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FURC 2021 FAQs for Presenters and Attendees

General Information

  • How does a virtual conference work?

    • For FURC 2021, we will be using the conference platform and presentation app, Whova, which has a lot of special features that allows us to maintain some of the exciting components of a live conference!  

  • How do I participate in a virtual conference?

    • If you are presenting, see below for more information about participating in FURC 2021. When you are not participating, you can attend the graduate school recruiter fair, workshops on important and relevant topics to undergraduate researchers, and other networking events! You will also be able to invite attendees for virtual follow-up conversations about your research and more. The final conference program will have complete information about engaging virtually at FURC 2021!

  • What do I need to submit an abstract, to register, and to pay to participate in FURC 2021 as a presenter?

    • If you want to be considered to present, you must submit your abstract by January 3, 2021. You can submit your abstract here: https://fsu-2021furc.smapply.us/

    • If you have any questions about submitting your abstract, view our abstract submission graphic here! Remember that the abstract word limit is 250 words.

    • We anticipate sending out acceptances by Tuesday, January 19, 2021, though abstract submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

    • All presenters must complete the registration process, which will open on Tuesday, January 19, and is due by Monday, February 1, 2021.

    • All payments will be completed through Eventbrite. Payment is $15 per person.

    • Payments for self-paying presenters and for all group payments are due Monday, February 8, 2021.

    • Group payments for schools that are FURA institutional members will be eligible for a 10% discount. The discount code will be sent to institutional members to use for group payments.

    • If you have any questions about whether or not your institution is paying for you, please contact your Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) or other relevant staff. Note: Your institution might have its own travel payment process with its own deadlines.

  • What do I need to do to register and pay to attend FURC 2021 as a non-presenting attendee?

    • Any non-presenting attendees whose institutions are paying on their behalf must also complete the registration process by Monday, February 1, 2021.

    • If you are paying for yourself as a non-presenting attendee, you do NOT need to complete the registration process.

    • All payments will be completed through Eventbrite. Payment is $15 per person. Group attendee payments are due by Monday, February 8, 2021.

    • If you have any questions about whether or not your institution is paying for you, please contact your Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) or other relevant staff. Note: Your institution might have its own travel payment process with its own deadlines.

    • For self-paying non-presenting attendees: we warmly welcome friends, family, and the general public to attend FURC 2021. If you are just attending FURC 2021, you will need to pay by Monday, February 22, 2021.

Abstract Submission and Registration 

  • I submitted my abstract but in the meantime, I have not collected all of my data for my research project; can I still present a poster with my research plan and anticipated results?

    • Students at every stage of their academic research are encouraged to apply, as long as they have the support from their faculty research mentor.

  • Can I attend FURC as a guest (parent, relative, friend, or significant other)?

    • We welcome parents, friends, relatives, significant others, etc. Everyone will need to pay through Eventbrite to participate in the event and then create a profile to interact in the virtual conference platform, Whova.

  • Do I have to live in Florida to participate in FURC?

    • Undergraduate students enrolled in Colleges or Universities within the State of Florida are eligible to apply to present their research poster at FURC, but we welcome audience members from all locations.

  • I recently graduated with my undergraduate degree. Can I still present my undergraduate research?

    • Yes, students who graduated within the past 12 months and have not matriculated to graduate or professional school may attend and present.

  • Can a student present two posters?

    • A student may be an author on multiple posters; however, a student may be first author on only ONE poster. This ensures as many students as possible will have the opportunity to present their research.

Information for Presenters  

  • How many students have attended FURC in years past?

    • At recent FURCs, as many as 600 students have attended with 200 attendees who are university staff, family, and friends.

  • What disciplines can present at FURC?

    • FURC is inclusive of all academic research, scholarship, and creative inquiry across all disciplines. 

  • What should I include in my abstract submission?

    • Abstracts/creative statements are limited to 250 words, and should include an introductory statement, the approach/methods, any results, and a discussion/ conclusion. Only submit plain text – do not include any pictures or graphs with your abstract submission. We suggest you contact your Research Mentor, other members of your presentation, your campus Writing Center, and Office of Undergraduate Research for help developing your abstract. There may be multiple student authors on a presentation. Each presentation only needs to submit one abstract; however, each presenter that is attending FURC must register and pay the registration fee. A student may be first author on only ONE poster. Abstract writing help, additional help

  • What do I need to know about creating my poster/video presentation?

    • We suggest creating a standard poster with sizes of 36” tall x 48” wide. You will need to convert your poster into a digital PDF which you will then need to upload to Whova, along with a short two to three minute video presentation of your poster, by Sunday, February 21st, 2021. More details will be provided as we get closer to the event.

  • How do I make and upload the video component of my poster presentation?

    • You need to record a short two to three minute video presentation and/or elevator speech presentation of your poster (using your webcam, cellphone, Zoom, etc.). You will upload your video to YouTube, which you will then link to your Whova profile by Sunday, February 21st, 2021. More details will be provided as we get closer to the event.

  • How will I present my poster at FURC 2021?

    • There will be four poster sessions over the two days (February 26th and February 27th). Times are randomly assigned to all posters. Although your poster PDF and video presentation will be viewable on the conference app at all times, you will need to be available during your designated poster presentation time to answer questions about your research. Questions will be submitted via chat to your conference app profile, and you will be able to answer them during your time-slot. When you’re not answering questions during your time-slot, we expect you to visit other student presentations and engage with their presentations.

  • Are poster presentations judged at this Conference?

    • No, participants are not judged at this conference. There are no awards.

  • Any tips for first-time presenters?

    • It is a good idea to practice your presentation with your research mentor, grad students, friends, and/or family. Since this is a multi-disciplinary event, be sure to describe your research in words that can be understood by all attendees. We encourage you to practice several times before making your video, but you can also record your presentation multiple times until it is polished.

  • What should I wear for my video presentation and to the conference itself?

    • While filming your video, at least business-casual attire is necessary. During the conference, there will be times where you interact in a live capacity with grad school recruiters and fellow FURC 2021 attendees, so business casual is still encouraged during those times. Please consider your background when recording your video and when interacting during the event.

  • How do I interact with graduate school representatives?

    • You will have many chances to interact with graduate school recruiters over the course of the conference, but they will be featured in a one hour graduate school recruiter fair on the first day of the event, Friday, February 26th (tentatively scheduled for 2:15-3:15pm). Another feature of the conference app is the Passport Center that keeps track of the graduate school representatives and recruiters you network with. Stay tuned for more details, but there will be a raffle with a chance to receive exciting prizes for those that utilize the Passport Center function!

Still have questions? Email FURC2021@fsu.edu
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