Registration open February 17 through March 30
This year the event is only IN PERSON and only POSTERS
Register Here to present!
*make sure you are signed into your uvm email to access the registration form
The UVM Student Research Conference (SRC) is an exciting, annual event where students from all academic disciplines showcase their research, creative, and scholarly activity, create new connections, and foster a community of intellectual curiosity.
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 
9:00am-5:00pm
Grand Maple Ballroom
Davis Center
Writing an Abstract
The purpose of an abstract is to summarize the major aspects of your project in a single paragraph. For the SRC, your abstract should not exceed 100 words.
Here's a guideline to walk through as you write your abstract:
1. Choose your abstract title
The title should make it clear what your project is about and spark interest. Keep it concise. If you can’t read it in one breath, it’s probably too long!
2. Define the background and motivation
This section answers the “why” of your research. Start with one or two sentences stating what is known in your field of study. Then, point out the gap that your research addresses or what question(s) you’re trying to answer. You need to convey what is the purpose of your project and its relevance. You can also outline your goals and/or hypothesis here.
3. Briefly describe your methodology
Answer the “how” of your project. Outline the tools, study design, sample characteristics. There’s no need to be overly detailed here. For example, you don’t need to get into the specifics of the statistic tests you used if your project goals are not related to statistics.
4. Main results and findings
This is the “what” section, as in “what did you find”? Ideally, the results should be the longest section of the abstract, say 40-50% of the total word count. This gives you some leeway in how many sentences you can use. State the main findings of your work in accordance with what you wrote in the background section.
5. Conclusions and relevance
Clearly state the main conclusion(s) that arise from your results. This is the moment to express the significance of your findings. Contrast them to existing literature; are they in accordance or opposition to previous studies? Highlight any novelty in your discoveries. Express the implications of your findings within the field and what new research avenues they open.
Extra Resources
Make an appointment with a peer writing tutor at the Undergraduate Writing Center for support writing your abstract, or email Jenn Ha, undergraduate research advisor, at jennifer.ha@uvm.edu.
Creating a Research Poster
Need help making your research poster? Watch the presentation below on how to create a research poster and then come to a workshop and get personalized feedback on your poster at any stage! Additionally, the Dana Medical Library has some great resources and pointers!
Workshop Dates:
March 16th: 2-4pm
March 28th: 10-12pm
April 7th: 9-11am
Location: 034E University Heights North
Feel free to reach out to Jenn Ha, Undergraduate Research Advisor, at jennifer.ha@uvm.edu for assistance on writing your abstract, preparing your poster, practicing your elevator pitch, or anything else related to showcasing your research at this year's SRC.