Friends of the Adams Library First Year Research Prize

The Friends of the Adams Library First Year Research Prize

The Friends of the Adams Library First Year Research Prize recognizes first year students at Rhode Island College who produce excellent research projects and/or research-informed creative works. All current first year students are invited to submit original work that demonstrates independent research and use of information sources. Information sources may take many forms, such as popular or scholarly publications; news; multimedia; data; visual; primary sources; and other types too numerous to list here. Eligible works may include, but are not limited to:

• Research papers and proposals
• Presentations
• Posters
• Field research
• Multimedia projects
• Lab reports
• Research-informed performances
• Research-informed visual arts

Selection of Winners

Each spring, the prize committee will select 1-2 students and 1 small group of students (not to exceed 4 students) who submit original work undertaken during their first or second semester at Rhode Island College (i.e. Spring 2021, Summer 2021, and Fall 2021). The committee will use a prize rubric to evaluate submissions.

Winners will receive $200, a letter of recognition from the prize committee, inclusion of the project in the library's public digital repository (Digital Commons @ RIC), and feature on the library’s website and social media. Please note that small groups will share a $200 prize. 

How to submit work:

• Students are invited to submit their own work using the First Year Research Prize Submission Form. Use the left menu on this page to access the Submission Form. 
• Faculty who wish to nominate first year students may do so by emailing either Amy Barlow (abarlow@ric.edu) or Molly Bruce Patterson (mbrucepatterson@ric.edu). Amy and Molly will contact the student to invite them to submit their work using the submission form.

The deadline for faculty nomination is: Friday, February 18, 2022

The deadline for all student submissions is: Friday, March 4, 2022

Prize winners will be contacted in late March.

With their permission, the Adams Library publishes winners' projects in its public digital archive, Digital Commons @ RIC. Use the link below to view prize winning projects. 

The Friends of the Adams Library First Year Research Prize was created in 2020 thanks to a generous gift from the Friends of the Adams Library. It is administered by the Library Outreach Committee.

Please direct questions about submissions, nominations, and the award itself to either Amy Barlow (abarlow@ric.edu) or Molly Bruce Patterson (mbrucepatterson@ric.edu), co-chairs of the Library Outreach Committee.

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