There are numerous opportunities for Allegheny students to present the outcomes of their research, scholarship, or creative activity on-campus and off-campus. This page is your one-stop shop for presenting the outcomes of your URSCA-related project, with information from where to obtain funding to travel to an academic/professional conference and examples for how to format an oral or poster presentation. Different academic disciplines often have best practices that are specific to that academic discipline. As such, it is important that you consult with your research mentor and/or your academic advisor prior to preparing for an academic/professional conference.
Travel Funding for Research and Conference Presentations
The first question that many students ask is: Is there financial support to travel to an academic or professional conference? Yes! The Office of URSCA supports student travel to academic and professional conferences through conference travel awards. Students can receive up to $800 from URSCA to help offset the costs of traveling to a conference. Work with a faculty mentor and submit a completed application as soon as possible (e.g., in the Fall semester, even for Spring conferences). In many cases, academic/professional societies offer travel awards to help offset the cost of traveling to a conference (see this link as an example); check with your mentor about whether the society sponsoring the conference you are attending has any available travel awards. In some cases, your academic department be able to provide additional funds for you to travel to a conference — your mentor can also help you look into this possibility.
Conference Presentation Resources
Allegheny students have opportunities to present the outcome of their work at the Cook-Lahti Scholars Symposium, at small regional conferences, and at a large international conferences. Regardless of the venue, your second question that many students ask is: How do I start preparing for my presentation? Academic and professional conferences often have 2 venues at which participants present the outcome of their research, scholarship, or creative activity: oral presentation sessions and poster sessions. Use the resources below to help you prepare for creating and giving an oral or poster presentation
Oral Presentation Resources
This section is in development — check back later for resources.
Poster Presentation Resources
Although all academic disciplines have their own customs and norms when it comes to formatting and presenting a poster, there are a number of general features and best practices that are common to most poster presentations. This PDF is a good primer that you should use to start thinking about constructing an academic poster.
The best research and scholarship can be inaccessible with a poor poster design — as such, you’ll want to work with your mentor on designing your poster. After using the above resource to start planning your poster, you’ll want to plan out the design of your poster. You can download a template of the standard 3-column Allegheny College poster here. However, you should consider various ways to organize your poster using templates such as this design, this design, or this design. If your poster is best visualized with less structure, consider this resource on poster design tips for students in the arts and humanities. Keep in mind that you can use elements of numerous templates to create a poster that tells your story.
Once you have your poster content ready and your design in mind, you’ll want to remember that some academic disciplines and conferences have specific guidelines for creating posters, so be sure to revise the above templates so that you meet the guidelines for your event.
The last step is printing your poster. Although Gator Post and Print can be used to print posters, printing posters comes with a cost. Be sure to check with the Director of URSCA and/or your mentor before you send your poster over to Gator Post and Print to make sure that the costs can be covered! Students participating in an Allegheny College poster session should use this instruction guide for details on how to prepare and send your poster to Gator Post and Print.
Conferences and Events to Consider
Sigma Xi Creative Accomplishments Conference, at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA.
Regional Science Consortium Conference
Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Posters on the Hill, Abstract deadline in the fall. Event is in late April/early May, Washington, D.C. Please contact the URSCA director before submitting an abstract to this conference.
National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), submissions usually due in December; conference usually in April and travels to different venues across the country.
Undergraduate Research at the Capitol (URC-PA), event in the spring. Please contact the URSCA director before submitting an abstract to this conference.