Scinapse Undergraduate Science Case Competition: Cultivating the Minds of Future Researchers

Abstract

The Scinapse Undergraduate Science Case Competition (USCC) is an annual provincial student initiative that has been in place since 2012. The organization was founded on the premise of bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and the practical application of student inquiry. Inspired by a “case-study” problem-based learning style,  the USCC offers a mechanism to inspire student research at an undergraduate level, without typical barriers such as funding and lab equipment. This guest editorial serves to describe the layout for the organization as well as reflect on the challenges and strategies in hosting the annual competition.