CoSearch

A group gathers around a table to discuss water-related projects

CoSearch Workshop

K-State Student Union

October 18-19, 2024

What is CoSearch? Pretty simple: it's a competition for K-State faculty that leads to research funding.

The K-State CoSearch workshop will be an interactive and competitive two-day event where interdisciplinary teams will innovate water-related research projects, plan a complete proposal, and pitch their ideas to a judging panel. Winning teams get support to get their research plan started!

Bring your big ideas.

Find your team.

Get your research funded.

Your CoSearch experience will look like this:

Friday, October 18; noon - 8 p.m.

12 pm: Registration and lunch

1 pm: Welcome and introduction of the CoSearch Process

2-3 pm: Groups begin pitching possible ideas and voting for their favorites

3-5:30 pm: Teams established; teams begin planning research proposals

5:30: Dinner and updates

6-8 pm: Teams regroup and continue their work

Saturday, October 19; 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (celebration to follow)

8:30 am: Coffee and light breakfast

9 am: Day 2 kickoff and welcome

9:30-noon: Teams collaborate on projects to finish all details (Lunch served)

12:30-2:30 pm: Presentation coaches work with teams to create a research pitch

2:30-4 pm: Teams put finishing touches on research pitch

4:30 pm: Judges arrive. Teams have 5 minutes to pitch their ideas and 2 minutes for questions. May the best team (and the most innovative research project) win!

6-8 pm: Let's celebrate! We're hosting a party with entertainment, drinks, food, and plenty of conversation!

How can I attend?

CoSearch is a free event and open to all K-State faculty members interested in collaboration, research, and solving real-world problems. Space is limited to 50 participants.

What is a CoSearch workshop?

This intensive two-day competition provides facilitation for interdisciplinary research teams to collaborate and develop research plans that solve real-world problems. This year’s theme focuses on water resources, with a goal to break down academic silos to produce innovative projects that unite the programs and departments at K-State. We’re hoping that this fast-paced and unique event will create unexpected collaborations between faculty from different departments and will push your comfort zones in a fun environment.

The CoSearch workshop will take place over two full days on October 18-19. On the first day, faculty will be placed in teams and will begin their creative work to build proposals from the ground up. By the end of the second day, each team will craft a presentation, which will be pitched to a panel of external judges for consideration. Winning teams will be awarded funding or services to help advance their research plan (e.g., - start-up grant funds for data collection, professional grant writing services, etc.)

How can CoSearch help me?

As a result of previous CoSearch events at Texas State University and North Dakota State University, diverse faculty groups have been able to successfully fund and publish their research. Some examples include a group of communication, computer science, and English professors whose project worked to improve interactions between patients and nurses. Another research group comprised of marketing professors and musicians tackled hunger issues for university students. Successful CoSearch projects often receive additional, follow-on grant funding from outside sources.

About our facilitator

The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Michael Burns, who created the CoSearch model. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Boulder. Burns is an award-winning instructor whose work focuses on persuasion, leadership, small-group dynamics, and team problem-solving. Outside academia, Burns works on the production management and logistics team at the Today show on NBC, where he assists with their Olympic coverage.