Present at MURC

MURC 2020 Presenter Applications: NOW OPEN!

Applications to present at MURC 2020 are now open from November 18, 2019 - January 19, 2020! If you have any questions, please contact undergraduate.research@ubc.ca.

MURC 2020 Online Application

How to apply

Students have the option to present either via a 10-minute oral presentation or a poster presentation.

Talk to your research supervisor and get permission. As the nature of some research may be sensitive, this step is crucial and applications will not be accepted without supervisor approval.
Attend a Abstract Writing Workshop. Presented by the Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication, attendance at this workshop will strengthen your presentation proposal and abstract.
- Workshop Descrption: Conference abstracts play a vital role in the communication of scholarly research. But how do writers communicate the relevance and legitimacy of their research to members of their discipline, and to researchers in other disciplines? This workshop introduces undergraduate researchers to the typical structure of the scientific abstract, while accounting for disciplinary differences. During the workshop, participants will write or revise a draft of their MURC abstract, and receive feedback from the workshop facilitators and other participants.
- Facilitators: Dr. Patty Kelly, Program Manager; Liam Monaghan, Program Coordinator
- Abstract Writing Workshop Dates:
  - Friday, January 10, 2020: 11:30 PM - 1:30 PM (Dodson Room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Level 3) Register HERE
  - Friday, January 17, 2020: 2 PM - 4 PM (Dodson Room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Level 3) Register HERE
- Alternatively, you can choose to attend a Peer Review session to get feedback on your abstract from peers. This is also a great opportunity to meet other students from different disciplines and fields!
  - Wednesday, January 15, 2020: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Location: SWING 305 & 307)
  - If you would like to register for any of the sessions listed above, please contact us at undergraduate.research@ubc.ca.
Submit your online registration and abstract by Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 11:59 PM (PST). In addition to your own information, you will also be required to supply your research supervisor's contact information (name and email) on the application. If you have a co-presenter, you do not have to submit two applications: there is a field on the application form for co-presenter information. Please ensure all registration steps are completed for consideration.
After the deadline, your application will be reviewed and your research supervisor will be contacted. Continue to work on your research presentation while your abstract is being reviewed. You will be contacted in late January with next steps and feedback on your research proposal. Please review the following timelines and ensure all deadlines are met:

Important dates

November 18, 2019	Presenter applications open
January 10 & 17, 2020	Abstract Writing Workshop (Note: You only need to attend one of the two session offerings.)
January 15, 2020	Peer Review Session (for abstracts)
January 19, 2020	Presenter application and abstract proposal deadline
February 3, 2020	Presenters receive feedback on application
February 5, 2020	Poster Presentation Workshop
February 16, 2020	Poster submission deadline for free printing
February 23, 2020	Final abstract submission
February 26, 2020	Oral Presentation Workshop

MURC Resources

Preparing your proposal and presentation can be challenging. Here are the tools you'll need to make it a success.

Prepare Your Abstract Proposal

Reviewers of conference proposals read a large number of submissions to determine whether the proposed paper or poster meets the requirements of the conference and how the submission might best be combined with other presentations in oral sessions or poster displays. They may or may not be experts in your area of study. Reviewers need to understand clearly:

the importance of the research project
the existing state of knowledge
the research question
the method or methods used
the main findings

Since MURC is not a specialized conference, reviewers will also be assessing whether an interested non-specialist audience will be able to follow the presentation. Including brief definitions or explanations and using concrete “real world” examples helps non-specialists understand what your study is addressing and why.

You can also prepare by attending one of our Abstract Writing Workshops and/or Peer Review Session.

Additional Resource for abstract writing (includes strategies and examples)

Making Your Presentation

In preparation for your oral and poster presentations, we are going to offer workshop sessions that will allow you to learn more about presenting your research in a multidisciplinary format and to get feedback on your preliminary work. We will be informing the presenters about the details of these workshops via email.

Effective oral presentation criteria

MURC 2019 Oral Presentation Workshop Handout

The adjudication process

Presentations are to be 10 minutes in length, with a follow up of approximately 5 minutes for questions.
PowerPoint files are expected.
The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

The oral presentation

Was the audiovisual presentation professional in manner and visually pleasing?
Does the text, and any graphics, videos or other media enhance understanding of the research?
Was the talk clearly organized and logical? Was there an introduction that provided a roadmap for the presentation? Were there natural and well positioned transitions between sections?
Did the presenter(s) engage the audience in a highly-articulate manner? Did they speaks confidently, rarely needs to utilize notes, maintain consistent eye contact with audience, vary their tone of speech regularly, and adheres to time limit with excellent pacing?
Were they able to hold the attention of the audience through the presentation and question period?
During the presentation and question period, did the presenter(s) show comprehensive knowledge of research issue and responds to questions confidently, thoroughly and appropriately?
Did the presenter(s) show comprehensive awareness of MURC demographics by presenting research in a manner that is completely accessible to a scholarly non-specialist/multi-disciplinary audience?

Nervous about your presentation?

Check out this helpful guide to hone your presentation skills.