What is the URS?
URS stands for Undergraduate Research Symposium. It is an annual event where students present their research and creative achievements professionally in visual and oral formats. The work needs to have been conducted at UMSL (or under the supervision of a UMSL mentor) while the student was an undergraduate student there.
Who can apply to the URS?
All UMSL undergraduates conducting mentored investigations or creative inquiries with the support of a faculty mentor. Students can participate if they have graduated the semester before the URS (for example, Fall 2019 graduates are eligible for the Spring 2020 URS). Students currently enrolled in dual Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are eligible to present in URS if they completed the work as an undergraduate student (work completed following graduation at UMSL is not appropriate).
Is the URS only for science majors?
Students from all majors are encouraged to present their work, including writers, visual artists, composers, and performing artists. If you are concerned that your work may not be suitable for a short oral or visual presentation, contact the Undergraduate Research Coordinator to discuss how we can make the URS work for you.
Is the URS open to group projects?
Group projects are encouraged. One member of the group should be identified as the first author for communication purposes, and only one application per group should be submitted.
How complete must my project be?
Applicants are not required to have the full and final conclusion to their projects. However, the presentation must be complete enough to represent a tidy and professional portrayal of the work, even if it still needs to be completed.
Will my project be edited or censored for the URS?
Barring any extreme examples of inappropriate work, it is between you and your faculty mentor to design and approve your final project. You can contact the Undergraduate Research Coordinator for help through this process, but you should work closely with and reach out to your mentor first.
How much does it cost to participate in the URS?
There are no direct costs to attend or present at the URS, but professionally printed posters cost around $80 a piece to print.
If students follow all submission guidelines (most notably, providing a print-ready version of their final poster file) by all deadlines, then the cost of printing the poster will be covered.
Suppose a student is not printing a poster but incurs other material costs to participate in the URS. In that case, they can discuss possibly reimbursing those costs with the Undergraduate Research Coordinator.
There is no cost to attend the URS if you have family or community members that you would like to invite to attend.
What should I expect during the URS application & planning process?
Your first step in applying to participate in the URS should be to talk with your faculty mentor about the appropriateness of your project for the URS. Pending their approval, you should complete the digital Intent to Participate form found on the URS home page by March.
At this point, all information is tentative and can be updated later, but it lets us start the planning process by knowing who and how many people plan to present. Check your email frequently for confirmations and updates from the Undergraduate Research Coordinator after submitting your initial form.
In April, you will be asked to resubmit the final version of your presentation information. This information will be used for final event planning, gathering poster files for printing (if applicable), and publishing in an event program. It will then be stored in perpetuity in a public archive on the UMSL Institutional Repository Library (IRL). Your mentor will be contacted throughout this process to approve of your submissions.
What should I expect on the day of the URS?
Visual presentations:
You should expect to arrive at the UMSL Millennium Student Center around noon for check-in. Upon arrival, lunch will be available for presenters. All presenters should dress professionally in business-casual attire.
If you are presenting a visual display, you will set up your poster with binder clips on a provided easel and a large piece of foam board to display. Historically there are usually around 50 total poster presentations, displayed around the 3rd floor rotunda.
Once poster presentations begin, students are expected to stand with their posters and prepare to present and answer questions asked by several guests. Later in the evening, students will be approached by a URS judge or two to hear the presentation and give feedback. Judges are faculty, staff, and graduate students from campus and can be recognized by their clipboards and nametags. They are there to offer you positive feedback, and you should feel comfortable telling them about your work or asking them any follow-up questions yourself.
Oral presentations:
If presenting an oral presentation, students will be in one of the MSC small rooms on the 3rd floor. A podium, computer, and projector are available if needed. These rooms hold around 40 people, although a typical audience is closer to 10 people per session.
Multiple presentations will be given in one session, and attempts will be made to group similar topics in the same session.
Each presenter will be allotted about 12 minutes (15 total, including transitions between presenters), and there will be time for audience questions following all of the presentations. All presenters are expected to attend the entire one-hour session. A URS judge or two will hear your presentation and give feedback. Judges are faculty, staff, and graduate students from campus and can be recognized by their clipboards and nametags. They are there to offer you positive feedback, and you should feel comfortable telling them about your work or asking them any follow-up questions yourself.
Feedback on your presentation will be available directly following the end of URS activities that day.
I have another question that still needs to be answered here. Who should I contact?
Please contact the Undergraduate Research Coordinator (Kate Votaw) for any other information or inquiries.
