The annual GSW Undergraduate Research Symposium is an opportunity for students and faculty across campus to gather and share the remarkable amount of research work always ongoing here. Having started with the 2017-2018 school year but skipped 2020, we are now headed for our third event.
The 2021 Symposium will be held Friday, April 23rd. The exact format is TBD, but is likely to be a mixture of in-person and online delivery formats.
About the Symposium
The Symposium is a one-day event showcasing research and arts projects from GSW undergraduate students. Projects are presented through academic posters, oral presentations, or other project mediums. Prizes are typically offered for the top projects in various disciplines.
Poster presentations go up early; the Wednesday evening before the Friday symposium. Even if unable to attend the symposium itself, both students and faculty are encouraged to come examine the posters (northwest 2nd floor SSC hall) and submit their vote for the best overall poster.
Keynote Speaker
The 2021 keynote speaker is yet to be decided. Last year, Dr. Betty Elder--a 40-year veteran of teaching microbiology, a department chair, and great supporter of undergraduate research--addressed the symposium.
Submitting Projects for Participation
To participate, students must complete and submit the Abstract Submission Form. The submission deadline for 2021 is March 12th. This submission must be made by the project advisor through GeorgiaView.
Useful Files
Abstract Submission Form (2021 update)
PowerPoint Poster Template (2020 update)
Oral Presentation Judging Rubric
Poster Creation and Printing Guidelines
Poster Judging Rubric
Frequently-Asked Questions
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No. Only abstracts received by the listed deadline will be considered for the Symposium.
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Yes, as long as the project you present this year is sufficiently different from the one you did last year. It is up to you and/or your faculty mentor to explain the differences to the organizing committee evaluating the abstracts.
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Students who have graduated less than a year before the symposium can still present their research, provided the project has not been submitted to a previous GSW undergraduate research symposium (see above).
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Yes, as long as the two projects are distinctly different. However, keep in mind that the logistics of when you give those presentations may affect this. For example, you cannot present two posters in the same symposium because there is only one poster session and you cannot stand at two different posters at the same time.
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No. Faculty mentors will not be assigned to judge a session in which their student is competing. This is to avoid any conflicts of interest.
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Yes. All studies involving human subjects MUST receive approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the project begins. This is in keeping with federal guidelines. You must submit proof of your IRB approval along with your abstract. For more information about IRB approval and how to obtain it, please see the Georgia Southwestern IRB website.
