Daily Archives: January 23, 2025

SXSW Volunteer Opportunities

SXSW, Austin’s very own film festival, offers several volunteer roles, one of which could be the perfect opportunity for you!

For those who are looking for a wide event experience, there are 17 crews in our Conference & Programming Volunteer Crews. From Tech Setup, Film & TV, Banners, Accessibility and more! Through the Music & Comedy Volunteer Crews, volunteers can gain live event industry experience by joining crews such as: Artist Parking Operations, Day Stage, Music Stage, Festival Line Guides and Comedy Crew. In their free time, volunteers have the opportunity to enjoy all the Conference and Networking events in over 20 tracks from Advertising & Brand Experience, AI, Climate & Sustainability to Fashion and Creator Economy, as well as all the Film & TV, Music and Comedy Programming.

There is also an upcoming Volunteer Call at the Austin Convention Center (Ballroom ABC) on Sunday, January 26, from 1-4pm. It’s a great chance to come talk to SXSW staff and volunteer crews in person to learn more about this volunteer experience!

Join the Youth Justice Alliance!

YJA is a pre-law organization focused on increasing resources to undergraduates interested in law as well as creating a community of future young lawyers. Sponsored by Youth Justice Alliance non-profit, they share the mission of democratizing the law by redistributing legal knowledge and legal power to all that are interested. Applications are now open with information sessions on January 21st and 23rd via Zoom. The application is due by January 26th at MIDNIGHT! 

For more information about Texas YJA, follow and connect with us on Instagram @texasyja or email us at texasyja@gmail.com.

The Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center at Texas Law is sponsoring a Free Speech Essay Contest to encourage scholarship among UT-Austin students to promote understanding and appreciation of the freedom of speech.

The essay prompt, eligibility requirements, submission link, and other information can be found using the link here!

LAHSC is hosting our semesterly blood drive with We Are Blood! The reward this semester is a free box of Girl Scout Cookies! Scan the flyer QR code or click the link here to sign up for a time slot. More time slots may roll out later in the week!

Spring Undergraduate Research Events

To help UT undergraduates develop these research communication skills, the Office of Undergraduate Research hosts two spring research events. First is the annual Texas Student Research Showdown video competition. This year, we’ll be selecting recipients for $1500 and $500 awards in two categories (arts, humanities, and social sciences; science, technology, and engineering), as well as an audience choice winner selected by UT students to receive $1000.

Later in the semester, our long-running Longhorn Research Poster Session will take place this year on Wednesday, April 9 in the Perry-Castañeda Library. A more traditional venue for presenting research, this event will prepare you to present your work in academic settings, while also competing for awards.

Finally, if you are already hard at work on an independent research project, apply for an Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Submissions are now open for spring URFs, which provide up to $1,000 to cover approved research-related expenses. We also have an exciting new funding opportunity for Tyler Fellows to travel internationally to conduct independent research.

LAH Study Abroad Scholarships

The Liberal Arts Honors Program will award scholarships in varying amounts to support LAH students and Humanities majors who will be studying abroad in Summer, and/or Fall.  An LAH student may apply for this scholarship by writing a one-page statement of his or her study abroad plans. The statement should include where and what the student will be studying, the projected cost involved, and the role that study abroad and the mastery of a foreign language plays in the student’s academic and career goals.

Now is the time to apply! Deadlines are:

April 1st, 11:59 pm for Fall and Summer.

Maymesters may apply in Spring or Fall, as long as they are able to confirm participation.

Please submit your application online through LASSO (linked here). Both LAH students and Humanities majors are eligible to apply for the LAH Study Abroad scholarship. Please contact the LAH office with any questions!

LAH Creative Writing Awards

The LAH Literary Awards support excellence in creative writing and acknowledge the accomplishments of our student community.  Three prizes will be offered: one in poetry, one in fiction, and one in literary nonfiction.  Please see below for detailed instructions on how to submit to each category:

Poetry:  Submit a portfolio of 6-8 poems (12pt. Times New Roman) that does not exceed 12 pages.

Fiction:  Submit a portfolio of fiction writing (12pt. Times New Roman) that does not exceed 5,000 words.

Literary Nonfiction:  Submit a portfolio of non-fiction writing (12pt. Times New Roman) that does not exceed 5,000 words.

Your contest submissions are due by 12pm CST on February 17th.  Please send your submissions to Dr. Brandon Dean Lamson utilizing his email linked here. Winning entries will be published online. Winners will also receive a $500 cash prize and will participate in a reading with the contest judges at the Cactus Cafe on April 17th.

Tyler Fellowships

The Office of Undergraduate Research is accepting applications for 2025 Tyler Fellows at The University of Texas at Austin. Six Tyler Fellows will be awarded between $3,000 and $3,500 each to support independent research abroad during spring or summer 2025. Funding for these awards is provided by the Tyler Center for Global Studies. Applications are due 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.

Find out more about the application process for these awards, as well as tips for applying for other sources of funding, at our funding info sessions on Zoom Thursday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. and again on Friday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. To receive the Zoom information, please register in advance. Learn more and apply by clicking the link here!