Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum

The Office of Undergraduate Research offers undergraduates the opportunity to present their student research and scholarly achievements to the Mizzou community multiple times each year.

Spring Forum

At the Spring Forum, undergraduates from ANY MAJOR AND ALL ACADEMIC LEVELS are eligible to present their work. All student participants and the Outstanding Undergraduate Mentor Award winners will be honored at the Recognition Ceremony.

Summer Forum

The Summer Forum, is a smaller and more relaxed event for students living and conducting research on or around campus during the summer semester. Students from any major and academic level are able to submit abstracts and present their research, but there are no judges or awards are given for the summer forum.

Application Instructions

The online application is mandatory. In addition, you will receive instructions for submitting your abstract once your application has been submitted. This is a two-part process that must be completed by the deadline! Students should select the ONE category that they believe best represents their area of research or scholarly work.

Discuss your abstract with your faculty research mentor BEFORE submitting
Tell your mentor that abstracts will be posted on the Forum website and printed in the Forum abstract book.
If your mentor does NOT want your abstract posted online, check the appropriate box on the submission form.
If your research participation is being funded by an outside source, ask your mentor what the funding source is, because you will need to include it on the application.
Verify the official name of your major and the department of your mentor before submitting your application and abstract. (Find your major: https://majors.missouri.edu/)

Abstracts & Presentations

Abstracts and Artist Statements cannot exceed 300 words.

Artistic Expression Projects: Students should submit artist statements as their abstracts. Artist statements should introduce to the art, performance, or creative work and include information on media and methods in creating the pieces. The statements should also include a description of the inspiration for the work, the meaning the work signifies to the artist, the artistic influences, and any unique methods used to create the pieces. Students are encouraged to explain the connections of the work with their inspirations or themes. The statements should be specific to the work presented and not a general statements about the students’ artistic philosophies and approaches. Effective artist statements should provide the viewer with information to better understand the work of the artists. If presentations are based on previous performances, then students may include reflections on the performance experiences and audience reactions.
Applied Design Projects: Abstracts should describe the nature of the project or piece (ex: architectural images used for a charrette, fashion plates, advertising campaign story boards) and its intended purpose. Students should describe the project or problem that they addressed and limitations and challenges that impact the design process. Students may wish to include research conducted to provide context for the project and inform the design process. A description of the clients/end users may be included. Information on inspirations, motivations, and influences may also be included as appropriate to the discipline and project. A description of the project outcome should be included.
Research Projects: Abstracts should include a short introduction or background to put the research into context; purpose of the research project; a problem statement or thesis; a brief description of materials, methods, or subjects (as appropriate for the discipline); results and analysis; conclusions and implications; and recommendations. For research projects still in progress at the time of abstract submission, students may opt to indicate that results and conclusions will be presented [at the Forum].

Once your abstract has been successfully submitted, you and your mentor will receive an automatic confirmation email. Please check your junk mail folder if you do not see it in your inbox.

Joint Posters

If your project is a joint poster with another MU Undergraduate AND you are co-presenting, BOTH partners need to submit abstracts. Both submissions should have the same title and abstract, but your name should be the first author on your submission, and your partner’s name should be the first author on their submission. The other authors should remain the same.

Check the box indicating that you’re submitting a joint poster, and include both partners’ names.

If you are working with another undergraduate who is not co-presenting your poster, you don’t need to check the box or fill out a separate form.

Need to know where to print a poster? Click Here

Displaying your project

Helpful Poster Format Information

The board you will pin your poster on is 45″ x 45″ (pins will be provided).
However, many large format printers are limited to 41″ in height. Therefore, your poster may be 41″ x 45″. Check with the printing facility you will be using.
Additionally, many poster storage tubes are only 43″ tall.

Most students will opt to prepare a poster that will be displayed on a 45”x45” cork board. Push pins will be provided. Posters may follow the format of a typical research poster. Posters may also be used to visually communicate the nature of your project, results, and reflections – this approach is particularly well suited to artistic performances or multi-piece design projects. Students may opt to display a small object related to their research and scholarship on a small table next to their poster. Examples of objects may include a 3-D model of a chemical module, jaw bones of reptiles for comparative purposes, or prototypes of new designs for artificial limbs. Students may also find that a laptop computer or iPad will provide relevant digital images or performances to their projects. Digital images should be used to illustrate examples that cannot be easily shown on a poster. These images should not take the place of a poster. [Students will not be permitted to only show digital images on a laptop in lieu of a poster. Students can use the poster space to describe the following: the context of the project, the nature of the project, the methods or experience, and results or reflections.]

Students with performing arts projects may find that a short excerpt of the performance recorded on an iPad or laptop will complement their project poster. Some 3-D projects, such as architectural design or theater set design, are best displayed on a larger table top with accompanying printed descriptions displayed on a poster or easel or built in as part of the 3-D project display. Many artistic expression or design projects are best displayed as the final product (i.e., fashion design on a mannequin, ceramic sculpture on a pedestal, framed painting) and may be displayed as such, along with an accompanying printed description and artist statement. The Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievements Forum is not currently set-up to accommodate performances or podium presentations. Please contact the Undergraduate Research Staff if you need suggestions on how your can participate with your project in a way that can be accommodated.

If your display needs are beyond a single 45”x45” corkboard or a corkboard display is not appropriate for your project, you will be asked as you submit your form on line to indicate what you anticipate needing. in addition to the corkboard. All students who fill out this section will be contacted by the Office of Undergraduate Research staff to confirm their requests and make appropriate arrangements for set up and display. We will work to meet your request; however, we cannot guarantee we will be able to accommodate all requests. Student laptops and iPads should be fully charged as electrical outlets will not be available for charging. Your options will be:

I would like a small table (approx. 1’ x 1.5’) to display an object or laptop computer on.
I would like to hang my artwork/project on a wall, rather than a 45”x45” corkboard.
I would like to display my artwork/project on a pedestal.
I have clothing to display and will be using mannequins.
My project requires access to an electrical outlet
I have display needs not described above.

Note: Students are responsible for providing their own, fully-charged laptop or pad. Electrical outlets will not be available for charging.