FAQs

In addition to this page and the Expo Guidelines, there is a checklist of items to consider for students and mentors.

General Fall Expo Information

Beyond this FAQ list, where can I find what is expected for my presentation?

Check out the Fall Expo Guidelines page.

I have a question that is not addressed in this FAQ list. Who should I contact?

What is the difference between the Fall Expo, the Spring Conference, and the Summer Symposium?

The Fall Expo and the Spring Conference are similar; the Summer Symposium is not formally judged and does not provide awards to top student presenters in West Lafayette and Indianapolis.

Is there guidance for the use of AI when participating in the Fall Expo?

Yes. Check the Fall Expo Guidelines page for information on acceptable and unacceptable use of AI.

Applying to the Fall Expo

How do I apply to present?

The application process is completed online. If you experience problems with OURConnect, email OURConnect@purdue.edu. If you have questions about the Fall Expo, email OUREvents@purdue.edu.

Can I still apply if I am still in the early stages of my research?

Yes. Your research project does not have to be completed to be considered. Many students present ongoing research with preliminary results or anticipated findings. Students submit abstracts knowing that by the time of the Fall Expo, more results may be obtained.

Can I be listed as the first presenting author for more than one research project?

No. Each student can only be listed as the first presenting author for one abstract submission per conference. However, multiple students may appear on multiple projects, but a student may only be the first author for one submission.

Can I present if I am not a Purdue student?

Yes. If you are working with a Purdue research mentor or a Purdue-related program.

Is there a limit to the number of presenters included on one abstract submission?

Yes. Up to 4 presenting student authors are allowed per abstract submission. If you have more individuals who plan to present, we recommend splitting the group into multiple abstract submissions. Thus, all students would be listed on each abstract submission, but those listed as presenters on one submission would be listed as contributors on another.

I made a mistake in my first abstract submission. Should I resubmit another one?

No. You should update the initial abstract submission with the correct information. If you have multiple submissions, you should withdraw the ones that are not correct.

How long should my abstract be?

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words.

Can I deliver a research talk AND a poster at the Fall Expo?

No. If you are selected to deliver a research talk, you will not present a poster for the same abstract submission. However, you may submit a virtual presentation if you are presenting in person.

What are the differences between research talks, posters, and virtual presentations?

Research talks have 15 minutes for their presentation and Q&A delivered via PowerPoint slides.
Poster presenters should prepare a 3-5-minute poster pitch and bring their printed poster to the session.
Virtual presentations are 7-minute prerecorded YouTube videos that are available during the Fall Expo.

Can someone show me how to write an abstract?

Yes. The Office of Undergraduate Research is available to help support you as you you write your abstract. You should also use the Purdue Writing Lab and resources at the top of the Apply website. There will also be a seminar session via Zoom to discuss how to write an abstract and apply to the Fall Expo.

I have a mentor outside of Purdue. How can they be included in the abstract submission?

Students mentored by or working with researchers outside of Purdue can include them in the abstract submission. These individuals must create an OURConnect account, preferably using a university or organizational email, before you confirm them in the submission. You must include the email they used to create their OURConnect account.

When I enter a valid Purdue email and click "Confirm," the application site says it is invalid. What should I do?

Some individuals have "vanity" emails that work but are not connected to institutional data. OURConnect uses institutional data. The best way to locate someone's non-vanity email is to search them on the Purdue directory and include their "alias" with @purdue.edu as their email in OURConnect. The name should show up when you click "Confirm." If this does not work, please contact OURConnect@purdue.edu.

Can I update an abstract submission after submitting it?

Primary student authors and primary mentors (those listed first) can update abstracts after they have been submitted. Student authors are communicating with mentors to agree upon the changes. Primary mentors should work with students to make updates instead of denying them unless the abstract should not be presented. This way, the primary student author can make updates directly before the mentor goes in and approves the final version.

Updates to the title, abstract, keywords, and participants submitted by the primary student author, even after approval, require additional approval by the primary mentor. This ensures changes are approved and nothing is accidentally presented incorrectly.

All submissions have a final cut-off for any changes to the abstract and is found on the Fall Expo deadlines page.

How do I know if my mentor approved my abstract?

The status listed on the "My Abstracts" page in OURConnect will be "Mentor approved." (Note: If it is "Pending" or does not show up, it has not be submitted.)

I missed the deadline. Am I able to present my work?

We are unable to accommodate late requests for the poster symposium and research talks. However, to provide an opportunity to present, we have a “Final Call” Fall Expo Session to submit your information. This will open after the deadline for you to submit your abstract up until the day of the Final Call Session (or when space capacity is reached, whichever comes first). Read the components for this Final Call Session closely. Your information will be included in the materials after the Fall Expo.

What do the statuses mean in OURConnect?

Checking out the OURConnect status glossary.

Preparing for and Participating in the Fall Expo

I provided multiple in-person availability options in the abstract application. Will I be there all the times I selected?

No. You will be provided a single session to present based on what you provided. Flexibility is appreciated when trying to ensure many students are able to present when they are available.

I selected to be considered for a research talk, but was assigned as a poster. Can I present a research talk instead?

No. Due to space limitations, we can accommodate only a certain number of research talks. Similar to other conferences, submissions for in-person presentations are for posters with the opportunity to be considered for a research talk. Research talks are not guaranteed. If you are not assigned as a research talk, you will be assigned as a poster.

Are there poster templates I should use for the Conference?

Beyond staying within the 4'x4' size limitation (most will be 4'x3'), the content of the poster is up to you and your research team. However, there are templates and recommendations through Purdue Marketing & Communications and Purdue Libraries & School of Information Studies.

What is the dress code for presenting during the in-person Fall Expo?

We recommend dressing in business casual for the presentations, but it is not required. You will see individuals in business professional clothing, too. If you need assistance with obtaining business casual or business professional clothes, consider the Center for Career Opportunities' Career Closet.

For research talks: What should I bring to present?

You will not submit your research talk. There are two broad ways to prepare for your presentation:

Bring a laptop or a mobile storage device: You can bring your presentation on a thumbdrive/flashdrive or you can bring your laptop if you have an HDMI port. HDMI adapters are not provided. If you bring it on a mobile storage device, it is recommended that you use Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF files without special fonts, as these may not show up well on the computers in the rooms. If you use special fonts, please consider a PDF of your presentation to maintain them. Note: PDFs do not have animation.
Log in to a cloud-based application: You can log in to a cloud-based application, such as Google, on the computer. If you plan to do this, be prepared to know your password and any authentication that is needed. Be sure to log out of the application when you are done. Note: You will not log in to the computer, only using a browser (i.e., do not save your presentation to your Purdue Career Account drive).

For posters: What size should my poster be?

Posters should not be wider than 4' (48") nor taller than 4' (48"). A standard poster size is 4' wide by 3' tall due to the limitations of most wide-format printing options. Magnets will be available to mount your poster on whiteboards.

For posters: How can I print my poster?

Check with your research mentor to see if there are printing options within your department, program, or college/school. Purdue IT offers a wide format printing option on the 2nd floor of WALC Library and the Purdue IT desk in the HSSE Library. The cost is $4/linear foot with 3'-wide paper.

The Discovery Park District Poster Lab prints posters for faculty, staff, and students associated with the College of Engineering and Purdue's interdisciplinary institutes and centers. Remember they need at least 2-3 business days' notice.

Reminder: Right before poster sessions is an especially busy time for printers. Plan accordingly.

Faculty, Departments, or Programs: If you want to cover students' poster printing costs, but the students must print on one of the Purdue IT poster printers, complete this Request for Departmental Paid Print Quota Supplement document and email it to itlabs@purdue.edu. More information about this process can be found on the Wide Format Printing Purdue IT webpage.

If you are interested in a more permanent poster, there are alternatives to paper such as cloth posters that can be printed.

As someone who wants to watch the virtual presentations, how do I access the links?

You will need a Purdue login to watch the presentations. If you do not, reach out to the Purdue OUR or the author to request permission to view the presentation.

Are there opportunities to volunteer during the Conference?

Yes! With hosting many in-person presentations and presenters over two days, we appreciate volunteers providing day-of support during the event. You can sign up on the volunteer webpage.

When will I hear if I won an award? When will I get the feedback from the judges?

Awards are determined following the conclusion of the event and are announced in December. After awards are decided, certificates are generated. We will notify presenters when these are decided through an OUR newsletter announcement. Students in West Lafayette and Indianapolis are eligible for awards.

Is there a certificate I can receive for presenting during the Fall Expo?

Yes! There are individualized certificates that are available after awards are decided. This is because we include the awards on those presenters' certificates. This will be available in December. Presenters will be told when they are available through an OUR newsletter announcement.

Student Judging and Award Process

Are Fall Expo presentations judged with awards provided to top presenters?

Yes. The Fall Expo is judged to ensure all presenters receive feedback. Top student presenters from West Lafayette and Indianapolis can receive distinctions and/or awards.

It is best to review the rubric before finalizing your presentation.

How are awards distributed?

Awards will be distributed to undergraduates who are indicated as "Undergraduate Presenting Authors" on the top presentations. Undergraduate students who are listed as contributors or acknowledged do not receive a portion of the award. Awards will be distributed following the conference via the Division of Financial Aid to West Lafayette and Indianapolis students.

Mentor Information

I am a faculty member and received an email stating that a student indicated I was their research mentor. Why did I receive this email?

Students must indicate a research mentor on their application for presenting their project. You were included in the application for a student who has submitted a proposal for a research conference. Please contact the student as soon as possible if you were unaware of this submission before selecting "Not approved" on the abstract submission.

I approved the abstract, but now I see it is listed as "Presenter Updated." Do I need to reapprove the abstract?

Yes. This means that the first student presenter updated the title, abstract, keywords, or participants after you approved the submission. Reapproval is needed to ensure you are aware of and approve the changes.

I cannot approve the submission as the PI/lead mentor. Why not?

Only the primary mentor (designated by the first mentor listed) can approve the submission. Either contact the student to update the order of the mentors or contact the first mentor listed to have them approve the submission.

Authorship Standard Information

What is the "Authorship Standard," and how do I know who is included as an author on my abstract submission?

Many organizations, journals, and conferences publish guidelines for author identification. In the absence of such a guideline, include authors based on the following from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors:

Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
Final approval of the version to be published; AND
Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

At Purdue University, substantial contribution to a work that deserves credit as an author requires both material participation and intellectual contribution. Credit for a co-author is expected when an individual both materially participates in a research project and provides intellectual contribution for which a resulting publication would suffer if it were lacking.

Acknowledgments may be used to denote contributions to the work that do not meet the criteria of authorship, such as supporting the study, general mentoring, acting as study coordinator or research technician, and other related auxiliary activities. Authors should verify that all individuals noted in the acknowledgments section have granted their permission to be listed.

For Purdue OUR conferences, the following roles are possible for authorship:

Undergraduate presenting authors: Undergraduate student who deserves authorship credit for this presentation and will be presenting this work at the conference.
Undergraduate contributing authors: Undergraduate student who deserves authorship credit for this presentation but will not be presenting this work at the conference.
Undergraduate researcher acknowledgments: Undergraduate student with substantial contribution to the research project but does not deserve authorship credit for this presentation.

For Purdue OUR conferences, mentors (non-undergraduate students who participate in the work) are listed separately to indicate their role with the project.

Judges' Process

Is there a certificate I can receive for judging during the Fall Expo?

Yes! There are individualized certificates available in December after student awards are decided. A newsletter announcement will let you know when the certificate is available.

Will I be paired up with individuals within my research discipline?

No. The purpose of the judging process is to provide feedback to all presenters on how they communicate their work, not on the merit of the research project. Therefore, judges evaluate how well students communicate to a general audience. It is unlikely judges will be paired with presentations relating to their research discipline.

Research Study Information

What is the research study referenced in the automatic emails I received?

Any data collected for this event – including the application, presentation feedback evaluations (if they exist), event evaluations, and additional data obtained from the Office of the Registrar – may be used for research purposes by the Office of Undergraduate Research and study investigators for an IRB-approved study titled “Undergraduate Research Conferences” (IRB-2023-1142). To learn more about this study, please review the study information sheet. Data for this study will be deidentified prior to any analyses and reporting. Data will be excluded as follows:

Abstracts are automatically excluded for presentations when the abstract is not approved to be published within the event information.
Cases are automatically excluded for any presenter who is a minor at the time of the event.
Additional cases are excluded for any presenter/mentor who opts out of their data use for research purposes.

Any exclusions or inclusions for research purposes do not impact any presenter’s selection to participate in the event.

Last updated: September 22, 2025