas of study. Additional consideration will be given to works that effectively help advance the College’s contributions to the research mission of the University.

Winner Selection

The College’s administrative team (comprised of the Dean, Associate Deans, the Schools' Directors, and the Director of the Art Museum) will select the winners. Winners will be publicly announced shortly after selection and will be publicly recognized.

Virtual Display Requirements

The 2026 Student Research and Creative Activity submissions will be displayed on a virtual platform. Presentations may include Poster Presentations; Oral Presentations; Visual Arts Presentations; and Performing Arts Presentations.

  • Your display will feature your YouTube video introducing yourself and your research/creative work. This video is limited to a maximum of 5 minutes. Your display should also include other visual and/or audio elements illuminating your research and creative process and outcomes.

Within the application form you will upload your research title; abstract; statement from faculty mentor(s); YouTube video introduction link; and images and/or video links. You can provide additional written material to describe the specific images/video content. If you submit an image containing written content (ie. a picture of your full poster presentation) you must also provide the written content in the "description of the file." This will allow the CCAM communications team to showcase your research virtually while being ADA compliant.

Students are encouraged to view the 2025 virtual display as a guide for successful submissions.

Undergraduate students who plan to also apply for the WVU Undergraduate Spring Symposium should follow the guidelines at this link to create a presentation that is eligible for both the College of Creative Arts and Media exhibit and the University-level Undergraduate Symposium.

For further guidance on research/creative activity abstract guidelines in humanities, creative arts, and performing and visual arts at the national level, read the 2025  NCUR (National Council on Undergraduate Research) Guidelines.

Questions about the application? Email Dr. Mikylah Myers, Associate Dean of Research and Creative Activity, at Mikylah.Myers@mail.wvu.edu

Special Notes

Both the content of the research/creative activity and the quality of the actual displayed materials are factors in the decision process. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to carefully proof all submitted and displayed work. Also remember that a successful presentation depends on how information is conveyed to the audience.

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