Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research

What Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research does

ACUR (Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research) is an independent non-profit Incorporated Association, established in 2012 and incorporated in New South Wales under ABN 34 121 898 756, that exists to promote and support undergraduate research across Australia and New Zealand. The organization operates as a community and event-led platform, delivering an annual multidisciplinary conference hosted at rotating universities, the Mentoring Program, Exchange Colloquia for academic staff, Posters in Parliament at Parliament House Canberra, the Images of Research Competition, the Great ACUR Undergraduate Research Writing Project, the bi-annual URNA newsletter, and a searchable undergraduate research resources database. ACUR serves three primary constituencies: undergraduate students seeking to present research and develop professional skills; academic staff and supervisors implementing undergraduate research programs; and Australasian universities participating as institutional members.

The organization is governed by a volunteer Executive Committee of senior academics supported by their host universities, operating across seven Directorates (Strategy and Influence, Conferences, Memberships, Sponsorships and Partnerships, Events and Publicity, Students, and Research), with a Student Committee sub-committee and a part-time administrator. Its revenue model is built on recurring institutional, affiliate, individual, and student membership subscriptions, supplemented by conference registration fees (kept affordable for student delegates) and event sponsorships from universities and partner organizations. The community spans approximately 1,500 individuals including representatives of 23 institutional members, with a Steering Committee of 83 experts drawn from 37 Australasian universities and 13 international experts.

ACUR's underlying technology is non-proprietary and operational rather than product-focused, comprising a website (acur.org.au), member portal, social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Discord), and standard event-management workflows. Strategic partnerships with universities including Macquarie, UWA, University of Adelaide, ANU, University of Newcastle, Central Queensland University, and Notre Dame Australia anchor its rotating conference and colloquium program. The organization is the only Australasian entity specifically dedicated to undergraduate research, positioning it as a niche but durable convening body for the regional higher-education research community.

Name

Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research

Legal name

Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research

Website

https://acur.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACUR is an Australian non-profit Incorporated Association founded in 2012 that promotes undergraduate research across Australia and New Zealand through an annual conference, mentoring program, colloquia, Posters in Parliament, and a membership program serving students, academics, and 23 university institutional members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD), Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

Keywords

• Undergraduate research conferences
• Academic mentoring programs
• Higher education membership
• Student research awards
• Research colloquia events

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria Park

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership: Universities and higher education institutions pay membership fees to be part of ACUR's network and access resources, events, and the annual conference.
2. Individual Membership: Individual academics and professionals can join as members, paying annual fees to access resources and participate in events.
3. Student Membership: Students can join as members, often receiving free or discounted access to conferences and events.
4. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from student delegates and staff attending annual ACUR conferences. Conferences are designed to be affordable for student delegates.
5. Sponsorships: ACUR receives sponsorship from universities and organizations for events and activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACUR runs an annual undergraduate research conference, mentoring programs, colloquia, student research competitions, and medal awards for the Australasian undergraduate research community. It operates a tiered membership program (institutional, individual, and student), publishes a regular newsletter, and maintains a resources database supporting universities, academic staff, and students engaged in undergraduate research across Australia and New Zealand.

Product overview

The Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research (ACUR) operates as a platform offering multiple interconnected programs and events to promote undergraduate research across Australasia. The core offerings include the annual ACUR Conference (held since 2012), the ACUR Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, ACUR Colloquia for professional development, Posters in Parliament exhibitions, the Images of Research Competition, the Great ACUR Undergraduate Research Writing Project, the Undergraduate Research Medal, and the bi-annual URNA newsletter. ACUR also maintains a membership program (institutional, affiliate, individual, and student) and provides a searchable resources database. These offerings work together to create a comprehensive ecosystem supporting undergraduate researchers, academics, and institutions across Australia and New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Undergraduate Research Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 undergraduate research conferences held since 2012 with over 1200 student presentations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• University of Western Australia (UWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2025UWA's Community of Practice on Embedding Research into Curriculum collaborated with ACUR to host the 4th Colloquium in July 2025 on Teaching for Thinking and Research Based Learning.
• University of Notre Dame AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023University of Notre Dame Australia hosted the 2nd Exchange Colloquium in 2023 at their Sydney campus. The event gathered 45 participants to explore how undergraduate research dovetailed with other higher education initiatives.
• Macquarie UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMacquarie University was the founding host of ACUR's first conferences (2012, 2013) and continues as an institutional member. The university played a key role in ACUR's establishment.
• Deakin University - Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research project: Strategies being used in Australasian universities to assess student learning in undergraduate research: A scoping project.
• Australian Learning and Teaching FellowsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated prize money ($300 Second Prize, $200 Third Prize) for The Great ACUR Undergraduate Research Writing Project competition in 2020.
• Macquarie University Psychology DepartmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated prizes for The Great ACUR Undergraduate Research Writing Project including Macquarie University Psychology Prize - Open ($250) and Macquarie University Psychology Prize - Indigenous ($250).
• University of NewcastlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted ACUR 2019 Conference at NewSpace building, downtown Hunter Street, with nearly 100 student presentations.
• The University of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted ACUR 2015 Conference, the fourth in the series, held 29-30 September 2015.
• University of AdelaidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted ACUR 2017 Conference, 27-28 September 2017.
• Central Queensland UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted ACUR 2016 Conference, the fifth in the series, held 27-28 October 2016.
• Australian National UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted ACUR 2014 Conference at Canberra, Australia, 18-19 September 2014.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• International Association of Universities (IAU): UNESCO-affiliated global association of higher education institutions; thematic peer providing global higher-education policy and leadership context relevant to ACUR's mission.
• Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM): Australasian professional association for tertiary education administrators; serves a related but distinct audience that intersects with ACUR's university-manager segment.

Direct peers

• British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR): UK equivalent of ACUR's annual conference, providing a multidisciplinary platform for undergraduate researchers across British higher education institutions.
• Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): US-based organisation dedicated to supporting undergraduate research across colleges and universities; the most direct international analogue to ACUR in mission, member structure, and conference programming.
• National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR): Premier US undergraduate research conference managed by CUR; directly comparable to ACUR's annual conference in format, scope, and target audience of student researchers.

Broad incumbents

• Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA): Australasian society covering the broader higher education research and teaching landscape; overlaps with ACUR's academic-staff and professional-development audience but with a much wider scope.
• Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER): Larger Australasian educational research organisation addressing assessment, policy, and program evaluation; adjacent to ACUR's work on undergraduate research assessment methodologies.
• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society: Long-established US-based research honour society promoting research across career stages; serves a similar academic-research community but with a much broader mission and global footprint.

Regional players

• European Conference on Undergraduate Research (EUROCUR): European undergraduate research conference serving a comparable audience and mission to ACUR, but focused on the European geography and academic systems.

Emerging players

• World Congress on Undergraduate Research: International congress gathering undergraduate researchers from multiple regions; competes for global mindshare and could intersect with ACUR's Australasian members seeking international exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Australasian-Conference-of-Undergraduate-Research-252237862120096
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australasian-council-for-undergraduate-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/acur_forstudents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research