Application Guidelines - Undergraduate Research Forum
The 2009 Undergraduate Research Forum will be held on Monday, March 23, in the Student Center Ballrooms. Undergraduates who have conducted an original research, scholarly, or creative project under the guidance of a faculty mentor are invited to display an informational poster at the forum's poster session. Prizes are awarded for the top posters.
Requirements Prior to Forum
In order to participate in the 2009 forum, you must submit a letter of intent and an abstract. Deadlines and instructions for preparing these documents follow.
Letter of Intent - Deadline: Friday, February 13
In this letter please state that you are interested in presenting a poster and include your complete name, your major, the name of your faculty advisor, your mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number, and the tentative title of your poster. Electronically submit your letter of intent to reach@siu.edu with "Forum Participation" in the subject line, or hand-deliver it to Woody Hall C-206 (8:00-4:30).
Abstract - Deadline: Friday, February 27
The abstract must describe the objectives and results of your project. It should be between 200 and 300 words, single-spaced, and in Times 11 point font. Put the title of the poster, the author(s), and the department(s) at the top of the abstract. Please indicate which judging session you will be available for (see below). Submit your Abstract via e-mail to reach@siu.edu with "Forum Abstract" in the subject line, or hand-deliver it to Woody Hall C-206 (8:00-4:30). (For sample abstracts, see the links on the main forum page.)
Poster Information
Poster size
The show walls for posters are approximately 47" x 72". SIUC's IMAGE Facility, which prints large-scale posters for such events, recommends a poster size no larger than 42" x 60". Please design your poster accordingly. If you would like IMAGE to print your poster, contact them as much in advance as possible.
Poster contents
Please note that these sections are not required, nor is this an all-inclusive list; we are merely giving suggestions as to what others have included. Different disciplines have different standard methods of presenting information. In general, however, previous forum participants have included the following sections in their posters: introduction or abstract, methods, data/figures/charts, results/discussion, references, acknowledgments. Students in the arts have modified, added to, or left out sections as appropriate and have included examples of their work where relevant.
Event itinerary
Poster Setup
The ballroom will be open at 8:00 a.m. on March 23. You will need to put your poster up between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m.
Judging
There will be judging sessions for posters from 8:30 to 10:30 and from 10:30 to 12:30. When you submit your abstract, please indicate which session you can be available for the judges to interview you. Each student will be asked to give a three-minute presentation outlining his or her project, followed by questions. The judges will be at each of the posters for approximately 15 minutes. Note: Previous forum winners will not be eligible for an award.
Public viewing
The public is invited to browse the posters from 1:00 to 3:30. Please plan to be present for as much of this time as possible to answer people's questions and discuss your research.
Award announcements
The prize-winning posters will be announced at 3:30, along with winners of 2009-10 Undergraduate Research/Creative Activity (REACH) Awards.
Questions?
Contact Stefani Hall at reach@siu.edu or 453-4540.