Navigating the UCF Student Scholar Symposium: A Comprehensive Guide
The University of Central Florida (UCF) hosts the Student Scholar Symposium, a dynamic forum where undergraduate and graduate students showcase their research and creative projects. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the Symposium, including guidelines, opportunities, and related events.
Introduction: Celebrating Research and Scholarship
UCF is committed to celebrating research and creative scholarship. The Student Scholar Symposium, combined with events like Student Research Week, provides a platform for students to present their work to the UCF and Central Florida community. These events encourage undergraduate and graduate students to engage with the UCF research community and discover avenues for connection.
The Student Scholar Symposium: A Deep Dive
The Student Scholar Symposium is a poster-based event open to UCF undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines. It provides an opportunity to present current or recently completed academic projects, reflecting the diverse academic landscape at UCF.
Key Dates
The 2026 Student Scholar Symposium will occur on March 25-26.
Presentation and Judging
Participants are evaluated on their poster and their ability to articulate their research. Key judging criteria include:
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Clear Focus: A clearly defined central research question or objective. The presentation should explicitly state what the project has accomplished or aims to achieve.
Organized Presentation: Details about the project should be presented logically, thoughtfully, and in an organized manner. Mastery of the subject should be evident.
Clear Presentation of Results: The project's results, product, performance, or expected outcome should be clearly presented.
Important Guidelines for Presenters
Faculty Mentorship: Students must conduct research or creative scholarship under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Mentors typically hold a terminal degree in their field and have a full-time appointment with an academic department at UCF or another institution.
Attendance: All student presenters are required to attend the Symposium in person. Projects cannot be presented in absentia.
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Poster Submission: Accepted student presenters must upload their poster image to Oxford Abstracts before the event. This allows faculty judges to review submissions in advance. Failure to submit the poster before the deadline will disqualify students from scholarship awards.
Individual Submissions: Individual students may only be the primary author (who submits a project) on one judged poster. They may be listed as an additional author on another judged poster.
Judging Process
UCF community members from various disciplines serve as judges for the Symposium. During the public presentation phase, at least one judge will interview presenters to determine the best projects in each category. It is vital that your project is straightforward and clear for an audience of educated non-experts.
Student Research Week: A Broader Celebration
Student Research Week is an annual event at UCF that celebrates research and creative scholarship. The week includes workshops and events, offering opportunities for current and prospective researchers to advance their careers and contribute to their communities.
Signature Events within Student Research Week
Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE): SURE is a poster forum where UCF undergraduates present their research and creative projects to the university community.
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Graduate Research Forum: This event provides graduate students with a platform to present their research and scholarship.
Connecting Research to Impact
The Impact of Research Competition challenges students to present their work in a 5-minute oral presentation, highlighting its real-world benefits, such as solving problems, improving lives, or benefiting society.
Other Research Opportunities and Resources
UCF provides various other avenues for students to engage in research and showcase their work.
The 5 Minute Launch
The 5 Minute Launch, part of the Fall Research Symposium, is an undergraduate research competition where presenters highlight their research to a non-expert audience within 5 minutes.
Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC)
FURC is an annual, multidisciplinary conference open to all undergraduate researchers in Florida. The conference, hosted at a different Florida university each year, features research presentations and exhibitors from graduate programs.
Florida Undergraduate Research Association (FURA)
The Florida Undergraduate Research Association (FURA) hosts an annual advocacy event for undergraduate research in the Florida state capitol. Students with poster presentation experience and a passion for undergraduate research can apply to represent UCF at this event.
National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity across all fields of study. NCUR hosts an annual conference for student scholars from all institutions and disciplines.
Honors Undergraduate Thesis Program
The Honors Undergraduate Thesis program guides students through researching, writing, and defending a research thesis in their major. These theses are published online through the UCF Library.
Publication Opportunities
Florida Undergraduate Research Journal: This journal publishes undergraduate research from all disciplines and campuses in Florida.
Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal (URJ): The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) plans to collaborate with campus partners to relaunch the URJ in a way that best meets the needs of undergraduate researchers and faculty mentors.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Those interested in sponsoring Student Research Week can find more information on the UCF website.
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