Symposium Structure

HURS is open to all Harvard undergraduates involved in research. As such, we have developed 2 different presentation formats to accommodate the different stages of undergraduate research.

• Plenary Talks
• Students selected to give a plenary talk will be asked to give an oral presentation of their research to a group of undergraduates, graduate students, and distinguished faculty members with a diverse scientific background -- indeed, the entirety of HURS attendees. The plenary talk is ideal for well-developed projects with results that provide a thorough answer to a scientific question. Projects placed in this category will most likely have developed over 1-2 years of research, exhibit significant understanding of a scientific problem, and provide claims or answers to the problem backed by experimental or analytical evidence.
• Poster Session
Posters will be printed free of charge!
• The poster session will be the highlight of the Harvard Undergraduate Research Symposium. Approximately 100 undergraduates, ranging from freshmen to seniors, will present their research in poster format.
• Students selected for poster session presentations will be asked to prepare a large poster describing their research and be present at their poster during the poster session. Posters are ideal for projects just getting off the ground that pose fundamental scientific questions. The poster session provides a venue for undergraduates who have just started their projects but demonstrate a thorough understanding of the project's goals and objectives as well as those who have more developed projects. Students will have the opportunity to interact with faculty, their peers, college and high school students, and the public.
• Please start designing your posters early! Midterms are coming up in October and the posters will be due Sunday, October 25th , 2009 by 5:00 PM.

Eligibility

All undergraduates engaged in research in the natural sciences (biology, biochemistry, cellular/molecular biology, neurobiology, chemistry, and chemical biology), behavioral sciences (psychology, cognitive studies), environmental sciences (environmental analysis and environmental management), engineering sciences, physics and astronomy, mathematics (including quantitative economics), computer science, clinical studies, and social sciences (including economics, sociology, etc, and humanities) are encouraged to apply to present their research at HURS. If your category is not listed, please email us at hurs@hcura.org and query. We are attempting to be as inclusive as possible, so do not hesitate in asking!

In addition, your research project does not necessarily have to be Harvard-affiliated. Your eligibility is not effected by your adviser's affiliation.

Applying

Applying to HURS is straightforward. The main component of the application is a 200-250 word abstract that discusses and introduces the scientific problem addressed, provides a summary of results and implications of the work, and outlines any future directions to be taken. All applications must be submitted no later than Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 5:00 PM. To apply, click here.

Application Review

All applications will be reviewed by the HURS Faculty Board. Applicants will be notified of their decisions by October 20. Poster presenters will be notified earlier and are expected to submit their posters on time for printing.

Important Dates

• Tues. Oct 6 - Online abstract submission application available
• Sun. Oct. 18, 5:00pm - Abstract submission deadline
  
• Sun. Oct. 25- Plenary speakers will be notified
• Sun. Oct. 25, 5:00pm -deadline for poster submission
• Sat, Nov. 7 (10AM-5 PM) - HURS 2009!