Symposium for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Student presenting poster with frog on hand

The Universities of Wisconsin Symposium for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity will be held in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

The Symposium highlights the diversity, breadth of expertise, and the life-changing and career-launching power of undergraduate research ongoing across the UWs, and it showcases the creativity, scholarship, and innovation that are at the core of the Universities of Wisconsin. More information on the event will be available soon. Please join us to celebrate and be inspired by the extraordinary work by UWs students and their faculty mentors!

This event is FREE for all participants and attendees!

Abstract Submission

Interested in Presenting?

Abstract Submission Opens on January 15, 2025!

For projects with more than one author/presenter, please submit only one abstract per project. Please have the primary author/presenter submit the abstract for the group ( the primary author/presenter is typically the first person listed on the project). The abstract submission form will also serve as registration of the primary author/presenter for the event.

Please note that all co-authors and faculty mentors who plan to attend the event will be required to register using the separate registration form.

Any questions? Please contact us at ursca@wisconsin.edu

Abstract Submission

Registration

Want to Attend the Event?

Registration Opens on January 15, 2025!

This event is open for anyone to attend whether they are presenting or not. We ask that individuals register in advance if they plan to attend any part of the symposium. Please register using the link below.

The deadline to register for the event is March 15, 2025.

Any questions? Please contact us at ursca@wisconsin.edu.

 

Register Here!

Guidance for Abstract Submission

The following information will be essential for submitting an abstract through the online abstract submission form. Please have the following information available. Students should work with their faculty/research mentor(s) to prepare their presentation’s abstract.

  1. Abstract Title (Use Title Case) (Word count: 0/30): (Example: The Effect of Preventative Care on Tooth Integrity)
  2. Primary Undergraduate Student Presenter/Primary Author: This is the primary presenter submitting the abstract and who plans to register for the conference and present (if accepted). You will be asked to provide your name, email, university (ordered alphabetically by name), major, class level, and hometown. Student researchers should be the ones to submit their abstracts rather than their mentor.
  3. Co-Presenter(s)/Co-Author(s) (Optional): This is a place where you can list the names for any co-authors/co-presenters who may have contributed to the project. Any co-author(s) who will participate in the presentation must register separately for the symposium. You will be asked to provide the name, email, and university for each co-presenter added. Please do not include your faculty mentor(s) in this section. You will be asked to provide their information in a separate section.
  4. Non-Presenting Co-Author(s) (Optional): This is a place where you can list the names for any co-authors who may have contributed to the project but who will not be presenting at the symposium. You will be asked to provide the name, email, and university for each co-author added. Please do not include your faculty mentor(s) in this section. You will be asked to provide their information in a separate section.
  5. Abstract Text ONLY (Word count: 0/300): Submit your abstract text only (e.g. no title, authors, references, etc.). The main text of abstracts are usually 250-300 words and may not exceed 300 words. Bold, italics, underline, superscript and subscript are accepted. Please proofread your abstract carefully and pay attention to grammar as the submitted text will be used in the final program and there will not be an opportunity for editing.
  6. Faculty/Research Mentor(s): A mentor should be a professor or qualified individual (e.g. staff member) who is familiar with your work. Some students may have more than one mentor, so please be sure to provide information for each mentor. You will be asked to provide each of your mentor’s name, university/affiliation, and their email. Be sure to complete each of your mentor’s information thoroughly and accurately, especially your mentor’s email address. They will be contacted in regard to your presentation and will be able to deny your participation if they do not feel that the abstract is adequately prepared.

Important Information

  • All abstracts must be submitted by the posted deadline(s). Please refer to the submission deadlines and make sure you submit your abstract accordingly.

Tentative Symposium Schedule

A copy of the tentative schedule can be downloaded here:

Tentative Symposium Schedule (110.7 KiB)

 

Guidance for Presentation Format and Preparation

For those of you who are presenting a poster presentation:

Your poster presentation session is one hour long, and you are required to be at your poster during the time for which you are scheduled. If you have co-presenters, please ensure that they are at the poster during the scheduled time. Posters will be hung on a poster board using pushpins that will be provided at the event. Please be sure to let symposium organizers know of any special accommodations that you may require for your poster presentation.

Some important information to remember as you are preparing your poster:

  1. Your poster should be no larger than 48 inches in height and 48 inches in width. 
  2. A typical organization for a poster will include:
    1. Title of your presentation
    2. Your name, any co-authors’ names, and your faculty mentor’s name
    3. Name of your university
    4. Abstract
    5. Introduction (Background information regarding your research, the research question that you asked/hypothesis or objective of your study)
    6. Methods (how you did your research or explored a particular topic)
    7. Findings/Results: tell us what you found and what results you obtained
    8. Discussion: What do the results mean?  How are they important?  What additional questions have presented themselves?
    9. Conclusion/Summary
  1. Limit the amount of text on your poster, and focus on key information
  2. When presenting your poster, use your own words to elaborate upon the material and guide the audience on where you want them to focus on the poster.
  3. Engage in conversation with others while you’re at your poster.  Invite people to your poster to learn more about the work that you’ve done!
  4. Use visuals/graphics...not only are they eye-catching, but they are a great point upon which you can elaborate and explain your points.  Be sure, however, to describe what you are showing…don’t just skip over it!
  5. Focus on what you’ve done (or plan to do), the importance of the study, how you did the study, what results you’ve found, etc.
  6. Be sure to practice, practice, practice!!!  Practicing will allow you to establish how long it will take you to present your material and will also allow for you to develop confidence in your presentation abilities!

For those of you who are presenting an oral presentation:

Oral presentations are limited to 10 minutes with 3 minutes for questions and answers. While PowerPoint is the preferred presentation format and will be available on all computers in the oral session rooms, you may certainly present without the use of PowerPoint if you would prefer to use other visuals (video, demonstrations, speeches, project display, etc). However, please be aware that presenters will be required to use the PC computer provided in the room. Please plan to bring your presentation on an external hard drive. You will be asked to arrive at the presentation room at least 10-15 minutes before the session to load your presentation on the PC computer provided in the room. More details on your presentation time and set-up time will be provided as we near the event. Please be sure to let the symposium organizers of any special accommodations that you may need for your presentation.

Some important information to remember when you are preparing for your presentation:

  1. Plan the format of your presentation. A common organization for a talk will include the following components; however, prepare the presentation in a format that is logical for sharing your work.
    1. Title slide with the title of your presentation and your name, any co-authors' names, your mentor’s name, and the name of your university.
    2. Introduction (Preview of the topic and talk, the research question that you asked/hypothesis or objective of your study)
    3. Methods or Process (how you did your research or explored a particular topic)
    4. Findings/Results: tell us what you found and what results you obtained
    5. Discussion: What do the results mean?  How are they important?  What additional questions have presented themselves?
    6. Conclusion:  provide a summary of your presentation and provide some form of closing statement.
    7. Acknowledgement: provide an acknowledgement for any funding agencies and financial support, as well as any individuals (non-coauthors) who contributed to the research but did not provide substantial contribution to the project.
  2. Limit the amount of text that you put on slides, and focus on key information
  3. Use your own words to elaborate upon the material on the slide.
  4. Limit the number of slides- too many slides can be overwhelming to the audience. A 10-minute presentation typically has between 10-15 slides.
  5. Use visuals/graphics…not only are they eye-catching, but they are a great point upon which you can elaborate and explain your points.  Be sure, however, to describe what you are showing…don’t just skip over it!
  6. Don’t just focus on how you decided to do this research, but focus on what you’ve done (or plan to do), the importance of the study, how you did the study, what results you’ve found, etc.
  7. Be sure to practice, practice, practice!!!  Practicing will allow you to establish how long it will take you to present your material and will also help you to develop confidence in your presentation abilities! 

For those of you who are presenting an art or project display:

During Art or Project Displays, students will display their art, interactive projects, or demonstrations for the entire time that their session is scheduled. Similar to a poster presentation, students should share information about their project with attendees circulating the room. Art and Projects may be on display for longer than the scheduled session. Detailed Information regarding setup and scheduling for your display will be provided as we near the event. Please be sure to let symposium organizers know of any special accommodations that you may need for your presentation prior to the event.

For those of you who are presenting a brief film or performance video:

Films and performances should generally be shorter than 15 minutes. If you plan to present a longer piece, consider sharing a clip/segment or shortened version of your work.

Be sure to plan and practice how you will introduce and conclude your film/performance. Many students briefly share their project title, names of project members, and background. Please let symposium organizers know of any specific accommodations or specific needs for your presentation prior to the event. Detailed information regarding the scheduled session will be provided as we near the event.

Frequently Asked Questions

The symposium provides students with an opportunity to showcase their work, develop presentation skills, inspire new ideas, engage with students from other universities, network with professionals, and gain feedback to refine their research. Additionally, presenting their work builds confidence, fosters a sense of community, and enhances their resume for future academic or career opportunities.

Absolutely! Everyone is welcome to attend. Come to learn more about the research, scholarly and creative projects in which students across the UW universities are engaged, gain information on how they became involved in their projects, or come to support your friend or family member.

Yes! When a project has more than one author, the group should select one primary author for the symposium. The primary author will submit the abstract for the group using the abstract submission form. Any coauthors who are not designated as the primary author will still need to register separately for the symposium using the registration form.

Projects from any discipline is welcome.

No. Please designate one individual as the primary author. The primary author will submit the abstract on behalf of the entire team. All other coauthors who are co-presenting or attending the event should register using the symposium registration form.

Yes- all students submitting an abstract will be asked to provide information for the individual who mentored or guided their work.

Yes, students can present research performed at other universities/institutions, provided that their mentor agrees that it's appropriate to present the work.

All presentations will take place in Memorial Union on Saturday, May 3rd; however, specific details for presentation times won't be available until after the abstract submission deadline has passed. The symposium organizers will send an update with specific time, room, etc when the schedule has been finalized.

The symposium venue will provide pushpins for hanging posters.

Of course! Projects may be in progress. We encourage you to discuss your project with your project mentor to confirm that it will be ready for the symposium. 

Yes. You will need to complete the abstract submission form for each abstract.

Absolutely! Family and friends are welcome to attend the symposium. We ask that anyone attending the symposium register for the event.

Yes- we accept abstracts for research in all stages.

Yes- we don't have any prohibitions for submitting abstracts used for other conferences. Please confirm with your mentor that you're permitted to present the work at multiple conferences.

Yes- a time for your presentation will be assigned after abstract submission has closed and a schedule has been finalized.

Presentations can take various forms, including oral presentations, poster sessions, art displays, or performances, depending on the discipline. Students should be prepared to discuss their work and answer questions from attendees.

Student being trained by professor in lab space