Frequently Asked Questions

Any University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, DePaul University, or Northwestern University undergraduate who has conducted a faculty-mentored research project is eligible to submit an application and abstract to present at the Symposium. Students from other institutions can apply as well, with prior approval from CAURS commitee. Please note, however, that a $35 registration fee will be assessed for participants from non-CAURS sponsor schools. Everyone and anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

The deadline for poster presentation abstract submissions for CAURS 2012 is February 10, 2012, and the deadline for oral presentation abstract submissions is January 23, 2012. 

The Inter-School Board meets throughout the year to review abstract submissions. With rare exceptions, all abstract submissions are accepted for at least a poster presentation at CAURS. After the Board reaches a decision on your abstract submission, a representative from the Board will notify you with the status of your application.

On the application, you will indicate your preference for oral talk or poster; students who wish to give both an oral presentation and a poster presentation can select both. Upon review of your application and acceptance of their abstract, students will receive a confirmation e-mail from the an ISB member, informing them of such.

Yes, but remember to submit an registration/abstract submission form for each project you wish to present.

Yes! Only one registration form is necessary per group. Please make sure, however, that the names of all group members are entered during registration.

No. Your application will be rejected if we are not able to verify IRB/IACUC approval. Please note that typically only research projects involving humans or animal subjects require IRB/IACUC approval. If you're not sure if this applies to you, check with your research mentor.

Yes. You are eligible to submit an application and abstract for the Symposium. Your mentor can be a faculty mentor at another institution or a researcher at a national, private, or federal organization. However, if applicable, you still need to provide evidence of IRB or IACUC approval for your study.

Abstracts must be submitted on the application form in the space provided, and should contain only text (no graphs, images, or tables). They should be no longer than 300 words; contain a title, the name of the student presenter, all co-authors, and the faculty advisor; and the institutional affiliation of all authors. Please review your abstract with your faculty mentor before you submit it.

Absolutely! Please feel free to invite as many guests as you would like. However, please note that only student presenters and judges who pre-register online will be invited to attend lunch and dinner free of charge. 

The Symposium Guidelines provide more detailed information, but the following are a few general suggestions for posters. Poster boards should be approximately 3'-4' (height) by 4' (width). Your display should be self-explanatory and have a logical flow; others should be able to follow it even if you are not present. Place your title at the top of the poster and make sure that the text is large (at least ~2 inches in height) and clear. Include your name, the name of your faculty mentor, the names of additional co-authors, and departmental and institutional affiliations. Label or describe any charts, tables, figures, graphs, or photos that you use. Posters may be printed on separate boards, however we prefer a single sheet. Many university departments can help you with printing posters.

Consult the Symposium Guidelines for requirements for oral presentations. Please note that oral presentations should be no longer than 10 minutes (not including 2 minutes for questions).

On the application, let us know what you need for your presentation, whether it's a slide projector and screen, computer & LCD projector, or software. You will be notified by e-mail prior to the symposium if whether we are able or not to accommodate the equipment requests you indicated on your application. 

Yes, but dramatic changes (such as different project or different mentor) must be approved by the Inter-School Board.