»Ê¼Ò»ªÈË

The annual Research Poster Competition is organised by the Doctoral School to encourage UCL research students to communicate their research to others.

The competition allows students to enter their poster in (cross)disciplinary research categories. The aim is to encourage us to think more broadly about how our research fits in the wider world or how our research might innovatively impact on other research areas. We also want to make it clear that posters should not be re-used conference posters, but should be adjusted or created for a wider audience, i.e. an academic lay audience.

Please selectÌýoneÌýTheme for your poster entry. These research themes are intentionally overlapping and your project could likely fit under several of the headings, so you are welcome to choose the one that you feel best describes your research topic.

THEME 1
Understanding and transforming human societies

• Social sciences
• Humanities
• Education
• Interaction between the social sciences and the natural and applied sciences

THEME 2
Advances in technology

• eResearch
• Theoretical and applied research using computational and data sciences
• Digital technologies
• AI
• Mathematical sciences
• Quantum Mechanics (theory and/or practical applications)

THEME 3
Understanding natural and unnatural processes and phenomena

• Theoretical research
• Fundamental science with unknown future applications

THEME 4
Making our world

• Human-made environments (including Art, Architecture, Design, Manufacturing)
• Physical sciences (including engineering sciences)

THEME 5
Discovering worlds, improving ours

• Environment (including energy and sustainability)
• Space (including astrophysics, public policy related to space exploration, etc.)

THEME 6
Improving human health and behaviour

• Population health and health of the public
• Mental health/wellbeing
• Behaviour change
• Sports and Exercise

THEME 7
Frontiers in health and medicine

• Patient-targeted medicines and/or therapies
• Disease Studies

THEME 8
Unlocking the secrets of life

• Life sciences and other basic sciences
• Microbiology

THEME 9
Clashing worlds (Novel Interdisciplinary Research)

Although we hope that most projects have a bit of interdisciplinarity in them, we have created a new category for those research projects bringing two quite disparate or novel areas together, e.g. to solve unusual problems or global challenges.

How to enter

To enter the competition you must complete the entry form (linked at the bottom of this page) and upload your poster in PDF format.

Deadline for entries: Wednesday 17ÌýAprilÌý2024

Prizes

First Prize:Ìý£400Ìý
£100Ìýfor runners up – the number of runner up prizes will be decided based on entriesÌýquality and number.

If you are a current recipient of the eligible UCL scholarship you will also have a chance to win a prize funded by the UCL Student Funding Office: First PrizeÌý£400Ìýor Runner-upÌý£100. You will find a question about eligible scholarships in the entry form.

Prize winners will be announced at the Research Showcase Day on 5 June 2024.

Guidelines

Your poster should be designed to convey the essence of your research in a clear and eye-catching way, to appeal to colleagues as well as non-specialists. It should not be re-used conference posters, but should be adjusted or created for a wider audience, i.e. an academic lay audience.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to present their poster at the in-person event on 5ÌýJune if they are available.

Criteria

Easy to read and understand; good flow of information; stimulates interest and discussion; clear aims and results/conclusions; research is put into broader context and suitable for experts and non-experts alike.

Format and submission

• only one poster per person can be submitted
• posters must be submitted in PDF format, either portrait or landscape orientation
• we accept posters up to A0 size, smaller posters, for example A1 or A2 are also eligible
• your poster's design key elements: logo/banner, fonts, colours should follow the →ÌýUCL visual identity
• it is the responsibility of entrants to ensure that any images used in their poster are not copyrighted.

Queries – please contactÌýdocschoolweb@ucl.ac.uk.

Useful links

• UCL Print and Poster service
• UCL Brand templates

Tips on how to design your poster

• Title
  Should be meaningful but not complicated. Try not to baffle the readers (especially the non-specialists).
• Clarity
  Your display should be visually clear and easy to follow, with a clear description of the aims and method.
• Colour
  Good use of colour is helpful. Even if the majority of the material is in black and white it is important to highlight with colour. However, bear in mind that too much colour can be visually confusing.
• Message
  Ensure that the general overview of the poster is clear, and that the more detailed information is not too complex.
• Relevance
  Demonstrate how your research fits in with the world as a whole, to help viewers relate to it.
• Use of analogies
  Use an analogy which is easy for the viewer to remember. Relate your problem or its solution to the likely common experience of the viewer.
• Photographs & Graphics
  Make sure the images you use are clear and of good quality.
• Font-style and size
  Be consistent in your choice of font style, limiting yourself to one or two. Ensure that the font sizes are legible from 1m viewing distance or on the computer screen – depending on how your poster will be presented.
• Layout / flow
  Guide the viewer's eye in an orderly way. Ensure that there is a logical path of items to be followed. It may be appropriate to link sections with lines or arrows.
• Borders
  Adding an outer border to your poster, and bordering any sections contained within, generally helps to define your display clearly.
• Contributors
  Identify any contributors other than those shown at the top of your display.
• Contact point
  Provide your contact details to encourage people to find out more about your research.
• Summary
  A concise summary may be useful. This could be done by giving a set of key points.

Try to Avoid

✘ÌýWindow pane effect

Straight rows and columns of information are not visually stimulating especially if the size and content of each appears similar, giving a window pane effect. Use a pattern of sections – this need not be regular.

✘ÌýSparseness

Make sure that enough information is included on the poster. Don't make up for lack of information by using exceptionally large fonts and figures.

✘ÌýClutter

Conversely, avoid having so much information that the sections presented are unable to stand apart.

✘ÌýToo much detail

Don't be tempted to include all you know on the subject - remember that the viewer has a limited time to look at your poster.

Ìý

Ìý