2025 Graduate School Research Poster Competition
Wednesday, February 19 l 1:00pm - 4:00 pm l Beaumier Suites BC, Raynor Memorial Libraries
The Graduate School Research Poster Competition will showcase and celebrate the top contributions from both doctoral and master’s student research across campus. This event will take place in the Beaumier Suites BC of the Raynor Memorial Libraries from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. with a short program at the beginning of the event.
Doctoral and master’s level posters can be submitted by all graduate programs. The purpose of the event is to:
- Demonstrate the breadth of research and creative projects of our graduate students.
- Promote graduate student engagement in research.
- Encourage interaction and discussion with other graduate students, faculty, and peers.
- Connect with and discuss graduate student research with a diverse campus audience.
The top three doctoral level posters and top three master’s level posters, as judged by a panel of judges will receive award certificates and each will also receive up to $250 in research travel funds that can be used for research related travel through June 30, 2025.
Poster Session Guidelines and information can be found below. Please contact us with any questions.
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Any graduate student or team of graduate students can enter into the competition. Space is limited to the first 50 entries.
All entries must be submitted by February 1st. To submit an entry, fill out this form.
Poster Design and Elements
Main elements of a poster include title, brief introduction and highlights of the research idea(s), conclusions, methods and results, literature cited, references and acknowledgements. Here is a sample poster design to review.
- Self-explanatory graphics should dominate the poster. A minimum amount of text materials should supplement the graphic materials.
- Print should be readable three to six feet away.
- Use font sizes proportional to importance.
- Be sure to edit and evaluate your content before printing.
- Common dimensions for posters are 24x36, 36x42 and 42x42. Portrait or landscape orientation is acceptable; none of the dimensions should exceed 42".
- No matter what software you design your poster in, adjust the size so it scales and prints well. When saving your final document, be sure to save it as a PDF (if you are having it printed at the Raynor library)
The Graduate School will cover the cost of one standard or glossy poster print from Raynor Memorial Library per entry. The Graduate School will not cover the cost of a poster that has been printed and/or used for a past conference, poster session, etc. Previously used posters may be used.
- Several programs and file formats can be used; however PDF's are the only format submitted to the library (be sure to save your final document as a PDF).
- Please allow at least three (3) business days for printing.
- February 15th is the submission deadline to have your poster printed by the Raynor Library for this event. Please include "Graduate School Poster Competition" in the information/notes field at the bottom of the request form.
- Here is a link to the library's page on poster design and printing.
A reminder that the library prints posters in the order received. They cannot rush or push requests to the top of the queue.
Presentation Advice and Assistance
The Mic Speakers Lab is available to participants to create and practice their presentations. Participants can book an appointment online using this scheduling tool.
- Please be sure that your poster is ready to present at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19. The Beaumier Suites will be open for set-up starting at 11 a.m. on this day.
- All presenters will be directed to first have a photo taken of you and your research poster before setting up in the ballroom.
- Posters will be either wall-mounted or displayed on easels. Easels and poster boards will be available for use and push pins and tape will be on hand.
- Posters are encouraged even if students cannot be present for the entire time. We understand that teaching/class/work schedules might conflict.
- Graduate School staff will be on hand to assist you.
