Undergraduate Research Forum

Student Registration & Abstract Submission Period: Monday, February 10, 2025 –Friday, April 4, 2025.

• If registering for a group: Groups are limited to a maximum of 4 team members. One team member should submit a single registration for all students in the group. Only undergraduate students should be listed as part of the project.
• All student presenters are required to submit their abstract (300 words or less) as a Microsoft Word document, containing the Project Title at the time of registration. Abstracts should also be submitted by pasting the text into this form.

Registration link will be available in February 2025

Alumni & UIC Judge Sign-Up: Monday, February 10, 2025 –Friday, April 4, 2025.

Registration link will be available in February 2025

What: UIC Undergraduate Research Forum 2025

Where: UIC Dorin Forum – 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60607

When: Monday, April 21, 2025

Parking: Lot 5 – 1135 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60607

Masking: Masking is encouraged for all attendees.

Metal Detector Check: All attendees will be required to undergo a metal detector check upon entry. Persons entering metal detectors will be required to remove their phone, keys, coins, wallet, etc. from their pockets. Please familiarize yourself with the details of the Dorin Forum metal detector security check policy prior to arrival.

Bag Policy: Student presenters will be permitted to bring backpacks into the Forum. Otherwise, bags and large purses are restricted according to the Dorin Forum bag policy. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the policy for bags, purses, and backpacks prior to arrival.

10:30 am | Student Presenter Check-In Begins

• Arrive as close to 10:30am as you are able to in order to get set up in your presentation location.
• At check-in you will need to present:
  • Your I-Card
• At check-in you will receive:
  • Your presentation location & presentation ID number
  • Map of the space
  • Schedule for the day
  • Wi-Fi access card
  • A sign to post at your presentation location should you need to step away for a few minutes

12:00 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Begin

• During this time, over the course of two-and-a-half hours, you will have the opportunity to give your 7 minute presentation to various UIC faculty, staff, and alumni judges as well as other students, faculty, staff and guests as they make their way through the space.
  • Each presentation will be assigned several judges who will visit during the judging period to listen to your presentation, view your poster/visual, and ask some questions about your project.
  • Be prepared to speak to a wide academic audience and answer questions!
• Keep an eye out for informational tables hosted by various academic and administrative units across campus. The tables will be set up in the hallway just outside the presentation space.

2:30 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Ends

• Student presentations will end, and judges will have some time to submit their final scores.
• Use this short break to grab a drink of water, use the restroom, or even stop by another student’s presentation (time allowing).

2:45 pm | Keynote Address & Awards Ceremony

• Come together with your peers and other attendees in the main hall for a keynote address and awards for top scoring presentations in the following categories:
  • Life Sciences
  • Arts, Design & Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics
  • Engineering and the Physical Sciences
  • Honors Capstone

4:00 pm | The event concludes

11:00 am | Judge Check-In Begins

• Upon arrival, you will need to present:
  • Your I-Card
• At check-in, you will receive a judging folder that will include:
  • Paper scorecards for notetaking and instructions for digitally submitting your scores
  • A copy of the project abstracts for each presentation assigned to you for judging
  • A map of the space
  • Wi-Fi access card
  • Judging Tips and Sample Questions
  • Schedule for the Day
• After check-in, you will be invited to the Judges Rooms for a brief welcome and orientation before judging begins at 12pm. You will be able to use this same location at any point during the judging period to take a break and/or to submit your scores.

12:00 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Begins

• During this time, over the course of two-and-a-half hours, you will have the opportunity to review your assigned student presentations and possibly to view additional presentations at your own pace.
• Using the map provided and the presentation ID numbers assigned to each presentation, you will be able to locate your assigned presentations for judging.
• Each presentation should last approximately 7 minutes with time thereafter for a chance for you to ask questions of the student(s) to learn more about their work.
  • During these presentations you can use the provided paper scorecards to take notes and to reference when you submit your final scores later.
  • Presentations should be tailored for a general academic audience and therefore it is expected that you may be assigned one or more presentations in an area outside of your field.
• After you have reviewed all of your assigned presentations, feel free to view others and connect with other faculty, staff, alumni and students in attendance, but be sure to submit your final scores no later than 2:45pm. You can use the link provided on the paper scorecards to access the electronic scorecard.
  • We invite you to return to the Judges Room at this time so you can submit your scores in a quiet setting. There will be plenty of chairs and tables in the Judges Room.

2:30 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Ends

• Student presentations will end and judges will have several minutes to submit their final scores before the 2:45pm deadline if they have not already done so.
• Use this short break to grab a drink of water, use the restroom, and/or submit your final scores.

2:45 pm | Keynote & Awards Ceremony & Score Submission Cutoff

• Score Submission Cutoff
  • At this time, the digital scorecard will shut down and no additional scores will be received online.
• Keynote & Awards Ceremony
  • Join us in the main hall for a keynote address and awards for top scoring presentations in the following categories:
    • Life Sciences
    • Arts, Design & Humanities
    • Social Sciences
    • Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics
    • Engineering and the Physical Sciences
    • Honors Capstone

4:00 pm | The event concludes.

This event is open to UIC students, faculty, staff, and invited guests.

12:00 pm | Guest Admission & Student Presentations Begin

• Guest check-in
• After check-in, you will have two-and-a-half-hours to explore the forum and student presentations at your own pace.

2:30 pm | Student Presentations and Judging Ends

• Use this short break to grab a drink of water or use the restroom before the keynote address and awards ceremony begins at 2:45pm.
• Join us in the main hall for a keynote address  and awards for top scoring presentations in the following categories:
  • Life Sciences
  • Arts, Design & Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics
  • Engineering and the Physical Sciences
  • Honors Capstone

4:00 pm | The event concludes.

• Presentations will take place from 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the UIC Dorin Forum on the day of the event (April 21, 2025).
• Posters will be mounted on fencing inside the main hall of the Forum. Each student will be assigned a designated space for their poster and presentation.
• While you are not required to have a poster or visual aid, it is STRONGLY encouraged.
• Your presentation should be approximately 7 minutes in length and you should allow for approximately 3 minutes of Q&A immediately following your presentation with a judge and/or visitor(s).
• Presenters are encouraged to consult with their mentors about what to include in their research poster or other applicable visual aid.
• Presenters should be prepared to explain their poster and project to a non-specialist audience of students, faculty, and staff.

Learn more about crafting a stellar presentation with the Poster Design & Presentation Video Workshop presented by the UIC Honors College.

All students who register to present at the 2025 UIC Undergraduate Research Forum are required to submit a project abstract of 300 words or less as a Word document, no later than 11:59pm on Monday April 4, 2025. Updates will be listed on submission guidelines.

Abstract content will vary depending on the nature of the project, but the abstract should summarize the project in language that is understandable to a broad academic audience. The abstract submission must include the following:

• Project Title
• Abstract Author Name(s)- Only include undergraduate students
• Abstract Text (maximum of 300 words)
  • An abstract typically includes a sentence or two that introduces the project/research; a statement related to the significance of the research; and a summary of the project’s methodology, results, and conclusion(s).

Learn more about abstracts with the Abstract Writing Video Workshop presented by the UIC Honors College.

• 48”x36” recommended, matte required (not glossy or fabric), in horizontal (landscape) format.
• General font size recommendations: Title=60pt, Author’s Name=48pt, Headers=36pt, Text=24-30pt. Helvetica or Arial fonts work well for legibility.
• Use simple fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Posters should be legible at 3 to 4 feet away and the project title should be legible from at least 6 feet away from the poster.
• There must be a minimum of a 3/4-inch border around the outside of the poster.
• Photos, graphics, illustrations, graphs, and tables add visual interest to posters.
• If using an image from another source, it must either be licensed, or you must have written permission granting you use of the image by the creator. High-quality images work best since low-resolution images don’t reproduce well.
• Avoid using dark backgrounds behind your body text; dark backgrounds can sometimes work well for presentations on computers (e.g., PowerPoint files), but they generally do not work well for printed text. Dark backgrounds behind titles on printed posters, on the other hand, may be acceptable since titles should be in bold font.
• Make sure that your formatting is consistent throughout the poster. For example, if you have an extra line break below one section title, make sure the same spacing is used below other section titles.

Learn more about crafting a poster with the Poster Design & Presentation Video Workshop presented by the UIC Honors College.

[Note: The instructions in this section do not apply to Honors College students presenting a Capstone. If you are an Honors College student presenting a Capstone, please see the relevant section below.]

UIC students will be offered free poster printing from PosterNerd. Free standard shipping is included in the poster printing cost. The link and UIC student code for poster printing will be made available to students after the have registered for the research forum. Posters must be shipped either to a student’s personal residence or to the office of their faculty supervisor or their department, but only in cases where explicit permission to do so has been obtained.

The final deadline for poster printing orders via PosterNerd will be Monday, April 14, 2025.

All posters should be 48″x36″ in horizontal orientation (i.e., landscape). Free poster printing from PosterNerd will be available for students presenting an Honors Capstone at the URF event. The link for printing of posters will be provided via the Blackboard HON 322 site. We anticipate the final deadline for poster printing orders via PosterNerd  will be Monday, April 14, 2025. Keep an eye on the Blackboard HON 322 site for further information.

UIC Honors College Capstone Project Information & Best Practices Video Presentation

A Closer Look at the Capstone Project presented by the UIC Honors College