Student Poster Competition

• NEW! 2008 Poster Abstracts
• See Previous Winners
• See Previous Poster Abstracts

What is the Student Poster Presentation?

The Student Poster Competition is an annual contest held before 30 June by local ISPE Chapters and Affiliates. Local winners advance to the International Student Poster Competition at the ISPE Annual Meeting. Both the final graduate student winner and undergraduate student winner of the international competition receive cash awards, and are have the opportunity to publish their materials in ISPE's magazine Pharmaceutical Engineering, as well as other Chapter/Affiliate publications.

The poster presentation consists of a visual display of research or program highlights on a foamcore poster background, combined with an interactive question and answer period.

Posters include the following:

• Title of the presentation
• Names of author(s) and affiliated organization(s)
• Project abstract (brief summary of project objective, methods, results, and conclusions)
• Background Information
• Project objectives
• Materials and Methods
• Results and Conclusions

A poster presentation is an exhibit, not a book. The readers and judges do not expect a lot of detail. Graphics work very well and should be used to convey project information where possible.

Local Winners Advance

All Student Members who have competed in a local Student Poster Competition may participate in the International Student Poster Competition at the ISPE Annual Meeting, to be held this year from 26-29 October, 2008 in Boca Raton, Florida. Chapters/Affiliates are only obligated to support two student winners (graduate and undergraduate) but they may choose to support others. The students may obtain other support to attend from their schools, fund raisers, parents, and earnings. They may NOT solicit funds from companies but may accept donations if they are offered. Students should seek advice from their Faculty and Industry Advisors.

Students must be ISPE Student Members BEFORE competing in the local Student Poster Competition.

If the students win and then graduate, they may still compete at Annual Meeting in the fall.

Poster Competition Guidelines

1. Each contestant must be a registered eligible ISPE Student Member PRIOR to competing at the Chapter/Affiliate poster competition. Note: Post docs are not considered students.
   
2. Only ISPE Student Members who have competed at the Chapter/Affiliate competition are eligible to compete at the international competition at Annual Meeting.
   
3. Contestants shall present a project related to research and development, facilities, and business operations and of interest to the pharmaceutical, biotech, and/or medical device industries. ISPE consists of industry professionals and academic leaders focused in the areas of facility design, engineering, human resources, process development, sales, computers, regulatory compliance, manufacturing, the environment, technology, and research and development. Poster topics may relate to any of these facets of ISPE. (For help with topic selection, contact the Faculty or Industry Advisor for your Student Chapter.)
   
4. Contestants shall develop panel sections for the project abstract, background information, materials and methods, graphics, charts, summary, etc. Sections may be mounted on color matboard for additional contrast and visual appeal. Contestants may choose to plot the entire poster on a 40"x60" sheet. This approach is acceptable providing contestants maintain proper section size and separation within the continuous sheet.
   
5. ISPE (at the local and international levels) will supply each contestant with a white 40"x60" foamcore poster board and easel at the competition. Contestants may choose to orient the poster board vertically or horizontally for the competition. Sections shall be affixed to the white 40"x60" foamcore poster using Velcro tape or pushpins supplied by ISPE at the competition. Posters plotted as a continuous sheet must fit within the borders of the foamcore poster board.
   
6. Poster shall be fully assembled with all text, photos, charts, drawings, and/or illustrations completely formatted and ready for viewing one hour prior to the start time of the poster competition.
   
7. Illustrations must be readable from a distance of 3 feet.
   
8. No commercial advertisements or logos are permitted. University and Chapter logos may be used.
   
9. Collaborative poster presentations are acceptable; however, only one primary author is permitted to compete. Substitutions will be allowed for the international competition only if the substitute is an ISPE Student Member and a member of the original research team. The substitute's name must be on the original abstract and poster.
   
10. Other researchers must be acknowledged on the poster. Since there is an opportunity to publish the poster in future ISPE publications, collaborative researchers must agree to allow the presenter to publish the contents of the poster in his/her name, with other researchers being acknowledged in the publication.
    
    It is the responsibility of the Industry Advisor to ensure the poster is the work of the Student Member presenting. If the poster is a collaborative effort all researchers must be acknowledged. It is also the responsibility of the Faculty Advisor and the Industry Advisor to ensure all Poster Competition guidelines are followed.
    
    
11. Contestants will be given a ten-minute window to showcase their projects with the judges. Judging sessions will consist of a five-minute presentation given by each student plus a five-minute question-and-answer period.
    
12. Contestants may not change or update their poster presentations between the local Student Poster Competition and the International Student Poster Competition. What is presented at the local level is what may be presented at the international level.
    
13. Contestants will add to their poster the completion date of their research.

Judging

Judges for Chapter/Affiliate competitions will be leading local industry professionals selected by each Chapter/Affiliate. (Chapters/Affiliates are encouraged to hold their competitions before 30 June 2008, given that registration for the Annual Meeting begins in August.) Judges for the international competition will be active ISPE members. Contestants will be given a ten-minute window to showcase their projects with the judges. Judging sessions will consist of a five-minute presentation given by each student plus a five-minute question-and-answer period. View the Poster Evaluation Form to understand the judging criteria. Students should keep in mind the diverse backgrounds of the judges when developing their poster and presentation.

Post-Judging

Chapter/Affiliate Competition: Event structure may vary from Chapter to Chapter. Contestants shall plan on discussing their poster with other Chapter members present at the event. The winners of the graduate and undergraduate competitions will be decided at the event and will each receive a trip to the ISPE Annual Meeting to compete at the international level.

Annual Meeting Competition: After the completion of judging, the posters will be displayed for the attendees to view. Contestants shall remain with their posters for the duration of the session, as indicated in the technical program of the event, or as directed by the manager of the event on-site. Contestants are responsible for disassembly and removal of the poster following the session. ISPE cannot assume responsibility for materials left beyond those time limits. The international winners will be announced at the ISPE Membership Luncheon during the Annual Meeting. Each winner receives a cash award.

For More Information

Contact the Faculty or Industry Advisor for your Student Chapter. If you do not belong to a Student Chapter or there is not one in your area, contact Lynne Richards, Director of  Affiliate and Chapter Relations at tel: +1-813-960-2105.