Undergraduate Poster Competition
The Undergraduate Poster Competition celebrates the curiosity and drive of the next generation of molecular life scientists. By providing a platform to share research and connect with mentors and peers, the competition helps shape tomorrow’s scientific innovators and fosters a community of discovery and possibility.
Now in its 30th year, this long-standing tradition continues to evolve. Updates to the competition structure and judging process are designed to better support students and enhance the experience for all involved.
Volunteer to be a poster competition judge
Competition overview & structure
The UGPC will consist of two parts this year:
Part 1: Pre-meeting (virtual review during the month of February)
After being selected for the competition, students are required to submit a PDF of a near-final version of their poster and a pre-recorded presentation for review and feedback from reviewers.
Every student will receive comments before the in-person meeting, providing them time to incorporate recommendations into their final posters and presentations before arriving onsite.
Part 2: At the meeting (in-person judging during regular poster sessions)
This year, the competition will be embedded within the meeting’s poster sessions each day. This schedule change means that Friday arrival or Saturday morning availability is no longer a requirement to participate. Students and judges who arrive on Saturday will be able to engage in the many scientific sessions that the meeting has to offer that day.
Students will be judged during their assigned spot in the regular poster sessions (on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday), driving more traffic to their posters during the main meeting.
Other key change to the competition: This year's competition will extend eligibility to include posters with undergraduate student co-first author presenters. If co-presenting, the second competitor must be designated on the abstract submission form.
Timeline
| Oct. 6 | Abstract portal opens |
|---|---|
| Nov. 17 | Abstract deadline (Note: To be considered for the competition, students must submit their abstracts by the regular abstract deadline. Poster competition application questions are embedded in the abstract portal only for undergraduate submitters.) |
| Dec. 17 | Competitors notified of selection |
| Feb. 9 | Deadline for competitors to upload posters & recordings (Formats accepted: PDF, MP4, MP3) |
| Feb. 12–20 | Virtual review window. Volunteers will be assigned posters to review online. This is a great opportunity for those who want to support students but won’t be at the meeting. |
| Feb. 25 | Students receive feedback |
| Mar 7–10 | Annual Meeting. Competitors will be assigned to a poster session on March 8, 9 or 10. |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are students required to participate in the virtual review?
- Virtual review participation is not required to participate in the competition, but it will affect overall score, and ability to win.
- Can students make changes to their posters after the virtual review and feedback?
- Yes! Students are encouraged to upload a near-complete poster for virtual review, receive feedback, and incorporate that into their final presentation at the meeting.
- Is there an event on Saturday?
- To make scheduling travel easier for attendees, we are incorporating the competition into student’s scheduled poster session time. There will be no events on Saturday that require attendance by presenters or judges.
- Where do I upload my poster?
- The poster submission portal will be sent out to those selected for the competition.
- I was not selected for the competition. Can I still submit a virtual poster for review?
- Currently, for the workload of our volunteers, we are not allowing non-competitors to submit their posters for virtual review.
- When is the competition being held?
- The competition will be embedded in the poster sessions this year, not on a separate day.
- When and where can we find the graduate tables that used to exhibit during the poster competition?
- Keep an eye on the meeting schedule for more details about the Career and Education Fair.