Research Days Contest Rules

Competition Rules

1. The competition is open to all degree-seeking UAB graduate students. Students must be enrolled during the semester in which the competition is held. All participants must have data to present. Therefore, you must be in the 4th semester of your program or beyond. Because postdoctoral fellows are eligible to judge the competition, no postdocs will be allowed to compete.


2. The competition will be limited to 50 master’s students, competing on Tuesday, February 26, and 150 doctoral students, competing on Wednesday & Thursday, February 27 & 28. These limits will be strictly enforced and will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible participants.


3. The presentations are oral (no posters). Computers (pre-loaded with the presentations) and LCD projectors will be provided by the Graduate School.


4. The research project must represent research pursued at UAB in the academic year 2012-2013.


5. The student must follow principles of responsible conduct to research.


6. Students must use the abstract form available on the GSRD homepage, www.uab.edu/graduate/researchday, and must submit the abstract electronically by clicking the rectangle on the bottom of page 2 labeled "Press here once to send the form."


7. Each entrant is required to submit a typed abstract of no more than 250 words in length describing the research project. Abstracts are due no later than 12:00 noon on January 25, 2013. A student will only be allowed to submit ONE abstract. It is essential that the abstract embody the points listed in #16 below.


8. The entire abstract form must be filled out completely before clicking the "submit" button. Your mentor should be aware that you are submitting an abstract and if you are accepted into the competition, will be notified of your abstract submission.


9. All PowerPoint or PDF presentations (Microsoft Office 2007-PC compatible) that will be used in the competition must be brought by the student (no runners) to the Graduate School on a flash drive in accordance with the following schedule:
   
   
   • Master’s presentations are due in the Graduate School offices, HUC 511, no later than 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22.
   
   
   • ALL Doctoral presentations are due in the Graduate School offices, HUC 511, no later than 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 25.


10. Each student will have NO MORE than 5 minutes to upload the FINAL version of her/his presentation according to the schedule listed in #9. If the student has technical issues that take longer than the allotted 10 minutes, then the student must work out the issues elsewhere (there is a computer lab on the 4th floor of the HUC) and return before the 7:00 p.m. deadline on the day the student’s presentation is due.


11. Do NOT email your presentation. It will NOT be accepted. You will not be allowed to bring a CD, USB drive, or any storage media into the competition or change your presentation the day of the competition. 


12. Students will be immediately disqualified for the following reasons:
    
    
    • Treating fellow student participants or Graduate School personnel in a non-professional way when uploading your presentation or during the competition
    
    
    • Being disruptive during presentations (repeatedly entering and leaving; talking) 
    
    
    • Trying to change your presentation at the competition


13. If you are disqualified for any reason, your mentor/advisor and program director will be notified.


14. Where multiple people are involved in the research, the student must acknowledge them within the presentation.


15. The presentation—although not judged specifically on presentation skills—must be unified, coherent, and delivered according to appropriate standards for formal public address.


16. The presentation will be judged on the following criteria:
    
    
    • Creativity (if applicable)—Originality in subject, research question(s), approach, analysis, and interpretation
    • Approach—Thesis statement, problem statement and scope, research plan, ties to related and future work
    
    
    • Thoroughness—Completeness, including experimental replication and evidence-supported conclusions
    
    
    • Skill—Student skill, type and level of supervision, use of equipment
    
    
    • Clarity —Precision of purpose, procedures, and conclusions; orderly presentation of data, results, and conclusions; answers to oral questions
    
    
    • Abstract—Adequacy, clarity, conciseness


17. Each participant will be limited to 12 minutes for presentation, with 3 additional minutes for questions from the judging panel. Timekeepers will enforce both of these time limits strictly.


18. The research project must be under the direction of a member of the UAB Graduate Faculty.


19. Submission of an abstract implies that any required IRB or IACUC approval is complete.


20. Co-presentations will not be allowed.

08/10/2012