Submit to Present

Submissions for the 2025 conference have closed.

Eligibility

All Drexel students who are currently enrolled in a graduate-level degree program (JD, MD, master’s, professional doctorate, PhD) in any field/department/college/school or who have recently graduated from a graduate degree program in the current academic year (including summer, fall, and winter) are welcome to submit to present at DEGS.

Students enrolled in accelerated degree programs (BS/MS) must be fully converted to graduate level status (GR) at the time of the conference to be eligible to present at DEGS. If you are not sure about your student status, 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 first-choice preference for the following presentation formats:

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 review all of the information below and in our FAQs 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 the 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 (and presentations) are reviewed based on 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 - Quality of writing, free of spelling and grammatical errors, follows guidelines for this conference

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 36 inches in height by 48 inches in width (36" x 48" landscape). Please refer to our FAQs for more information about how to prepare and where to print your poster. Unfortunately, we are not able to cover the cost of printing, but we encourage you to seek support for funding within your department or elsewhere.
• We will provide an easel, tri-fold foam core board, and binder clips for mounting your poster. If you wish to bring your own binder clips, tape, double-sided tape, etc. please feel free to do so, but it will not be provided for you.
• Posters will be assigned a numeric poster board which will be set up in advanced in the Third Floor Atrium of Bossone. Please check in on the first floor of the Bossone at least 15 minutes prior to your assigned poster session session to allow enough time to set up. When you check in, you will also receive your assigned poster number and you should proceed to mount your poster onto the assigned board using the binder clips provide.
• Poster presenters are expected to be physically present during their assigned session for both viewing and judging, which will occur simultaneously. Each poster will be assigned at least one judge who will report to the poster during the session and ask you to explain your work. Presenters should be prepared with a three to five minute "elevator pitch" for both judges and viewers. You may do a presentation to a small group as space allows. Please refer to the judge's rubric and evaluation criteria which will be shared in advance.
• We highly recommend attending a pre-conference workshop to learn more about the effective use of visual aids, poster organizations, and how to communicate your scholarly work.
• Posters should be taken down at the conclusion of your assigned session. Posters which are left behind will be 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.
• There will also be a photographer present at the event. Please let them know if you do NOT wish to be photographed during the conference.

IN-PERSON Oral Research Presentation Guidelines

• Presentation visuals must be submitted in advance by the noted deadline prior to the conference as we will run a single slide deck during the session on a primary laptop. Please use Microsoft PowerPoint in widescreen format (16:9) for presentation visuals, if possible. Other programs or slide sizes may not run smoothly for the in-room A/V and livestream and cause delays which may reduce your presentation time. Please let us know if you have any audio or video in your presentation so it may be tested by our A/V team in advance.
• Oral research presenters will have 15 minutes for their presentation and up to 5 minutes for questions, if time allows (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 highly 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. That is the spirit of the DEGS Conference (and part of the challenge)! Please refer to the judge's rubric and evaluation criteria which will be shared in advance.
• 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 their assigned session to check in in the lobby and be seated near the front of the Mitchell Auditorium. It is important that you plan to be present for your entire session in case we run early or late, or presenters drop out. We cannot guarantee that you'll be able to test your slides in advance as the room may be occupied for other presentations.
• Presenters may use the microphone at the podium or a handheld microphone if you wish to move around the stage. We will also provide a slide advancer. Be sure not to block your presentation on the large screen which will be located behind you. The primary laptop at the podium will be put into presentation mode if you need the use of any notes or for timing.
• We will be livestreaming and recording presentations. Please let us know if you wish NOT to be livestreamed/recorded. There will also be a photographer present at the event. Please let them know if you do NOT wish to be photographed during the conference.

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 15 minutes for their presentation and up to 5 minutes for questions, if time allows (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 highly 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. That is the spirit of the DEGS Conference (and part of the challenge)! Please refer to the judge's rubric and evaluation criteria which will be shared in advance.
• 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. It is important that you plan to be present for your entire session in case we run early or late, or presenters drop out.
• We will be recording presentations. Please let us know if you wish NOT to be recorded.

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 rules and guidelines of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®), please review prior to submission.
• Your single static Microsoft PowerPoint slide in widescreen format (16:9) must be submitted in advance by the noted deadline prior to the conference as we will run a single slide deck during the session on a primary PC laptop.
  
• Each presenter will have three minutes to present their slide. Moderators will keep time and notify you via the ring of a bell when you have 30 seconds left. We will politely stop you at three minutes. Time will start when a presenter starts speaking. There is no visual clock or countdown in the room.
• Please avoid using highly 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. That is the spirit of the DEGS Conference (and part of the challenge)! Please refer to the judge's rubric and evaluation criteria which will be shared in advance.
• We highly 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 their assigned session to check in in the lobby and be seated near the front of the Mitchell Auditorium. It is important that you plan to be present for your entire session in case we run early or late, or presenters drop out. We cannot guarantee that you'll be able to test your slides in advance as the room may be occupied for other presentations.
• Presenters may use the microphone at the podium or a handheld wireless microphone if you wish to move around the stage. Be sure not to block your presentation on the large screen which will be located directly behind you. Lapel mics/packs are not available so we recommend practicing with an object in one hand if you plan to move around the stage. The laptop with your slide will be situated on the podium and your slide will be displayed directly behind you if you need to reference it. There are no additional screens or clocks in the room.
• We highly recommend practicing in a mirror, recording and/or timing yourself presenting to practice.
• We will be livestreaming and recording presentations. Please let us know if you wish NOT to be livestreamed/recorded. There will also be a photographer present at the event. Please let him know if you do NOT wish to be photographed during the conference.

More Information

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

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!