• Registration is required for all symposium participants, including Undergraduate Research summer researchers. If your course or department requires that you present at the symposium, you must register; no students are automatically registered. This requirement stems from Undergraduate Research's need to collect student availability in order to make session assignments.
  • After registration closes, students interested in presenting should contact Undergraduate Research (undergradresearch@wustl.edu) to inquire whether space remains available. 
• Registration requires the following information: faculty mentor (WashU or external) contact information, a tentative presentation title and a draft abstract or creative statement (max: 250 words). The tentative title and abstract can be revised prior to final submission.
• When reporting availability, allow at least 15 minutes prior to the session for check in and set up.
• If none of the available session times fits your schedule, inform us via the registration form. Those unavailable to present may defer or record a virtual presentation if graduating in December.
• Each presenter will be assigned only one format and individual presentation slot due to space limitations; however, students make take part in both an individual and one group presentation. 
• For group presentations, only one participant needs to submit the registration form, where they will provides the names, emails and class years of addtional group members. The same group representative should complete the registration, confirmation and submission forms.
  • The maximum group size is limited to 8 students per presentation slot. If a group needs or wants to split across multiple sessions, each sub-group must submit unique materials (i.e., abstract and presentation file). 
• Upon submission, the faculty research mentor will be notified of registration, as will any co-presenters, if applicable.
• Students will receive an email confirmation upon successful registration. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact Undergraduate Research (undergradresearch@wustl.edu). 

To the extent possible, all students will be grouped thematically and present alongside others in their broad discipline or area of inquiry. Below is an overview of each available presentation format, its intended purpose and content, and its logistical details. Each presenter will be assigned only one format due to space limitations; however, students may take part in both an individual and a group presentation. Visit the Spring 2025 URS online program to view example materials across disciplines. 

60-Minute Poster Presentations

• Purpose: To provide extensive conversation, questions, and constructive feedback from audience members with varying levels of disciplinary expertise. This presentation format is the most interactive, offering a great opportunity for students to solicit input on projects at any stage (e.g., design, work-in-progress, or completed).
• Content: Individual or group presenters should leverage their poster as a visual aid for brief verbal presentations. Best practice is to prepare a short (1 minute) “elevator pitch” describing the work for a diverse audience, plus a longer (3-5 minute) walk-through for those interested in more detail. Audience members can interject questions at any point.
• Materials: A poster provides a large-format summary of your project utilizing any combination of text and/or imagery. Visit the Making a Poster page for help with the poster design process.

5-Minute Lightning Talks (Plus 2-Minute Q&A)

• Purpose: Ideal for presenting works in progress. Lightning talks provide the opportunity to practice succinct and clear communication with a diverse audience in a low-pressure environment. They allow presenters to take stock of their project progress and receive brief feedback.
• Content: Presenters should consider where they are in the progression of their project (e.g., literature review, design, troubleshooting methods, evidence collection, creative production, synthesis) and choose the most relevant phase to highlight. This focal point for the talk should follow a brief introduction of the motivating research question or creative objective. Audience members can raise questions immediately after the talk.
• Materials: A good rule of thumb is to utilize no more than 1 slide per minute. Presenters utilizing slides as an optional visual aid should therefore prepare no more than 5 slides total, with fewer slides likely working better, given the time constraints.

Creative Exhibits and Performances

• Purpose: Ideal for undergraduate inquiry involving the arts and/or creative practice. Whether through static or dynamic modalities, presenters can share the process and/or outputs of discovery in their discipline.
• Content: During symposium registration, students can describe the nature of their desired presentation and identify the resources, space, and time required. Opportunities will be made available as interest and capacity allow.