Office of Undergraduate Research

Summer Symposium FAQs

How do I apply to present?

The application process is completed online. If you have problems with the online application system, please email us 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 also submit to present knowing that by the time of the Summer Symposium, more results will be obtained.

Can I present if I am not a Purdue student?

Yes, if you are working with a Purdue research mentor or a Purdue-related program.

Can I submit applications for more than one research project?

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

Can I deliver an oral presentation/research talk and a poster at this year's Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference?

No. If you are selected to deliver an oral presentation/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 Summer Symposium be this year?

The Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium will be hybrid. Therefore, students could deliver PowerPoint slides for research talks, print out their poster for a poster session, or record their presentations and upload them to be shared with the Purdue community. Also, instead of the event only being one day, it spans multiple days for additional time to learn about other research projects on your own time for the virtual conference while also having in-person presentations.

What are the differences between an oral presentation/research talk and a poster presentation in-person and virtual?

In-Person: Oral presentations/research talks have 15 minutes for their presentation and Q&A and are delivered via PowerPoint slides. Poster presenters should prepare a 3-5-minute poster pitch and bring their printed poster to the session.

Virtual: All virtual presentations should be no longer than 7 minutes and can include up to 7 slides of information. Virtual presentations are not separated into research talks or posters.

How long should my abstract be?

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words.

I am a visiting research scholar from another university working with a Purdue faculty/program. How should I include my University Affiliation and my email in the application?

The University Affiliation textbox should be for your "home" university where you will earn your degree. If you have a Purdue email, we would prefer that you include this one in the application, not your "home" university's email.

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. Look out for workshops to help get abstract questions answered as the deadline gets closer.

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.

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

We recommend dressing at least in business casual for the presentations. 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.

Is the Summer Symposium judged and provides awards for the top presenters?

No, the Summer Symposium is not formally judged. However, there is a way to provide feedback during the event in an informal capacity. The Fall Expo and the Spring Conference are formally judged and do provide awards to the top presenters.

For in-person research talks: What format should I use for my oral presentation?

You will bring your presentation on a flashdrive/thumbdrive to your presentation time and room - you will not submit your presentation to the OUR for the 2023 Summer Symposium. It is recommended that you do 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 in-person poster presenters: What size should my poster be?

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

For in-person 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. ITaP offers a wide format printing option on the 2nd floor of WALC Library or by Purdue IT desk in Hicks Library. The cost is $4/linear foot with 3'-wide paper.

Discovery Park 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 sgrudolph@purdue.edu, and remember that they need at least two business days' notice.

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

Faculty: If you are able to cover students' poster printing costs, but the students must print on one of the ITaP poster printers, contact itap@purdue.edu to request to set up an account for students to use to print posters. A ticket will be created and an individual will be in touch with you.

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. 

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 "Authorship Standard" and how do I know who is included as an author on my abstract submission?

Many organizations, journals, and conferences publish guidelines for author identification. In the absence of such a guideline, include authors based on the following from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors:
  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  • Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
At Purdue University, substantial contribution to a work that deserves credit as an author requires both material participation and intellectual contribution. Credit for a co-author is expected when an individual both materially participates in a research project and provides intellectual contribution for which a resulting publication would suffer if it were lacking.

Acknowledgments may be used to denote contributions to the work that do not meet the criteria of authorship, such as supporting the study, general mentoring, acting as study coordinator or research technician, and other related auxiliary activities. Authors should verify that all individuals noted in an acknowledgments section have granted their permission to be listed.

For Purdue OUR conferences, the following roles are possible for authorship:
  • Undergraduate presenting authors: Undergraduate student who deserves authorship credit for this presentation and will be presenting this work at the conference.
  • Undergraduate contributing authors: Undergraduate student who deserves authorship credit for this presentation but will not be presenting this work at the conference.
  • Undergraduate researcher acknowledgments: Undergraduate student with substantial contribution to the research project but does not deserve authorship credit for this presentation.

For Purdue OUR conferences, mentors (non-undergraduate students who participate in the work) are listed separately to indicate their role with the project.