CSU Student Research Competition

Information for Cal Poly Students

The 27th Annual CSU Student Research Competition will be held at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, on May 10-11, 2013.

On Saturday,March 2, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. until approximately 2:00 p.m., students nominated by their college deans will present their work to a panel consisting of the Academic Senate Grants Review Committee and additional faculty referees. This panel will determine which of the student presentations will be sent forward to represent Cal Poly at the CSU system-wide competition at Cal Poly Pomona on May 10-11, 2013.

A student may submit a paper on any academic topic. Papers will be grouped for presentation in the following categories, which will also be used in the statewide competition:

  • Behavioral and Social Sciences
  • Biological and Agricultural Sciences
  • Business, Economics and Public Administration
  • Creative Arts and Design
  • Education
  • Engineering and Computer Science
  • Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences
  • Humanities and Letters
  • Physical and Mathematical Sciences
  • Interdisciplinary

You may access more information at the Cal Poly Pomona research website.

The written summary of your research may not exceed five (5) double-spaced pages. Use fonts and margins that ensure legibility. Each copy must include the name of the student and the title of the presentation. In addition, you may add appendices (bibliography, graphs, photographs, or other supplementary materials) not to exceed three (3) pages.

In all categories, oral presentations of the papers must not exceed 10 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes allowed for questions from the review committee and the audience. Supporting audiovisual materials are encouraged in all categories. The presentation room will have a video projector connected to a computer. Students who wish to use the video projector should bring their presentation on a flash drive.

The format is intended to resemble a professional academic meeting and closely replicates the setting of the statewide competition (statewide competition guidelines (doc)). The review committee will judge the presentations using the following criteria:

  • the clarity of purpose in each paper submitted
  • the appropriateness of the methodology
  • the interpretation of the results
  • the value of the research or creative activity
  • the ability of each presenter to articulate the work involved
  • the organization of the material presented
  • the ability of each presenter to respond to questions

After college review and prioritization, an electronic copy of the paper and the Student Delegate Registration Form (doc) are due by email to dahart@calpoly.edu no later than February 21, 2013, as well as one paper copy of the paper and registration form delivered to the Research and Graduate Programs Office by the same deadline.

Up to ten presentations will be selected to compete in the statewide competition at Cal Poly Pomona, May 10-11, 2013.

The Office of Research and Graduate Programs will pay the costs of travel for those students selected for the system-wide competition. In addition, the CSU Student Research Competition will provide, at no cost to the student participants, their guests and mentors, a reception on Friday evening, May 10, and an awards luncheon on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

Please contact the Research and Graduate Programs Office (Bldg. 38, Room 154) at (805) 756-1508 if you have questions concerning the competition.