BIG EAST Poster Symposium

Xavier University is proud to participate in the

In preparation for this event, we are seeking nominations of undergraduate research projects to represent Xavier at the symposium.

What's Included:

• Selected students will have their travel and lodging to New York City paid for by Xavier.
• A Xavier faculty or staff chaperone will accompany the traveling students.
• Lunch during the symposium is provided.
• A ticket to the Big East Men's Basketball Championship game. 

The Research Symposium includes:

• Five undergraduate research posters from each Big East university (posters may have up to two presenters)
• A networking event for the student researchers the evening before the event.
• Students presenting 10-minute oral presentations to judges regarding their work.
• Research competition winners acknowledged on the court during the championship game!
• Here is the abstract book from the 2026 symposium.

Eligibility requirements:

• Students must be full-time Xavier undergraduates in Spring 2027.
• The research must have been supervised by a Xavier faculty member.
• Students must be in good academic standing.
• Students must be available to attend the symposium, associated events, and associated travel, from the afternoon of Friday, March 12, through the morning of Sunday, March 14, 2027.
• Students must not have presented at a previous BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Symposium.
• Faculty may nominate an undergraduate research poster to represent Xavier at the event. Students may not self-nominate.
• A maximum of two students from each project can attend the research symposium.
• Projects involving human subjects research must have current IRB approval at the time of nomination.

How to Nominate

Faculty nominate an undergraduate research project to represent Xavier at the event.

• Nominations can be made at forms/big-east-nominations.
• The form will ask for student and faculty names and contact information, a statement of recommendation, a project title, and an abstract (200 words or less; preferably written by the student(s)). 
• Nominations are due by November 20, 2026.

Selection Process

• Five projects will be chosen from the nominations, and up to two students per project are eligible to travel to the research symposium.
• Preference will be given to research projects that are completed by the submission deadline, but in-progress studies that will be completed by February, 2027 can be considered.
• Selections are made by the URCA Advisory Board. 
  • The selection criteria include: Originality, Methodology, Analysis and Interpretation, and Faculty Letter of Recommendation.

Applications will be reviewed following the nomination deadline, and selected students will be notified by the beginning of the Spring semester. If you are selected, you will be required to attend a Presentation Practice Day on campus in early February 2027.

 

Please direct questions to Dr. Ty Brumback, Director of Undergraduate Research (brumbackt@xavier.edu)