Any currently enrolled University of Houston Computer Science undergraduate student who conducted a research project any time over the past year (Spring 2024 - present) is eligible to submit a poster for 2025 UH Computer Science Undergraduate Research Competition. Fall 2024 graduates are also welcome to submit. Group posters are also eligible but are limited to three presenters.

If you have completed multiple research programs over the year with a single research project, please only submit one poster.

All posters must be approved by your UH faculty mentor before submission.

All presenters are required to use one of our pre-made poster templates to ensure all formatting requirements are met.

How to use the provided Poster Templates:

1. Download the template file and open it in PowerPoint.
   • UH provides Microsoft Office to students for free. If you do not have PowerPoint downloaded to your computer, you can do so by following the Microsoft 365 download instructions provided by University Information Technology.
2. Pick a poster layout. You can do this by either adding a new slide or changing the layout of an existing slides
3. Add content to your poster. Typical sections include:
   • Introduction
   • Research Methods/Hypothesis
   • Data/Analysis
   • Results
   • References
   • Acknowledgments
   • Visual elements (e.g. graphs, photos, illustrations, etc.)
4. Delete any extra slides so that your poster is the only slide remaining.
5. Save as a PDF file. We highly suggest you do this by exporting the file as a pdf. If you choose to print as pdf, you must ensure the page measurements are 40"x36" before you save.

Important Reminders

• Do not cover up the UH logo or change the top banner of the poster layout. The only things you should add to the banner are your poster title, your name, your mentor's name and department, and any other contributors.
• Do not change the size or orientation of slides in the template file. Posters must be 40" wide by 36" tall and are this size in the template. Changing the dimensions or orientation of the template slides will cause your poster to no longer be in the required format.
• Visual elements should be of high-resolution. Your poster's final printed size will be 40" wide by 36" tall, so make sure any photos/graphs/etc. you add will maintain their quality when sized up.
• Use our pre-made templates in PowerPoint to ensure posters are formatted and sized correctly. Posters created in other programs or design tools, such as Canva, may not be sized to the required dimensions and might not retain original layouts when saved.

Please Note: Students are responsible for ensuring their poster meets all formatting requirements before submission. If a poster is not formatted correctly, the student will be notified and required to resubmit their poster. Failure to do so in a timely manner will result in the poster not being printed and displayed during the UH Computer Science Undergraduate Research Competition.

Posters for the competition are due April 9, 2025 via submission here.

Before submitting your poster, please take a final look and make sure your poster meets all of the following requirements:

• My poster uses one of the provided pre-made templates and has been saved as a PDF file.
• The photos, images, and graphics on my poster are all high-resolution images.
• My poster includes my name, my mentor's name, and the names of any additional contributors. Colleges or departments are also listed beneath the presenters' names.
• I have proofread my poster and can confirm it is well-organized and easy to read, free of any spelling or grammatical errors, and there are no overlapping images, text, or other graphics.
• My poster has been approved by my UH faculty mentor.
• I have the following information prepared and ready to include in my submission form:
• Poster Title
• Abstract or Summary (max 250 words)
• Names, PSIDs, Majors, Cougarnet Emails of all presenters
• Names, Departments, and Emails of all mentors
• A final draft of my poster saved as a PDF file

• The symposium and competition will take place on April 16th, 2025 at (Location TBA).
• Presenters should arrive no later than 10:30 AM in order to check-in in time for opening remarks. Opening remarks take place from 10:30 AM – 10:40 AM and will be followed by an open poster session from 10:40 PM – 12 PM. Presenters are expected to be at the event for its entirety.
• The dress code for presenters is business casual.
• Presenters are expected to help with set-up or tear down the day of the event. A sign-up form will be provided to you closer to the event.
  • This is an open event. Please encourage your friends, family, peers, and mentors to attend!
• We are keeping templates and much of the program very similar to UH Research Day competition so if you submitted your poster to UH Research Day, you should be able to submit with minimal changes. If you did not, this can form a solid foundation to complete in the UH Research Day next year.

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated by a team of judges based on the following 5 criterias:

• Innovation: How original and creative is the research question and its solution?
• Contribution: What is the significance and potential impact of the research findings on the relevant field or discipline?
• Evaluation: Are the conclusions made supported by the results and whether the results are comprehensive? 
• Feasibility: Can the project be implemented or scaled in real-world applications? 
• Presentation: How well is the project communicated through the poster? Including both clarity and visual appeal.