SPHHS Research Day

Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Time: 2–4:30 pm
Location: SPHHS HUB

We are excited to announce that SPHHS will host its annual Research Day on Friday, May 1st, in the HUB from 2:00-4:30pm. Now in its 29th year, SPHHS Research Day is an annual showcase for research and practice conducted by students working with faculty mentors in all our departments. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, are invited to present their work to the faculty, staff, peers, and the broader community. This year, Research Day will coincide with the Grand Opening Celebration of the HUB, for which more details will be forthcoming shortly. It promises to be a very special afternoon.

Student researchers will present their work during four 20-minute poster sessions. Posters will be displayed both digitally on monitors and as printed posters in the Team-Based Learning classrooms. 

Please note that we are no longer accepting submissions for the 2026 Research Day.

Schedule for Poster Sessions

  • 2:00-2:20 pm: Poster Session A
  • 2:40-3:00 pm: Poster Session B
  • 3:25-3:45 pm: Poster Session C
  • 3:55-4:15 pm: Poster Session D

Our Research Day prize winners will be announced following the conclusion of Poster Session D. Please see details below about our 3-minute pre-recorded Video Challenge and information about awards.

Information For Research Day Presenters

Digital Poster Presenters

Final digital posters need to be submitted by April 29th at 4:30pm. Please use this link to submit your digital poster. Please use the naming convention shown on the form. It is no longer necessary to bring your own computer. We will have your digital poster displayed for you during your presentation time.

Sample Poster Template (Digital)

A sample PPT template in 16:9 format can be found here. Students are welcome to use it or one provided by your faculty sponsor, but your poster should maintain a 16:9 ratio to ensure it fits properly on the digital displays. 

If you have already created your poster in 4:3 or other format, you can readjust it as follows in PowerPoint: Navigate to the Design menu and select Widescreen (16:9) in the Slide Size tab. You will likely need to readjust your text and design elements to accommodate the wider settings.

Printed Poster Presenters

Final printed posters need to be submitted by April 29th at 4:30pm. Please drop off your printed poster to HUB Room 301 anytime between 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday up until the 29th. There will be someone to receive your poster during these times. We will have your poster already displayed for you during your presentation time.

Sample PRINTED Poster Template

A sample printed PPT template can be found here. We do not require a specific poster size. A common size of posters is 4ft (width) x 3ft (height). If using PowerPoint, navigate to the Design menu and select Standard (4:3) in the Slide Size tab or set custom slide size at 48 inches width by 36 inches height.

Presenter Check-in on May 1

All presenters will need to arrive for check-in between 12:30 and 1:15pm to HUB Room 103. We encourage you to dress professionally, and to be ready with a 1-minute and 3-minute presentation. Please be sure your presentation is geared to a broad audience as attendees will not be experts in the same research area.

Information about the 3-Minute Pre-recorded Video Challenge and Awards  

Submissions are now closed. Thank you to those of you who submitted! 

SPHHS graduate students and undergraduate students in Kinesiology, Nutrition, Public Health, and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences who submitted a pre-recorded video are eligible for prizes, as follows:

Video presentations from two graduate students will be selected to receive SPHHS Travel Awards to be used toward expenses associated with presenting at a conference of their choice. The first $1,500 prize will be given to the first-place winner from a graduate student in a public health department (Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences, Health Promotion and Policy); the second $1,500 prize will be awarded to a graduate student in the Health Sciences (Kinesiology, Nutrition, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences). There will also be three Graduate Student Video Presentation Prizes and three Undergraduate Student Video Presentation Prizes.

Reminder: No judging will take place on Research Day; however, you must participate in Research Day in order to be eligible for awards. Video presentations will be judged by a faculty jury prior to Research Day. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of Research Day.

3-Minute Video Challenge Requirements:

  • Video presentations are limited to 3 minutes.
  • The video may include up to 4 slides. 
  • The presenter must be visible in the videorecording.
  • No additional electronic media (e.g., sound or video files) are permitted other than the presenter’s oral presentation.
  • All decisions of the judges are final. 

Judging Criteria

Comprehension and Content

  • Presentation provided clear motivation, background, and significance to the research question.
  • Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research; and
  • Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research.

Engagement and Communication

  • The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience.
  • The PowerPoint slides were well-defined and enhanced the presentation.
  • The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention.

See the tabs below for more information on poster printing and design, recording your video, and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

We have a undergraduate capstone project from our class. May we present at Research Day? No, due to space limitations, undergraduate capstone projects will not be a part of Research Day. Other options for presentations have been made available to undergraduate Capstone classes. 

I have a graduate capstone project from my class. May I present at Research Day? Due to space limitations, we may need to limit the number of graduate capstone project abstracts we can accept.  Please speak to your instructors (Dr. Chilton, Dr. Hartmann-Boyce) before submitting an abstract.

Will my abstract be accepted for a poster session? Posters should be a display of work that you contributed to directly. Provided it is not an undergraduate capstone project and that an SPHHS faculty sponsor (or your instructor in the case of graduate capstone projects) has approved your abstract submission, we will too. So, please plan to start working on your poster right away. Post-doctoral fellows and students outside SPHHS with an SPHHS faculty advisor are encouraged to participate in Research Day but are not eligible for awards.

Present your information so a coherent and straight-forward story is told, clearly articulating the greater implications of the work presented for public health and health science. Emphasize the most important points and avoid overwhelming the viewer with too much detail. Specific recommendations include:

  • In the introduction, briefly summarize the necessary background that led to this work, clearly identify the purpose or specific aims of the study, and identify the questions asked or hypothesis(es) tested. If your poster is in the “practice” category, please describe the theoretical basis for the intervention or policy.
  • Provide sufficient detail about methodology used to conduct the study, including number and necessary demographics of the participants studied. If your poster is in the “practice” category, provide supporting evidence for the approach or policy and the goals and objectives to be achieved.
  • Results can be effectively presented by tables, figures, quotes, illustrations, and/or photographs. For each table, figure, etc., a clear legend will go a long way in highlighting and briefly discussing the essential points. For program plans, please provide a clear logic model.
  • For the summary and conclusion, briefly state the "bottom lines" of your work, its significance in your field, and clearly articulate the implications for public health/health science.
  • In the acknowledgment section, identify funding source(s), institutional support, and individuals who have contributed significantly but are not listed as authors. 

Please note: You may present preliminary data.

Research posters can be printed at the UMass Amherst Learning Commons. Follow the link for more information.