Research on Capitol Hill

Where: Capitol Hill, Salt Lake City
Abstract submissions open October 1, 2023
Abstract submissions close October 15, 2023
Event Date: January 18, 2024

Application

The application will include the following elements:

For each presenter (groups of up to four allowed):
- Contact information, a-number, department, and rank
- Participation in other programs such as grants or presentation events
- Student’s state legislative districts and any professional or family ties to Utah government
- Any social media handles they wish to share
Mentor’s contact information
A three-minute video addressing the following questions:
- What is your project about?
- Why did you get involved in this project?
- What is the significance of your project in your field, in your community, and/or in the state/country/world?
- Why do you want to present this project at Research on Capitol Hill?
A draft of your presentation poster or slides
A photograph of presenter(s) or the project

Email UR@usu.edu with any questions about the application or event.

ROCH Application

President Noelle Cockett meeting with student presenters Kailey Welch and Olivia Gornichec in the Rotunda of the State Capitol during the 2022 Utah Research on Capitol Hill

President Noelle Cockett meeting with student presenters Kailey Welch and Olivia Gornichec to learn about their work on CRISPR in the Rotunda of the State Capitol during the 2022 Utah Research on Capitol Hill. President Cockett commended the work of USU students in her remarks alongside administrators from the University of Utah and the Governor's Office, calling out their contribution to our recent classification as a Carnegie R1 research institution and national Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments.

Biology student Andre Nguyen shares his work with Representative Scott H. Chew in the Rotunda of the State Capitol during the 2022 Utah Research on Capitol Hill. Nguyen studies certain proteins in pregnant dairy cattle to determine if their presence impacts the feasibility of the pregnancy. This is a huge cause for concern for Utah, with milk sales at an estimated value of $405 million in 2020.

Thank you to everyone who made Research on Capitol Hill 2023 possible! Our student presenters did a wonderful job sharing their work in Salt Lake City on January 20th as city officials and legislators gathered to support undergraduate research efforts in Utah.

Utah’s Research on Capitol Hill (ROCH) is an annual celebration of undergraduate research. This event demonstrates and celebrates undergraduate research and creative work from the top two research universities in Utah: Utah State University and the University of Utah. Students of all disciplines from around the state share the results of their investigations with legislators and the public.

To be eligible for ROCH 2024, you must be enrolled at USU for the Spring 2024 semester, be working with a faculty mentor on research or creative work, and be able and willing to attend the event and complete required trainings beforehand. Your presentation will also be made available to the public online before, during, and after the event.

This event is unique compared with academic presentation events. ROCH is as much about the individual students and their higher education experience as about their research subjects; our decision process takes into account numerous factors that other symposia may not. Students that (1) focus their projects on issues impacting Utah, (2) are clearly and concisely able to talk about their research, and (3) have a compelling story are most competitive for this event. For those whose research has broader or more abstract impacts, your application materials should illustrate that you can articulate why your topic matters to Utah, even if indirectly.

See Current and Previous ROCH Presenters