By Alison Brierley

Attention all students! You are invited to take part in the first-ever MacRae Library Research Poster Competition. This is an opportunity to share your work with others, learn more about research, and win one of three gift card prizes. 

Submit Your Research 

To register for the competition, complete the online application form by March 15 and prepare a digital or print version of your research poster* to present at a lightning talk event on March 27.

Your digital posters will be presented to lightning talk attendees as QR codes so be sure to create your poster so that it is scalable for mobile devices. If you would like to showcase a print version of your research poster, it must be submitted to the MacRae Library front desk by 12 pm on March 22.

This competition is open to all undergraduate, graduate students, and post-docs on the Truro Campus including Truro Start students. No previous publishing or presentation experience is required and your research can explore any topic.  

Vote for the Winners 

On March 27, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., researchers will present their posters at a lightning talk event in the MacRae Library program rooms (218/219). Audience members will vote for their favourite presentations using a scoring rubric and the top three posters will receive a gift card! A celebratory reception with food and refreshments will follow. 

Can’t make the event? Posters will be on display at the MacRae Library from March 22 – April 5. 

We want to bring together students and postdocs from across the Truro campus to share their knowledge and help to build community. We look forward to your submissions and hearing more about your work! 

Important Dates 

• March 15 – Competition registration deadline
• March 22 – Deadline to submit print posters (12 p.m.)
• March 27 – Lightning talks and reception (6-8 p.m.) 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jaclyn Chambers Page at jchamberspage@dal.ca. 

*Curious about how to prepare a poster presentation?

Sign up for Research Camp, an online, asynchronous program created by Dal Libraries with support from the Writing Centre. Research Camp covers all the elements of research, from basic to advanced skills with video lectures, interactive exercises, and more. Included is a special module on Poster Presentations in the “Presenting and Publishing Research” section. 

Self-register in Brightspace by clicking Academic Support > Self-registration> Online Community – Research Camp 2023-2024. You can enroll anytime and complete as many modules as you wish. 

Contest Terms and Conditions: 

The competition submission form opens on March 1, 2024, at 8 a.m. and closes on March 15, 2024, at 11:59pm. A digital or print copy of the entrant’s poster must be received by the MacRae Library by March 22, 2024, at 4 pm. The lightning talk is from 6 – 8 pm. Entrants must have reached the age of majority in their province of residence and must be an active full- or part-time Dalhousie University students at the Truro Campus.

Three (3) Prizes are available to be won. All entries must be submitted before 11:59 pm March 15, 2024, via submission form ( https://forms.office.com/r/VL3TUGmqLn). Three (3) winners will be selected from all entries based on the scoring rubric attached to the full Competition Rules in Appendix A by 8 p.m. March 27, 2024. The winners will be contacted in person at the event, or via their provided contact information if they are no longer present. Odds of winning are dependent on the number of eligible entries received and the quality of an entrant’s poster based on their score as determined using the scoring rubric. No purchase is required. First prize is a $100 Amazon gift card. Second prize is a $50 Amazon gift card. Third prize is a $25 Amazon gift card.  Winners must claim their prize between the time of notification and April 5 or will forfeit their prize.

View full contest terms and conditions (login required).