Preparing for the CNMS Symposium

Presenters are asked to review the following guidelines and contact either their program coordinators or research mentors with questions. They may also contact CNMS Office of the Dean at symposium@umbc.edu.

Event Etiquette

  • Presenters should wear their name badges during the entire event.
  • A minimum of business casual attire is appropriate. Presenters should not wear jeans, halter tops, tee shirts, baseball caps, or other inappropriate items of clothing.
  • It is critical that cell phones be turned off during the entirety of the event.
  • Presenters should support their fellow researchers during the other poster session by taking the time to visit other posters and learn about the many other research projects.

Poster Session Setup

MORNING POSTER SESSION – If you are presenting during the morning poster session, you should have your poster up before the opening remarks (9:00 AM) and take your poster down before lunch (11:45 AM). Two posters will be assigned to be presented side-by-side on each board, which will be labeled with a number corresponding to your poster session assignment. Push pins will also be provided. Please be sure to remove your poster after the end of the poster session. Poster storage is available during the event.

AFTERNOON POSTER SESSION – If you are presenting during the afternoon poster session, you should have your poster up before you have lunch (11:45 AM) and take your poster down before the plenary talk (3:00 PM). Two posters will be assigned to be presented side-by-side on each board, which will be labeled with a number corresponding to your poster session assignment. Push pins will also be provided. Please be sure to remove your poster after the end of the second poster session. Poster storage is available during the event.

Please review the poster requirements.

Posters should be no wider than 36” and no longer than 42” (portrait orientation).
If your poster does not meet these size criteria, it is the presenter’s responsibility to ensure that the poster does not cover the contents of any neighboring posters.

Judging Criteria & Awards

At least one judge will be assigned to each of the group of posters. The presenter(s) of each poster will be judged on several criteria, including (i) your general understanding and comprehension of the significance of the research; (ii) ability to discuss the general goals of the research with a diverse audience; and (iii) the specific nature and interpretation of your experimental results. Based on the results of the judges assigned to each group, the top two poster presenters will be recognized during the awards ceremony.

Please note that every effort is made to avoid conflicts of interest between poster presenters and the judges. Judges are asked to recuse themselves from judging if they feel there is any conflict of interest. Efforts were also made to avoid having more than one student from any institution within a single group. Please understand that there are instances when this was not possible, given the total number of students presenting from a single institution.

Poster Presentations

  • Poster presenters should plan to put up their posters before the opening announcements, times will be listed on the schedule.
  • Poster numbers will be attached to each poster display board.
  • There will be push pins available for presenters to use during the Symposium.
  • Poster presenters should plan to stand by their posters during their assigned 2-hour poster session.
  • Presenters should take down the posters AFTER each poster session. Poster storage is available during the event.
  • Presenters should thank their mentors for making their research experience possible.
  • Poster presenters should consider planning a summary or ‘take home’ message about their research for visitors to their posters.
  • It is important to thank all guests for coming. Everyone is so busy — their attendance is a true gift.

Presenters – remember to smile and enjoy the experience.
Best wishes for a successful Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences!