The Undergraduate Research Forum is your time to shine - a chance to present your research to peers, colleagues and special guests in an engaging format that is standard for scientific presentation. Come and share your research with others in this welcoming and interactive setting, and help us celebrate all of the hard work that everyone has done over the past year!
Important Dates:
Registration deadline EXTENDED: Friday, March 10, 2023, 11:30pm CT
Abstract submission deadline: Monday, March 20, 2023, 11:30pm CT
Submit poster for printing no later than: Friday, April 7, 2023, 11:30pm CT
Submit your poster and video files no later than: Friday, April 7, 2023, 11:30pm CT
Attend Prep Session: Wednesday, April 12, 5-7pm, Location: WEL 2.310
Online review and judging takes place on the Forum site: Wednesday, April 12-Friday, April 14
Day of the event! Friday, April 14, 2022, 1-6pm
See the full schedule for the day of the event for details.
Registration Information
Poster presentations can be done by individuals or teams. Presentations are accepted at all levels: for projects you are building or in the process of undertaking, those for which you've already obtained results, or even projects that are in the idea phase.
To present a poster at the Forum, all presenters must submit a registration by Friday, March 10, 2023, 11:30pm CT.
- Important note for teams/co-presenters: If you are presenting your poster as a team, each presenter/co-presenter will complete a registration, but ONLY ONE PERSON on the team will upload presentation materials (Abstract, Poster File, Video File). The person will be designated as the TEAM CONTACT.
Abstracts
Abstracts are required for all presentations. Abstracts are uploaded on the Submission page and are due by Monday, March 20th, 11:30pm CT. Abstracts have a 300 word limit.
NOTE: You can access the submission form multiple times to submit your materials. For example, you can submit the abstract information below by the March 20 deadline and return later to submit your poster and video files.
Abstract title: The title of your abstract should summarize the main idea of your work. Scientific titles should be factual, informative and straightforward. They should contain useful keywords that help us quickly tell the topic of your poster. Capitalize only the first letter of the title, any proper nouns or acronyms, and if necessary, the first word following a colon.
Presenters/collaborators: The list of authors should name yourself and any other undergraduates who may be helping present your research at the forum. The list should also include any other people involved in your research: undergraduates, graduates, postdoctoral fellows, research educators, research scientists, and faculty. It is very important to include the faculty member or researcher in whose lab you performed your research.
Text of the abstract: An abstract is a clear and concise summary of your research. Its content should mimic the content and order of a scientific paper, meaning you should summarize the aim of the research, the experimental or theoretical approach used, a description of the results obtained, and the significance of your results. Your abstracts should consist of a single paragraph of no more than 300 words.
Important note for teams/co-presenters: If you are presenting as a team, only one abstract is required, and this abstract will be submitted by the designated TEAM CONTACT.
Preparing your Poster and Video File
Posters:
- Your poster size must be 42" (height) x 56" (width) and be in a landscape layout.
- Posters can be designed in Powerpoint and then saved as a PDF.
- In Page Setup, set the size you would like your poster to be, which will be 42" (height) x 56" (width). Typical font size for the poster title at this scale would be around 90, with poster text around 24.
- Please do not use dark backgrounds for your posters. These require too much ink and delays the printing process.
Templates Available for Research Posters
A series of research poster templates are available to help Natural Sciences researchers present their findings at conferences and events. These templates are available to students, faculty and staff. Poster templates support research posters in two sizes, offering eight different styles, with a variety of layout options for each style.
Design Resources for Science Figures
Because scientists and science students often have to design their own figures to be published in a journal or included on a research poster, the College of Natural Sciences offers a new resource to help researchers and students refine visual elements of their work before submitting them for publication. The PDF guide Design Strategies for Scientific Figures offers tips to improve readability, clarity in data presentation, and other components of scientific figures being prepared for publication. .
For more assistance with poster design, see the Guide to Creating Research Posters or attend a Poster Design Workshop.
Videos:
You will also record and upload a video file, 3 minutes long maximum, where you/your team describes your research project. You can record your video on zoom using your phone or computer.
The deadline for submitting your poster and video file is Friday, April 7, 11:30pm CT . Your poster and video files will be available on the Forum web site from Wed, Apr 12, 8am - Friday, Apr 14, 4pm, in order to allow guests and evaluators to view your projects virtually and provide comments and feedback to students.
Important note for teams/co-presenters: If you are presenting as a team, only one poster file and video file is required, and these will be submitted by the designated TEAM CONTACT.
Poster Printing
Students participating in Forum on Friday, April 14th will have access to free poster printing services through the Student Engagement and Outreach office, located in PAI 5.56. To have your poster printed, submit your poster file via the Submission tab on this site. Files will be accepted for printing starting Monday, March 20, through Friday, April 7, 2023, 11:30pm CT.
**New this year** - Submit your poster file EARLY, by midnight on Mon, Apr 3, and you’ll get the latest super nice color (teal!) Texas Science t-shirt!
Note that all poster printing is done through a PC. At times there may be MAC/PC compatibility issues, so we recommend using common fonts such as Calibri or Times New Roman.
Posters will be printed on a rolling basis starting Monday, March 20, through the deadline, Friday, April 7. We will contact you once your poster has been printed and is ready for pick up in PAI 5.56.
Important note for teams/co-presenters: If you are presenting as a team, only one poster is required, and this poster file will be submitted by the designated TEAM CONTACT.
For additional questions, please contact us at seoambassadors@austin.utexas.edu.
Online Reviews and Judging: Wed, Apr 12 - Fri, Apr 14
In addition to printing your poster that you will hand carry to the Forum on the day of the event (see Poster Printing for instructions), presenters will upload presentation materials - which includes the abstract, a poster file and a video file describing the research project - to the Forum site for viewing and evaluation by judges and guests from Wed, Apr 12, 8am through Fri, Apr 14, 4pm. This allows judges, guests, and members of the award committee to view projects virtually and provide comments and feedback to students.
Attend the Forum Prep Session
Are you participating in the Undergraduate Research Forum and want to practice talking about your science? Would you like to hear what to expect from past student participants?
Come to the Forum Preparation session! This informal event is designed to answer your questions and help you prepare to talk about your research. RSVP will open soon!
- We'll have faculty and peer-mentors share pointers on how to talk about your research in a poster-session setting.
- Previous forum participants will lead a Q &A session to answer any questions you may have about what to expect on the day of the forum and during the event.
- If you'd like to practice talking about your research, we'll have a round-robin event where you can practice explaining your research to peer-mentors and receive feed-back in a low-stakes, informal setting.
- Food! Come for the snacks, and stay for whatever part of the event you'd like.
When: Wednesday, April 12, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm
Where: WEL 2.310
2023 Undergraduate Research Forum FAQs
Questions about Attendance and Logistics:
Do I need to stay for the entire event (1 pm - 6 pm)?
We do encourage you to stay for the entire duration of your session. However, you are not required to stay for the entire event from 1pm - 6pm.
We hope you are able to join us from 5:00pm-6:00pm for the closing reception and awards announcement. Enjoy refreshments and celebrate the day with your co-presenters as well as judges, industry representatives and guests! Help us plan for our food and drinks by taking a moment to let us know you’re coming.
I have a schedule conflict during a session or part of both sessions. Can I indicate my preference for which session I would like to present my research during?
Yes. Please do so on the submission form as soon as possible. If conflicts arrive after you have indicated your preference, please reach out to SEOambassadors@austin.utexas.edu.
If you are arriving late or leaving early due to prior engagements, please be sure to check-in or check-out with a volunteer.
I have to make a change to my registration information and/or submission information (ex: individual presentation to group presentation, ). How may I do so?
You are able to make and save changes to your registration information using the account you created to register for the forum. You may also update your poster and audio submissions through your account. If you need to re-upload your poster/audio file, we will only be able to access the most current version of the file.
If I have a problem during the event, who can I ask for help?
SEO Staff and Volunteers will be walking around on the day of the event to help as you need. Keep an eye out for those wearing a bright blue Texas Science Shirt if you have any questions or concerns while presenting.
What can I expect on the day of the event?
You will come sign in over by the volunteer sign-in desk across from WEL 2.310. After signing in, you should go find the location corresponding to the poster number. You will be informed of your poster number prior to the event. You may hang up your poster using the provided binder clips and begin presenting as judges and attendees
Questions about Posters:
Where can I get my poster printed?
Our Student Engagement and Outreach office offers free printing services for all URF presenters and FRI research groups. The SEO office will notify participants that their poster has been printed. Once they receive this confirmation, they may stop by PAI 5.56 at designated time blocks to retrieve it.
CNS also offers poster templates that are student and print friendly. More information at their website here.
This is my first time making and presenting a poster about my research. Where can I receive advice on or information about this?
The Undergraduate Research Forum is a welcoming event to engage in science presentation and professional development skills for all first-time researchers and presenters! Please join us at our Forum Planning Workshop on April 12th where you can practice the best techniques for presenting a research poster to an audience.
We also encourage you to visit Sanger Learning’s Public-Speaking Center that can individually assist you with oral presentation and communication support with a trained speech consultant. For more information check out their website here.
I have questions about the incentives for early poster submissions. Where may I get more information about this?
This year, we will be incentivizing early submissions of posters in order to make sure everyone is able to get their posters printed for free in time.
Submit your poster file EARLY, by midnight on Mon, Apr 3, and you’ll get the latest color - teal - Texas Science t-shirt!
All incentives will be given out as supplies last. Items will be given out when participants pick-up their posters
We highly encourage all participants to submit their posters before the official deadline (April 7th. 11:59 pm). Once the poster has been printed, our office will not be entertaining re-printing requests due to limited supply of printing materials and staff availability. Please make your edits final before submitting.
I am obtaining results after the submission deadline for the abstract/poster/audio file. How may I make the change to my submissions?
You may edit your materials using your account until Friday April 7th, 11:59 pm.
Once the poster has been printed, our office will not be entertaining re-printing requests due to limited supply of printing materials and staff availability. Please make your edits final before submitting.
Questions about Submissions:
Do I need to submit a new form every time I am ready to upload my abstract/audio file/poster file?
You may edit your submission through your account at any time. Please continue to use this form to submit your materials instead of creating new forms for each submission.
