Symposium

11th Annual Symposium for Research, Scholarship and Creativity

Franciscan Center Gathering Space

Wednesday • April 16, 2025 • 12 - 5 p.m. 

Research Symposium Application Deadline:  March 31, 2025

The Madonna University Annual Symposium for Research, Scholarship and Creativity proudly continues this year!  

The annual Symposium for Research, Scholarship and Creativity provides undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty an opportunity to share their research, creative endeavors, and professional learning experiences with the University and greater community.

The event facilitates the promotion of scholastic achievements of inquiring minds, for a lifetime pursuit of knowledge enabled by University-wide collaboration and scholarship.

We will feature the following events:

• Student Recognition Awards Ceremony 
• Madonna Talks
• Performance Presentations
• Research Poster Presentations

Submit your Research Symposium Application

Please use the application form link below to submit your information to present at the Madonna University Research Symposium. We encourage various types of creative and scholastic endeavors. You may present your work as a research poster, demonstration poster, interactive display, or exhibition display. Only student research posters are eligible for prizes. Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for undergraduate and graduate divisions (each). 1st place = $100, 2nd place = $75, 3rd place = $50. (Group projects will share the prize.)

If you are submitting a research poster, please ensure that you have the following information on hand before you complete the application:

1. Signed Faculty Approval form. Please download the template, and ask your professor/ research instructor to sign.
2. If your work involved human subjects, please upload your IRB approval. If you are in an umbrella research course, your Professor will provide you with the approval letter.
3. You must also upload your CITI Research Integrity Training certificate. 
4. Complete and submit your Research Symposium Application.

Poster Presentation

The Madonna Symposium for Research, Scholarship and Creativity hosts an interactive posters presentation session to allow students and faculty to showcase their research and ideas. Posters are widely used in the academic and scientific community, and most conferences include poster presentations in their program. The main purpose of the research poster is to concisely and succinctly summarize information or research to generate discussion.

A poster is typically a mixture of text mixed with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats. At Madonna, we expect students to stand by the poster display during the presentation period to answer questions, and interact with the audience.  Students presenting via the virtual Symposium site are encouraged to submit a voice-over PowerPoint poster approximately 5-10 minutes in length.  Your recorded presentation will be accessible to all Symposium participants.  Research posters will be judged by a multidisciplinary panel of experts, and prizes will be awarded to both undergraduate and graduate winners.

While it is not required that students utilize this specific product or format, the FAQ guide below provides a variety of important resources for designing an effective and dynamic poster, as well as some helpful tips regarding content and structure and preparing yourself to be present at the event:

Suggested Madonna Research Symposium poster template (.PPT). This template is designed to make a 36x48 poster.  
Arrangements have been made with Metro Detroit Printing to provide poster printing services. If you are interested, please see information and instructions from Metro Detroit Printing below:

1. Electronic file needs to be made as 36" H x 48" W and a minimum of 150 dpi.  File needs to be saved as JPEG to preserve fonts.  Files will be printed as is.  If files are sent without the proper format, we cannot do reprints. 
2. Email the electronic file to info@metrodetroitprinting.com and include Madonna University Student Poster in the subject line.
3. Include poster file and name of student in the e-mail.
4. Files need to be submitted between March 24th and April 9th by 12:00 p.m. Poster print requests will not be accepted outside of this time frame.  Posters will be available for pick up at Metro Detroit Printing in Livonia on Friday, April 11th, and Monday, April 14th, between 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  The address is 12892 Farmington Rd, Livonia, 48150.
5. The cost is $50 for a foam board mounted poster.  Payment is due at time of pick up - cash or credit accepted.