FAQs

How do I apply to present?

The application process is completed online. If you have questions, email UGResearch@purdue.edu.

Can I still apply if I am still in the early stages of my research?

Yes. Your research project does not have to be completed to be considered. Many students present ongoing research with preliminary results or anticipated findings. Students can submit to present knowing that more results may be obtained by the time of the Conference.

Can I submit applications for more than one research project?

No, only one proposal per student as the first/presenting author. Multiple students may appear on multiple projects, but a student may only be the first author for one submission.

Can I deliver a research talk, poster, and Celebrate entry at the Spring Undergraduate Research Conference?

No. You may only be the primary author for either a research talk, poster, or Celebrate entry. Therefore, if you are selected to deliver a research talk, you will not present a poster for the same abstract submission. However, you may submit a virtual presentation if you are presenting in person.

What format will the Spring Conference be this year?

The Spring Conference will be hybrid. Therefore, students could deliver PowerPoint slides for research talks, print out their posters for a poster session, showcase their work during Celebrate, or record their presentations and upload them to be shared with the Purdue community. Also, the event spans multiple days for more time to learn about other research projects on your own time.

What is the difference between research talks, posters, virtual presentations, and a Celebrate entry?

Research talks have 15 minutes for their presentation and Q&A to be delivered via PowerPoint slides. These are judged.

Poster presenters should prepare a 3-5-minute poster pitch and bring a printed poster to the session. These are judged.

Virtual presentations are 7-minute prerecorded YouTube videos that are available during the Spring Conference. These are judged.

Celebrate entries showcase students' products, deliverables, or creations. This event highlights the creativity and innovation of Purdue students by not limiting a presentation to a poster, PowerPoint slideshow, or recording. These are not judged.

How long should my abstract be?

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words.

How should I decide which college/school should have the final judging determination of my project?

Each abstract submission is reviewed by a college or school to determine if it can be presented and then determine who should make the final award determination for a presentation. Therefore, it is important that each presentation has a "primary" college or school for making these decisions. For your application, consider the primary/first student author's college/school, the department of the primary/first research mentor, and the area of the research project.

Students whose research is a result of an ILS course (including an independent study) or is done under the mentorship of a research mentor from the Libraries and School of Information Studies (including the Purdue Archives & Special Collections) should designate the School of Information Studies.

Note: Colleges and schools make the final decision on where an abstract submission is located for judging purposes.

Can someone show me how to write an abstract?

Yes. The Office of Undergraduate Research is available to help you write your abstract and you can utilize the resources in the Purdue Writing Lab and at the top of the Apply website. There will also be a seminar session via Zoom to discuss how to write an abstract and apply to the Spring Conference.

Can I update an abstract submission after I initially submit it?

Primary authors and primary mentors (listed first) can update abstracts after they have been submitted. This is to prevent back-and-forth updates through the OUR (usually requiring the student to copy the mentor or the OUR asking the mentor if they approve). This way, hopefully, authors are communicating with mentors to agree upon the changes. Primary mentors should work with the students to make the updates instead of denying them unless it is not to be presented. This way, the student can make the updates directly before the mentor goes in and approves the final version.

However, this means that each update submitted by the primary student author, even after being approved, requires additional approval by the primary mentor. This ensures changes are approved and nothing is accidentally presented incorrectly.

All submissions will have a final cut-off for any changes to titles, abstracts, and authors to be communicated after the deadline.

Is the Spring Undergraduate Research Conference judged and are awards provided to the top presenters?

Yes. The spring conference is formally judged and various academic units and programs provide awards to the top presenters for research talks/oral presentations and posters.

It is best to review the spring conference rubrics before finalizing your presentation and research talk.

Fall 2024 rubrics are below. Updated rubrics will be posted soon:

How are awards distributed?

The award will be distributed to all Purdue undergraduates who are indicated as "Undergraduate Presenting Authors." Undergraduate students who are listed as contributors or acknowledged do not receive a portion of the award.

What is the difference between the Fall Expo, the Spring Conference, and the Summer Symposium?

The Fall Expo and the Spring Conference are similar. The Summer Symposium is not formally judged and does not provide awards to the top presenters.

The Spring Conference includes the Celebrate Purdue's Thinkers, Creators, & Experimenters showcase and the Literature, Linguistics, Languages, and Culture (LLLC) Colloquium (see below).

I am a faculty member and I received an email stating that a student indicated I was their research mentor. Why did I receive this email?

Students must indicate a research mentor on their application for presenting their project. You were included in the application for a student who has submitted a proposal for a research conference or symposium. Please contact the student and the Office of Undergraduate Research as soon as possible if you were unaware of this submission or select "Not approved" for the abstract submission.

What is the dress code for presenting during the in-person Spring Conference?

We recommend dressing in business casual for the presentations, but it is not required. You will see individuals in business professional clothing, too. If you need assistance with obtaining business casual or business professional clothes, consider the Center for Career Opportunities' Career Closet.

For research talks: What format should I submit for my oral presentation?

You will not submit your research talk ahead of time. You will bring your presentation on a thumbdrive/flashdrive or you can bring you laptop if you have an HDMI port. If you bring it on a mobile storage device, it is recommended that you use Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF files and not use special fonts as these may not show up well on the computers in the rooms. If you use special fonts, please consider a PDF of your presentation to maintain these. (Note: PDFs do not have animation.)

For poster presenters: What size should my poster be?

Posters should not be wider than 4' (48") nor taller than 3' (36"). This is a standard poster size and is due to the limitations of the wide-format printing option in WALC and HIKS (see next question).

Are there poster templates I should use for the Conference?

Beyond staying within the 4'x3' size limitation, the content of the poster is up to you and your research team. However, there are templates and recommendations through Purdue Marketing & Communications and Purdue Libraries & School of Information Studies. 

For poster presenters: How can I print my poster?

Check with your research mentor to see if there are printing options within your department, program, or college/school. Purdue IT offers a wide format printing option on the 2nd floor of WALC Library and the Purdue IT desk in Hicks Library. The cost is $4/linear foot with 3'-wide paper.

The Discovery Park District has a wide-format printer that Engineering projects and Discovery Park projects can utilize. Please submit the poster PDF (48"x36" or 36"x24") to ewridgley@purdue.edu, and remember that they need at least two business days' notice with 10+ posters needing a week's notice. Additional information for using this poster printer, visit the Discovery Park District Poster Lab website.

Reminder: Right before poster sessions are an especially busy time for printers. Plan accordingly.

Faculty, Departments, or Programs: If you want to cover students' poster printing costs, but the students must print on one of the Purdue IT poster printers, complete this Request for Departmental Paid Print Quota Supplement document and email it to itlabs@purdue.edu. More information about this process can be found on the Wide Format Printing Purdue IT webpage.

If you are interested in a more permanent poster, there are alternatives to paper such as cloth posters that can be printed.

For Celebrate presenters: What is provided?

A 6' table and 2 chairs are provided. If you have additional requests, you should indicate this in the follow-up communication piece. We are unable to guarantee requests can be accommodated, but typical ones are being close to electricity and open space. We will follow-up if a request is unable to be accommodated. 

As someone who wants to watch the presentations, how do I access the links?

You will need a Purdue login to watch the presentations. If you do not, reach out to the Purdue OUR or the author to request permission to view the presentation.

What is the Literature, Linguistics, Languages, and Culture (LLLC) Colloquium?

The LLLC Colloquium occurs concurrently with the in-person research talks on April 10, 2025, and provides a space for student researchers to present on literature, linguistics, languages, and cultures. This Colloquium is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of English, and the School of Languages and Cultures. Presenters can participate in LLLC and the Spring Conference. Students applying to present during this event should indicate this in the abstract submission application.

Is Celebrate Purdue's Thinkers, Creators, & Experimenters part of the Spring Undergraduate Research Conference?

Yes! Starting in 2025, Celebrate is now part of the Spring Undergraduate Research Conference. This unjudged event will happen on April 10, 2025 from 1-3pm in STEW 206. Presenters can participate in either the research talks, poster symposium, or Celebrate showcase.