Research Symposium Contest

The National Research Symposium Contest develops the ability of students to construct research and competitively present those research findings through oral and poster presentations to judges at CANVAS.

ABSTRACTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 8, 2025.

Curious as to how your submission will be scored? View the Oral and Poster scorecards used in the 2024 competition.

I’m just interested in… Abstract Submission | Oral Judging | Poster Judging | Contact 

Purpose

This symposium gives students an outlet to develop research and competitively present research findings to judges and an interested audience at CANVAS.

Awards and Recognition

Cash awards will be provided to the top three winners in each oral session. For the poster contest, the top poster in each category will win an award. The oral contest may have one or two sessions, and the poster contest may have three to six categories. Winners will also be recognized at the SASES Awards Dinner.

Eligibility

Any undergraduate student or individual who performed research as an undergraduate is eligible. Symposium presentation can occur up to a semester past a student’s respective graduation date.

1. Each author should select an appropriate research subject and title. Authors are encouraged to consult with their advisor or second author when choosing topics. Each paper shall have a second author listed on the abstract. Second authors may be an ASA, CSSA, or SSA member or academic advisor (membership not required for advisor). To become a member, sign up online.
2. Paper submission must be original work by the contestant, meet all deadlines, and adhere to appropriate guidelines.
3. Students submitting abstracts must hold active membership in the Societies and pay the fee for each abstract submitted. Membership status will be verified.
4. Using another person’s membership number to submit an abstract will result in disqualification from any prizes.
5. Students can give an oral presentation, present a poster, or both, provided the research topics are different. However, no student can present more than one volunteered paper in the oral and poster presentations regardless of the number of papers on which the person appears as an author.

Rules/Procedures

Oral Presentations

1. Presenters are required to upload their presentation slides at least one hour before the competition. Failure to do so may disqualify students from the competition. 
2. Presentations can be uploaded either by logging into the Speaker’s Corner or by accessing the Speaker Ready room once arrived at CANVAS. More information on oral presentations can be found here.

Poster Presentations

1. Poster should be 44.5” x 44.5” Posters exceeding the size limits will be penalized 10 points on each judge’s scorecard. All presenters will present for a two hour period. A poster board number will be placed in the upper left corner of the board on a 4½” x 3” card. The poster boards are Velcro friendly. Please bring your own Velcro. Computer display equipment, sound or projection equipment, or free-standing displays are not permitted.
2. Participants should arrive in the Exhibit Hall Monday morning to set up. More information on poster presentations can be found here.

Submission

1. Submit abstract online on or before the abstract deadline. 
2. Submit abstract in Undergraduate (SASES) Program.
3. Select either SASES Undergraduate Research Symposium Oral Contest or SASES Undergraduate Research Symposium Poster Contest to submit the abstract.
   1. Abstract must be submitted by the student member.
   2. All abstracts must be initiated by deadline. After submission, you will be able to edit your abstract until November 12. 
   3. Abstract submission is an official entry into contest. Your abstract is not submitted until you receive an e-mail receipt from Conference Exchange (Confex) with your abstract number and password. This e-mail will acknowledge the successful registration of your abstract. Without this number, your paper is not officially registered.

Keep ALL email receipts, as they are the only proof of a successful submission.

Withdrawal of Submission

Please notify the contest Chair by e-mail.

Additional instructions on withdrawing your paper will be included in the email you receive upon abstract submission.

Judging

Oral Presentations

1. Oral papers will be presented on Monday afternoon of CANVAS.
2. Presenters are allotted a 10-minute maximum for delivery, plus 3 minutes of questions from the judges and audience (fellow school members are excluded). Adhere carefully to presentation requirements above. Failure to do so could result in inability to participate.
3. Participants will be judged on presentation and question answers. Papers will be scored according to the official rubric by three or more judges. 
4. Overtime penalty: presentations of less than 6 minutes or more than 11 minutes may be penalized up to 5 points. 
5. Judges are appointed by the contest chair of the Oral Research Symposium Contest sub-committee. 
6. Judges will meet 15 minutes before the SASES oral session for final instructions, as coordinated by the chair of the Oral Research Symposium Contest sub-committee. 
7. Each judge shall observe their assigned presenters and submit the scores to the online Confex portal. The chair of the Oral Research Symposium Contest sub-committee shall tabulate all judging scores and determine the top three placements.

Poster Presentations

1. Posters will be displayed all of Monday during CANVAS.
2. Authors are expected to be present for two hours on Monday evening, as indicated in meeting program, to explain data and answer questions.
3. Adhere carefully to poster dimensions and equipment specifications listed above. Failure to do so could prevent display of your poster.
4. Posters will be scored by at least three judges using the official rubric.
5. Judges will be given up to 5 minutes to observe posters and ask questions. Presenters need to be prepared to concisely highlight the research topic, objectives, and results. Presenters are advised to design their poster as an “illustrated abstract” and not as an “illustrated manuscript”—that is, short and sweet!
6. Judges shall be appointed well in advance of the contest by the chair of the Poster Research Symposium Contest sub-committee.
7. Each judge shall observe their assigned presenters and submit the scores to the online Confex portal. The chair of the Poster Research Symposium Contest sub-committee shall tabulate all judging scores and determine the top three placements.

Oral Contest Chair

Angela Ebeling | Send Message

Poster Contest Chair

Anita Thompson | Send Message 

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Contact

Student Programs | Send Message

Oral Contest Session I

1st Place: Steven Mai, Auburn University
2nd Place: Damon LeMaster, West Virginia University
3rd Place TIE!: Katherine Atkins, University of Texas-Arlington and Fiona Todd, University of Minnesota

Oral Contest Session II

1st Place: Cassandra Stachler, Ohio State University
2nd Place: Amy Skelton, Texas A&M University
3rd Place: Racquel Gorden, University of Central Missouri

Poster Contest Session I

1st Place: Kathryn Young, Brigham Young University
2nd Place: Marina Ferandini Vallada Guadagnucci, Iowa State University
3rd Place: Taylor Smith, Texas Tech University

Poster Contest Session II

1st Place: Alex Rodriguez, Cal State University-Monterey Bay
2nd Place: William Ubben, Virginia Tech University
3rd Place: Molly Kane, Kansas State University

Poster Contest Session III

1st Place: Elayna Stirn, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
2nd Place: Ryan Gibson, Texas A&M University
3rd Place: Austin Meade, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Poster Contest Session IV

1st Place: João Victor Colla Ferro, Oklahoma State University
2nd Place: Kaitlin Campbell, University of Missouri
3rd Place: Jnnea Nobal, Western Illinois University

Poster Contest Session V

1st Place: Aidan Bobholz, Iowa State University and Bryce Himmelberg, University of Missouri
2nd Place: Kendall Hays, Oklahoma State University
3rd Place: Mattie Pettus, Oklahoma State University