Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award: Details

Undergraduate research, scholarly and creative activities are foundational components of a complete liberal arts education. With this in mind, Brookens Library and the Friends of Brookens Library are pleased to announce the ninth annual Undergraduate Library Research Award. 

This award was created to recognize and reward UIS undergraduate students whose academic work incorporates the use of Brookens Library’s collections and services and demonstrates exceptional information literacy skills. In addition to recognition at UIS, the award includes a monetary prize generously sponsored by the Friends of Brookens Library: 

• $500 for first place
• $400 for second place
• $300 for third place
• $200 for fourth place
• $100 for fifth place.

How to Apply

The 2026 application will be available in spring 2026. Please review the checklist below for required information. 

Application Materials Checklist

• A completed application form - basic contact information.
• A short abstract introducing the research question being explored by the submission. Include a discussion of hypotheses, methodology and/or results when appropriate.*
• A final version of the research paper, project, or poster presentation.*
• A bibliography or other appropriate list of sources consulted/works cited.*
• A brief note from faculty member who taught the course or administered the research project acknowledging application. The document needs to be a simple statement confirming that that project was overseen or assigned by the faculty member.*
  • Here is a sample statement, "I oversaw (student's name) research project as part of XXX course/project, and I support their application for the Undergraduate Research Award." 

*Files will be uploaded to the application form for these application materials 

Evaluation Criteria

A committee comprised of librarians and UIS faculty members from different disciplines will judge all submissions using the following rubric. 

The core criteria for the Undergraduate Research Award are: 

• Abstract
  • The abstract criterion evaluates the clarity of the subject, purpose, methods, results, conclusions, writing quality, and integration of broader context.
• Analysis and Interpretation 
  • The analysis and interpretation criterion assesses the depth and accuracy of the analysis, along with the relevance and comprehensiveness of the interpretation.
• Communication and Presentation of Argument 
  • The communication and presentation of the argument category examines the clarity and organization of the argument, as well as the engagement and thoroughness in addressing the research question. 
• Originality and Contribution
  • The originality and contribution criterion measures the originality and significance of the project.
• Bibliography and Source Use
  • The bibliography and source use criterion evaluates the appropriateness and citation of sources, as well as the acknowledgment and ethical use of AI tools, if applicable. 

Eligibility

The Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award is open to undergraduate students enrolled at University of Illinois Springfield in any academic level for the current academic year.  

• All disciplines are eligible.
• The paper, project, or poster must be tied to a specific UIS course or other appropriate undergraduate research projects.
• Submissions must be from the current or previous academic year.
• Individual or team submissions are allowed (in the event a team submission wins the award, the prize will be split among the team members).
• The paper, project, or poster must be completed by the application deadline.
• All submissions must contain an element of library research that demonstrates the use of primary and/or secondary sources. This could be a literature review, an annotated bibliography, or other means of documentation appropriate to the project submitted.
• The submitted paper or project must have a bibliography (works cited).
• All applicants must agree to give the library permission to upload winning papers/projects to the campus institutional repository (IDEALS).
• Previous Brookens Library Undergraduate Research Award winners are allowed to submit another entry, but may not submit work that has already been awarded.

2025 1st Place Winners: Cameron Brown

Canary in the Crow’s Nest: William Kidd’s Trial as an Extension of Henry Avery’s

2025 2nd Place Winner: Abhishek Soni

Bridging Physics and Machine Learning: Exploring SEIR Epidemiological Modeling using Physics-Informed Neural Networks

2025 3rd Place Winner: Noel Gauen

The Business of Oppression: The United States’ Demand for Forced Labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2025 4th Place Winner: Abbie Hasty

Understanding the Growth of Online Sports Betting Among America’s 18-24-year-old Population: A Study of Marketing Techniques Used by Major Online Sports Betting Advertisers

2025 5th Place Winner: Nathan Davis 

Water Quality Evaluation of Lake Springfield and the Emiquon Preserve using Macroinvertebrates