Ongoing Undergraduate Research Conference Information
How do conferences operate, and how can I get involved as an undergraduate?
Academic conferences are an important component of research! They serve as intentional
opportunities for researchers to share and disseminate their work with other experts
and scholars within their discipline/field. Typically, academic conferences are discipline
specific — meaning chemists might attend the American Chemical Society Annual Conference,
while educators might attend the American Educational Research Association Annual
Meeting. However, some conferences can be interdisciplinary or include multiple areas
of research like the Georgia Academy of Sciences which includes nine disciplines biological
sciences, psychological sciences, and science education, amongst others.
CURS recommends you talk to your faculty mentor about what professional organizations
they belong to and what conferences they attend. All conferences are organized through
the following process:
- A call for proposals/abstracts
- Submission platform for proposals/abstracts
- A review of proposed proposals/abstracts
- Acceptance/rejection of proposed proposals/abstracts
- Registration for the conference
- Implementation of the conference
Professional conferences are academic-orientated conferences that are hosted and organized
by professional organizations. They will have presenters and attendees ranging from
tenured faculty to graduate students. Over the past couple of years, more undergraduates
have sought participation.
Undergraduate conferences are academic-oriented conferences that are hosted by undergraduate
research offices (like CURS!), the Council on Undergraduate Research, or National
Collegiate Honors Council. They will have undergraduate student presenters and attendees.
Preparing for an academic conference takes time! It is rare that you can purpose and
present a research presentation in the same semester. Please take the time to talk
to your faculty mentor and research important deadlines and deliverables for conferences
you are interested in participating in.
Presentation Opportunities
Annual Conferences at Augusta University
Undergraduate Research and Fine Arts (URFA) Conference
- Hosted by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Phi Kappa Phi Honors
Society, and Summerville Interdisciplinary Research Office
- Population: Undergraduate
- Call for Proposals: Early Spring Semester
- Conference Date: Late March/early April
- Interdisciplinary Conference
- Location: Augusta University
URFA Conference Website
Summer Scholars Program Symposium
- Hosted by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
- Population: Undergraduate (invitation only through participation in the Summer Scholars
Program)
- Application for program: February
- Symposium Date: Late July
- Interdisciplinary Conference
- Location: Augusta University
Summer Scholars Program Website
Annual Conferences in the State of Georgia
Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference (GURC)
- Hosted by rotating Undergraduate Research Offices
- 2024: Oxford College at Emory University
- Population: Undergraduate
- Call for Proposals: Early Fall Semester
- Conference Date: November
- Interdisciplinary Conference
- Location: Host institution
2024 GURC Website
Georgia Academy of Science Annual Meeting
- Hosted by the Georgia Academy of Science
- Population: Professional conference
- Application for program: Fall semester
- Conference date: March
- Interdisciplinary Science Conference: biological sciences, chemistry, earth & atmospheric
sciences, physics/math/computer science/engineering/technology, biomedical sciences,
philosophy & history of science, science education, anthropology, and psychological
sciences
- Location: Host institution
- 2024: Kennesaw State University
Georgia academy of science website
Posters at the Georgia State Capital
- Hosted by the Georgia Undergraduate Research Council
- Population: Undergraduate (invitation only through CURS Office)
- Invitation to participate: Early Spring semester
- Presentation date: February
- Interdisciplinary presentation
- Location: Georgia State Capital, Atlanta
Annual Undergraduate Conferences Across the Country
The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
- Hosted by the Council on Undergraduate Research
- Population: Undergraduate
- Call for Proposals: September
- Conference Date: March/April
- Interdisciplinary Conference
- Location: Varies
- 2024: California State University, Long Beach
NCUR Conference Website
Natinoal Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference
- Hosted by the National Collegiate Honors Concil
- Population: Undergraduate (must be an honor's student)
- Call for proposals: February
- Conference Date: October/November
- Interdisciplinary Honors Conference
- Location: Varies
NCHC Conference Website
Templates
AU Power Point Slide Template
AU Better Poster Template
Poster Formatting Guidelines (Students, you should READ THESE!)
1. Create your Poster in Power Point
2. Select the "Design" Tab. Go to "Slide Size", choose "Custom". Choose 36" x 42"
or another similar size. Decide whether you want your poster to hang Portrait or Landscape
orientation.
3. Font and Text Features
- Arial or Verdana
- No more than 3 fonts per page
- No print smaller than 14pt; most print should be 20-34pts.
- All figures should have captions or text alternatives (describe any image)
- Do not use directional language (e.g., read below, see the menu to the left). Instead
label and or number all figures and tables.
- Use clear headings to break up content
- Avoid blank cells in tables
- SAVE AS PDF
Use the SAVE AS Feature to save your power point poster as a PDF. Do not save your
document as a PDF from the Print menu since this will eliminate the accessibility
built into the document.
Anthropology sample poster
