Biological Sciences

Student Research Symposium 2024

The Twenty-Eighth Annual Biological Sciences Student Research Symposium will be held on Friday, May 10, 2024. Both graduate and undergraduate students can contribute research done with a faculty or in conjunction with a class.  Poster check-in is between 7:45 and 9 am outside Holt 225. Posters must be displayed by 9 am and students present the posters in a public viewing session from 1:00 to 3:30 pm.

Our awards ceremony will be held at 4:00 pm in Holt 170. Biology students are also invited join us for FREE dinner at Sylvester's Cafe following the awards ceremony @ 5:00 pm.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Submit abstracts here. Projects must fall into one of the following categories:

  1. Direct application of the scientific method to investigate a biological question.
  2. Development of a method or the collection of observations that could lead to an investigation.

Posters will be grouped and evaluated within five divisions:

  • Undergraduate Research
  • Lower division class project
  • Upper division class project
  • Graduate class project
  • Master's Thesis Research

Submission of Abstracts

Electronically submit an abstract to the Department of Biological Sciences by Friday, May 3, 2024, 5:00 pm. Abstracts are limited to 250 words. Abstracts of greater length will be returned to author(s). 

Authors will also be asked the following questions, which must be completed to be accepted (this is not part of your 250-word abstract):

  • Title of the research project
  • Author(s) names and e-mail addresses
  • Sponsoring faculty member name (e.g. Biol 399, 499H, 697)
  • or
  • Lab instructor (Class projects)
  • Course number and section
  • Category (choose one of the following):
    • Undergraduate Research
    • Lower division class project
    • Upper division class project
    • Graduate class project
    • Master's Thesis Research
Abstract which includes a brief description of the significance of the research, the experimental hypotheses, methods employed, results, and significance of conclusions.

Submit abstracts using this Google form. Submit abstracts using this Google form. NOTE: you must be logged in through your Wildcat portal.

IMPORTANT NOTE: you will NOT receive any confirmation of abstracts received unless they are incomplete, so please check you have all information correct before you submit, and then check for any response in case you need to make changes.  Abstract deadline is FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024, 5:00 pm.

Poster Guidelines

The purpose of a scientific poster is to communicate your research and to initiate discussion. Posters should be self-explanatory and should convey research results in a clear, concise fashion. Your poster should contain all the major sections of a scientific paper: Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions/Discussion. Sections should be clearly identified and arranged in columns. It is suggested that section headings, if they were to be printed, be at 10 mm height. All other text should be legible from a distance of 4 feet (5 to 10 mm height). ( Example 1 (PDF)Example 2 (PDF))

Poster Space

A suggested poster size is 3 feet by 4 feet, though the maximum size is 4 feet by 6 feet. Posters may be printed in a landscape (horizontal) fashion or portrait (vertical) fashion. 

Contents

  • Title and Authors: Place the title and names of authors at the top center of the poster. For readability, the title should be 15 mm in height (Legible from 10 feet, if they were printed).
  • Introduction: Give a brief background/foundation, then state the purpose of your research as either a question or hypothesis.
  • Methods: Brief description of the techniques, data collection, replicas and statistics you used. Omit unnecessary detail.
  • Results: Professionally prepared tables and graphs that are easy to read and understand.
  • Conclusions: What did you find out? Did you accept or reject your hypothesis? Describe results in terms of general biological principles. What is the significance of the findings?

How to Make a Full-Size poster

Suggestion is to create the poster in MS Powerpoint (using your own design or using one of the templates below). Some vendors will require you to convert to a PDF file. Printing can be done at Meriam Library, Room 204(opens in new window) (the Rapid Graphics Shop). A color 3 foot by 4 foot poster costs $36.00, and the turn-around time is approximately 2 days. (there is no Black & White option) There are other vendors in Chico, for example Ellis Art & Engineering Reprographics(opens in new window). A 3 foot by 4 foot poster costs about $18.00 in Black & White, and about $42.00 in color.


Box.com Folder with Poster PowerPoint Templates

Templates in Folder:
Basic Professional 48x36
Light to Dark 48x36
Multicolor Gradients 48x36
Neon Boxes 48x36
Tricolor Sidebars 48x36