Undergraduate Research Festival: Information for Presenters

Qualifications

You must be  a current ACU undergraduate to submit a proposal. Honors College membership is not required. As you write your proposal, consult your department head and the person who mentored you in your research. They will be asked to validate your proposal after it is received.   If your research is collaborative, you and your teammates will submit one joint proposal for  the project. Each student is limited to one program slot as lead presenter but may assist in other presentations as a collaborator.    

Proposals should be submitted online. The deadline is noon, Wednesday, March 4. If you have network problems, phone the Honors College (325-674-2728) for instructions on submission.  

Standards for acceptance

1. How much discovery, application, or problem-solving has taken place in your research? Compiling data or reporting others' research is only part of the process. The process isn't finished until you have interpreted, analyzed, or applied the information. Talk with your professors about what constitutes research in your guild.  

2. How much of the research is yours as a student? If you have collaborated with professors or other researchers, you have gained invaluable experience. For your presentation, make clear what your contribution was.  

3. How well-written is your proposal? Presentations will be chosen by a panel of professors in several fields, so don't assume that they are familiar with jargon or technical concepts. Read the advice on preparing your abstract. Slipshod or hasty proposals will be rejected. 

Types of presentation

You must commit to one of two formats when you write the proposal.

• A paper is defined here as a 15-minute talk to an audience, followed by brief Q&A. You might or might not read a manuscript word-for-word. Thus a "paper" could involve PowerPoint, dialogue with co-researchers, demonstration or performance, etc.
• A poster presentation is talking informally with interested persons as you show a poster displaying your research.

Equipment

Papers will be given in rooms with Web access and digital projectors. Each one-hour slot will have three presentations. If you use PowerPoint or some other display, you may bring either your laptop or your files on a USB drive or CD. Even if you expect to download your files from the network, bring these physical copies as a backup. Report to your assigned room 10 minutes early to allow for Mac/PC compatibility problems.  

Poster presentations will be given in groups in a high-traffic area, in 45-minute time slots. Encourage your teachers and friends to drop by. Easels will be provided but not bulletin boards. Therefore all items must be solidly attached to foamboard or heavy cardboard, either a single sheet or trifold. Maximum size is 36x48. Tables and electrical connections are available but must be requested a week before you present.   

Poster printing and foamboard mounting are available through the McNair Scholars Program at a special price for the Festival. Another sources is Copy Cat in the Learning Commons. Bring your poster as a PowerPoint slide, one to two weeks before your presentation.  

Questions?