Student Research Competition

Undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled at Stan State, as well as alumni who received their degrees in spring, summer, or fall 2025, are eligible to participate. All applicants must be nominated by a faculty sponsor. Presentations from all disciplines are invited, as well as group presentations. The SERSCA office reserves the right to exercise discretion in grouping presentations by affinity to create equitable categories. The categories are as follows:

• Undergraduate Arts & Humanities
• Undergraduate Social Sciences
• Undergraduate Natural & Physical Sciences
• Graduate Arts & Humanities
• Graduate Natural, Physical, and Social Sciences

Students must submit an application and written summary paper on InfoReady by the deadline. 

2026 application to follow

Procedures and Guidelines for the Written Summary
o The summary must include the name(s) of the student(s) and the title of the presentation.
o The narrative may not exceed one single-spaced page and must use fonts and margins that ensure legibility.
o Up to 3 additional pages of bibliography, appendices, tables, figures, or other supplementary materials may also be included.
o Research that has human or animal subjects’ involvement must also submit proof of appropriate institutional review and approval.
o It is expected that entrants will not make an oral presentation by simply reading directly from the written summary.
o The research/creative activity should be appropriate to the student’s discipline and career goals.

Competition Guidelines

• Each competitor has 10 minutes to orally present their work before a jury and audience, and 3 minutes to respond to jury and audience questions.
• Supporting audio-visual materials are encouraged.
• Entrants presenting creative arts/design projects may present an audio and/or visual record of a performance they have given or a work they have created, and they are encouraged to focus the oral presentation on the rationale and historical context underlying their interpretation of the material.

Each entry will be judged on the following:

• Clarity of purpose (15%)
• Appropriateness of methodology (15%)
• Interpretation of results (15%)
• Value of the research or creative activity (15%)
• The ability of the presenter to articulate the research or creative activity (15%)
• Organization of the materials presented (15%)
• Presenter’s ability to handle questions from the jury and general audience (10%)

Statewide Competition

As many as 10 delegates will be nominated to compete at the CSU statewide competition which will be hosted by San Jose State University from April 24-25, 2026. Monetary awards are available to the outstanding presenters in each category.