The Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) was founded in 2007 upon the mission of building an interdisciplinary research community among Harvard undergraduates. This goal remains unchanged and we are thrilled with how the undergraduate research community has expanded in the past few years. We are now launching our second annual National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) at Harvard as a continuation of our vision to provide the best platform for undergraduates from across the nation to share their research. This year’s conference will feature distinguished speakers, panelists, and student presenters. Our keynote speakers will include John Craig Venter, Lawrence Summers, Walter Lewin, Steven Pinker, and Robert Lue. Student participants will also have the opportunity to present their research through poster and plenary sessions.