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Submission and Presentation Guidelines

groups of students standing together with conference name badges on

Submissions for 2024 have closed

Eligibility

All Drexel students who are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program or who have recently graduated in the current academic year are welcome to submit.*

*Students enrolled in accelerated degree programs must be fully converted to graduate level status (GR) at the time of the conference in order to be eligible to present. If you are not sure, please contact graduatecollege@drexel.edu. All are welcome and encouraged to engage with the conference as attendees!

On the submission form, you will be asked to select your preferences for:

  1. Research Poster Presentation (in person only)
  2. Oral Research Presentation (virtual or in person)
  3. Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Presentation (in person only, doctoral students only)

Submission does NOT guarantee selection; however, we encourage all eligible students to submit, including new or junior level graduate students, as this free, on-campus conference opportunity which will help students gain confidence in submitting and presenting their work to an interdisciplinary audience, receive constructive feedback from faculty and professional staff reviewers and judges, engage in academic and professional development, network with individuals outside of their immediate field and across the university, and compete for monetary awards. Please note that your abstract need not address the conference theme directly.

Please review all of the information below prior to submission.

Submission Guidelines

  • You will be asked to submit an abstract in both plain text and PDF as part of the submission form. You can use this SAMPLE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION [PDF] as a template.
  • An abstract is a short summary of your research or work. Your abstract should report the aims and outcomes of your research or work so that reader knows exactly what to expect from a longer work or presentation. Use the question "So What?" to guide your abstract writing.
  • Your abstract should be approximately 150-250 words and no longer than one-page in length.
  • Register and attend pre-conference workshops.
  • You may also wish to refer to abstract writing guides, such as this one from George Mason University or this one from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Selection Criteria

Submissions are reviewed using the following criteria:

  • Objective - Includes a clear summary of the project, methods, results, and conclusions
  • Significance -  Outlines the broader impact or significance of the work
  • Novelty - Evidence of novel ideas, creative thinking, and/or collaboration
  • Accessibility - Easily understood by a broad audience, such as outside of the field of study, avoiding or explaining technical jargon in lay language
  • Quality - Free of spelling and grammatical errors, follows guidelines

Presentation Guidelines

Research Poster Presentation Guidelines

  • Posters must be printed and brought to the conference as instructed and prior to your assigned poster judging session. The preferred size for posters is 48" W X 36" H. Posters cannot be wider than 48".
  • Posters will be assigned a numeric poster board which will be set up in advanced in Bossone.
  • Poster presenters are expected to be physically present during their assigned session(s) for both viewing and judging. Each poster will be assigned 2-3 judges who will report to the poster during judging and ask you to explain your work. Presenters should be prepared with a 3-5 minute elevator pitch which is based on the judging criteria which will be shared in advance.
  • Posters should be taken down at the conclusion of your assigned session and/or by end of conference. Posters which are left behind will be available for pick-up in the Graduate College for up to one week following the conference and then discarded. We are not responsible for lost or stolen posters.
  • Some colleges/schools, departments or programs may have specific guidance on poster layout, organization, etc. Please consult with your advisor. See an example poster from the College of Medicine. You may also wish to view the videos on the Discovery Day website under "Poster Presentation Guidelines & Resources". Please note that these are specific to the College of Medicine, but do offer some general guidance and advice which you may find useful.

IN-PERSON Oral Research Presentation Guidelines

  • Presentation visuals must be submitted in advance prior to the conference as we will run a single slide deck during the session. Deadline is Thursday, April 18, 2024.
  • Oral research presenters will have approximately 15 minutes for their presentation and up to 5 minutes for questions (20 minutes total). Moderators will keep time and notify you when you have five minutes left. If you go over, we will not allow time for questions.
  • Please avoid using technical jargon and explain your work in lay terms as much as possible so that your presentation can be understood by audiences from all disciplines.
  • The use of visual aids, video, audio, and audience engagement are highly encouraged. We recommend attending a pre-conference workshop to learn more about the effective use of visual aids and how to communicate your scholarly work.
  • Presenters should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your assigned session to check in and test your audio/video/presentation.

VIRTUAL Oral Research Presentation Guidelines

  • Oral research presentations will be conducted via live synchronous sessions via Zoom meeting. Presenters will share their screen with any visuals.
  • Oral research presenters will have approximately 15 minutes for their presentation and up to 5 minutes for questions (20 minutes total). Moderators will keep time and notify you when you have five minutes left. If you go over, we will not allow time for questions.
  • Please avoid using technical jargon and explain your work in lay terms as much as possible so that your presentation can be understood by audiences from all disciplines.
  • The use of visual aids, video, audio, and audience engagement are highly encouraged. We recommend attending a pre-conference workshop to learn more about the effective use of visual aids and how to communicate your scholarly work.
  • Presenters should plan to log in at least 15 minutes prior to your assigned session to check in and test your audio/video/presentation.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition

Drexel University's official Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition occurs annually at the Drexel Emerging Graduate Scholars Conference and follows the guidelines of the global phenomenon, Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition, founded by the University of Queensland. The international competition, in which over 600 universities and institutions across more than 59 countries participate, emphasizes presenting research within a three-minute time limit, using only a static PowerPoint slide, and in a jargon-free language understood by an audience of non-specialists. Through this, doctoral students are able to enhance their academic presentation and research communication skills, while their work is able to reach a broader audience.

While the official competition only permits Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates to participate, all currently enrolled Drexel doctoral candidates, including professional doctorates, and recent alumni are invited to apply to participate in Drexel's Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition by submitting an abstract for review via the process outlined above.

Check out the competition rules and some award-winning Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) presentations.

3MT® Presentation Guidelines

  • In person only.
  • Open to all currently enrolled Drexel doctoral candidates and recent alumni.
  • Our competition will follow the international competition rules of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®), please review prior to submission.
  • Your single slide will be due in advance so we can run a single slide deck. Deadline is Thursday, April 18, 2024.
  • The three-minute time limit will be enforced; presenters will be cut off at three minutes.
  • We recommend attending a pre-conference workshop to learn more and hear some tips and tricks for effective presentations.
  • Presenters should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the session to check in and get an overview of instructions.
  • We highly recommend practicing in a mirror and/or recording yourself presenting to practice.

 

3MT - Three Minute Thesis - Founded by the University of Queensland

 More Information

Monetary prizes will be awarded for research posters, oral research presentations, and Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition as determined by the judges scores. Rubrics will be provided to presenters in advance. Judges will include Drexel postdoctoral fellows, alumni, faculty, and professional staff.

Questions? Contact graduatecollege@drexel.edu.

Accommodation Requests

Disability Resources provides equal opportunity and equal access to programs and activities for all individuals at Drexel University and empowers individuals who have documented disabilities by working together proactively to provide reasonable accommodations. To request accommodations for this event, please contact the Disability Resources at disability@drexel.edu. We appreciate requests at least 72 hours in advance. Thank you!