2018 Research Day at the Capitol

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - 8:30am - 12:00pm

About the Event

Research Day at the Capitol was established over 20 years ago to showcase the outstanding undergraduate research being conducted at Oklahoma’s colleges and universities in the areas of science (including social science), technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students are nominated by their institutions' leadership to participate in the prestigious event, which is sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (OK EPSCoR), and the National Science Foundation. 

Nominated students present their research to State Legislators and the public in the State Capitol Rotunda during the legislative session. In addition, students’ posters and oral presentations are competitively judged by an independent panel; winners are announced at the conclusion of Research Day, during an awards ceremony held in the Capitol’s Blue Room.   

Timeline & Activities

  • Wednesday, November 1, 2017
    Nomination deadline 
    (Online submission, including uploaded financial responsibility form and abstract) 
  • Saturday, November 11, 2017
    Student informational training session
    9:30 a.m. – Noon, Hyatt Place Hotel, Oklahoma City
    Student Participation Mandatory 
  • November 12, 2017 – March 25, 2018  
    Students prepare scientific posters, oral presentations and poster display units
  • Monday, February 5, 2018
    Students’ revised abstracts and lodging requests are due

  • Monday, March 12, 2018
    Online registration closes (all attendees)
  • Monday, March 26, 2018
    Judging of students' oral presentations and posters
    Noon – 5 p.m., Hyatt Place Hotel, Oklahoma City
    Student Participation Mandatory 
    (Individually Scheduled times; students only) 

  • Tuesday, March 27, 2018
    Research Day at the Capitol: State Capitol, 4th Floor Rotunda
    Students arrive and set up posters, 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.,
    Posters on exhibit, students meet with Legislators & public, 8:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
    Student Participation Mandatory 
    (All registered guests are invited; open to the public)
  • Tuesday, March 27, 2018
    Awards ceremony
    11:30 a.m. – noon, Blue Room, State Capitol, Oklahoma City
    Student Participation Mandatory
    (All registered guests are invited)

Poster Competition and Awards

A panel of EPSCoR-appointed judges will review students' poster presentations from noon - 5 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 2018, at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Oklahoma City. Judging will consist of poster review, a three-minute oral presentation by the student, and two mintues of timed Q&A.  

Posters will be judged on the following criteria:

  1. Abstract (format, clarity, societal impact, objective of study, results, and conclusions)
  2. Scientific presentation
    (Clear purpose, hypothesis, background information, results, impact, suggested further study)
  3. Visual appearance
  4. Clarity for general audiences
  5. Societal impact statement 

The top student researchers will be awarded the following:

  • Grand Prize is a $500 award plus $4,000 summer research internship; $2,500 award to the sponsoring Oklahoma college/university lab to offset expenses of hosting the internship
  • First ($500), second ($250), and third ($250) place prizes will be awarded in each of the following two categories: 1) Research Intensive Institutions and 2) Regional, Community and Tribal Colleges

Designated Conference Hotel

Hyatt Place Hotel
1511 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK  73118

  • Negotiated room rate: $97/night, complimentary self-parking
  • Deadline to book a room is February 24 or when the block reaches maximum capacity
  • *Book a room online: Hotel Reservation Link 
    (
    Promo code "G-ONSF" will prepopulate; you only need to enter your travel date.)
  • Book a room in this group block via phone: 405-840-5557 extension 3 or 0

*The provided hotel reservation link is for advisors and other guests only--NOT student researchers. Student participants must secure their rooms by turning in their rooming needs directly to gmiller@okepscor.org 

For more information

Contact Gina Miller, Outreach Coordinator, at gmiller@okepscor.org or 405.744.9964 

Pictured above: Madison Duckwall of Newcastle, shown with Chancellor Glen D. Johnson, was selected to represent Southwestern Oklahoma State University at the 2017 Research Day at the Capitol. Duckwall won the overall grand prize for her synthethic biology research poster titled "Real World Synthetic Biology: Production of Arsenic Biosensors and Aspirin Producing Bacteria."