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.

2025 Biology Education Poster Session 

This event will take place as part of the 2025 NABT Professional Development Conference being held in St. Louis, Missouri. Posters will be divided into three categories, with descriptions and criteria of each provided below. 

Poster abstracts are due August 1, 2025, and must include a title, abstract, and complete author list (including contact information).

Presenters in all categories will be notified of their acceptance in mid-August. To be considered for an award, student presenters in competition categories must submit a .pdf file of their poster and a .mp4 file of their presentation by the deadline stipulated in their acceptance notification. These students must also be present at the poster session during the conference in St. Louis.

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 and has two divisions: one for high school and undergraduate students, and one for 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, posters will be moved into the General Category (non-competition).

Posters must concentrate on the presentation of new teaching strategies or programs or contribute new knowledge about biology education, and should include data and relevant analysis. Both in-progress and completed research can be presented in this category; however, completed research is encouraged. 

Students and advisers are strongly encouraged to use the #betterposter format and to review the guidelines and scoring rubric for the 2025 Biology Education Research Poster Session. Entries are limited to one poster per student. Poster proposals must be received by August 1 to be entered into the competition. 

Following acceptance of abstracts, students must submit their completed poster and a short video of their presentation to the Poster Committee by October 1 to remain in competition. 

Cash prizes (up to $200), along with NABT membership, will be given in each division (high school and undergraduate; and graduate students). ?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 in biology. It is only open to high school and undergraduate students 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.

Students and advisers are strongly encouraged to use the #betterposter format and review the guidelines and scoring rubric for the 2025 Mentored Student Research Poster Session. Poster proposals must be received by August 1 to be entered in the competition.

Following acceptance of abstracts, students must submit their completed poster and a short video of their presentation to the Poster Committee by October 1 to remain in competition.

The high school or undergraduate student with the best overall poster will be awarded a cash prize ($200) and a one-year student membership to NABT.

General Category (non-competition) – Open to all participants; however, students are strongly encouraged to enter one of the competition categories instead. 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 1, 2025

Proposals submitted after August 1, 2025 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 Jeremy Hsu, Melanie Lenahan, or Kaleb Heinrich at nabtposters@gmail.com.