Call for Posters

The Four-Year College & University Section and Two-Year College Section of NABT invite you and your students to present your work in research and teaching at the NABT Biology Poster Session.

2024 Biology Education Poster Session 

This event will take place as part of the 2024 NABT Professional Development Conference being held in Anaheim, California. Posters will be divided into three categories with descriptions and criteria of each provided below. 

Poster abstracts are due August 16, 2024 and must include a title, abstract, and complete author list (including contact information).

Student Competition: Biology Education Research – The purpose of this category is to encourage and reward a scholarly, data-driven approach to teaching by the next generation of educators. As such, it is only open to student presenters, including high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Please note that all submissions to this category must have a student as primary (first) author AND? a faculty mentor as a secondary author. Otherwise, they will be moved into the General Category (non-competition).

Posters must concentrate on the presentation of new teaching strategies or programs. Posters should include research and data on the efficacy of the presented technique or trial. Both in-progress and completed research can be presented in this category; however, completed research is encouraged. All students will receive copies of the judges’ completed rubrics by email after the conference, providing the students with valuable feedback to help improve their written and oral presentation skills.

Students and advisers are strongly encouraged to use the #betterposter format and to review the guidelines and scoring rubric for the 2024 Biology Education Research Poster Session. Entries are limited to one poster per student. Poster proposals must be received by August 16th to be entered into the competition. The competition will be divided into two categories: graduate level and high school/undergraduate level. Presenters must submit their completed poster and a short video of their presentation to the Poster Committee two weeks before the conference to remain in competition.

Graduate Students who place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the competition will be awarded cash prizes ($200, $100, and $50, respectively) along with a one-year student membership to NABT (courtesy of NABT). The high school and undergraduate students with the best overall poster will be awarded a cash prize ($200) and a one-year student membership to NABT. Not all prizes will be awarded if fewer than four participants present at the conference.

Student Competition: Mentored Student Research Competition – This category encourages and celebrates mentored student research as a highly effective teaching/learning activity. It is open to high school and undergraduate presenters at 2-year or 4-year undergraduate institutions. Graduate students are not eligible for this category. Please note that all submissions to this category must? have a student as primary (first) author AND a faculty mentor as a secondary author. Otherwise, they will be moved into the General Category (non-competition).

Posters should effectively present a mentored student scientific research activity in any area of biology. Both in-progress and completed research can be presented in this category; however, completed research is encouraged. If the research described in the poster proposal is education research rather than biology research, it should be submitted to the Biology Education Research category instead.

All students will receive written copies of the judges’ completed rubrics by email after the conference to help them improve their written and oral presentation skills. Students and advisers are strongly encouraged to use the #betterposter format and review the guidelines and scoring rubric for the 2024 Mentored Student Research Poster Session. Poster proposals must be received by August 16th to be entered in the competition. Presenters must submit their completed poster and a short video of their presentation to the Poster Committee two weeks before the conference to remain in competition. 

Undergraduate students who place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the competition will be awarded cash prizes ($200, $100, and $50 respectively) along with a one-year student membership to NABT (courtesy of NABT). The high school student with the best overall poster will be awarded a cash prize ($200). Not all prizes will be awarded if fewer than four participants present at the conference.

General Category (non-competition) – Open to all participants. Posters can present the incorporation of new teaching strategies, techniques, or programs. Past posters have even highlighted a new lesson plan or laboratory exercise. Posters that include research and data on the efficacy of presented techniques are particularly encouraged. Posters on basic biological research that lack a learning component are typically not appropriate.

Deadline for Submission: August 16, 2024

Proposals submitted after August 16th, 2024 will not be considered by the Poster Committee. Poster layout is at the discretion of the authors, but all presenters are encouraged to use the #betterposter format. Please limit the poster width to 48 inches.

All poster presenters must register and pay the appropriate fees to attend the NABT Professional Development Conference.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Rachel Pigg and Michael Moore at nabtposters@gmail.com.