Research projects for conference participants. To make conference discussions meaningful and lively, we’ll need information. That’s where your curiosity kicks in. Before the conference, we’re asking as many participants as possible to do a short research project, and to present your results at Prep Session II. Research projects are OPTIONAL but strongly encouraged. You can select your project from the list below, or propose your own project and get it approved by Civitas staff in advance. At Prep Session II, you’ll present the information you’ve gotten. Your presentation can be as short as 3-5 minutes [longer, if you like]. Your presentation can be in any format: reading something you’ve written, informally discussing what you’ve learned, talking from your notes, a PowerPoint or video. You can team up with another participant, or do the project on your own.