Research and Scholarship Events

2025 UIC SPH Research Week

The purpose of this annual event, at its core, is to bring us together as a community to recognize and support the superb public health research that takes place in the school - across all levels. The 2025 activities include a Student Research Symposium, SPH Research Centers Forum & Networking, and more!

SPH Research and Scholarship Events Heading link

Research Centers Forum & Networking

Learn about the 18 research centers and their impactful work housed within the School of Public Health
Student Research Symposium

Explore the groundbreaking research SPH students of all levels are working on through Lightning Talks
Awardees

View the most recent and past awardees of our Poster Competition and Lightning Talks.

Research Symposium Submit LOI

Research and Scholarship Events Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Heading link

General

General

I am a current UIC SPH student conducting research at a different institution. Is Research and Scholarship Week only for research completed at UIC SPH? No, current SPH students may present research projects completed at different institutions.
Will there be a virtual event presenting awards to students? ORS will announce winners via email and the Research and Scholarship Week website. We do not plan to host a virtual ceremony for awards.
Are research projects carried out as part of a single course requirement (rather than something like faculty research or a thesis) eligible for Research and Scholarship Week? Yes, research projects from courses are eligible for entry.
Are research or scholarly program ideas/proposals eligible for any of the Research and Scholarship Week competitions? Program ideas and proposals are NOT eligible for the Poster Competition as they will not satisfy the Results and Conclusions requirements.

Student Research Symposium

Poster Competition

What are the eligibility requirements for participating in the Student Research Symposium? Students are eligible to compete if they meet either of the following requirements:
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program or minor within the School of Public Health; OR
- Currently enrolled as a degree-seeking student in the School of Public Health (Master’s or Doctoral); OR
- Currently enrolled as a UIC degree-seeking student (Undergraduate, Master’s, or Doctoral) AND conducted research or scholarship work in a SPH unit (e.g. IHRP, Collaboratory for Health Justice)
I received an honorable mention in last year’s Poster Competition. Can I participate this year’s Symposium? Yes, participating this year is permitted if it is with a research project distinct from the one previously presented.
Is it possible for a student to submit LOIs for the Student Research Symposium for more than one project? Yes, students may submit more than one LOI for the Poster Competition if they are different research projects and the projects have not been submitted to a previous SPH Poster Competition.
Can there be more than one main author or submitter per poster submission? Only one author can be listed as the main submitter/primary author, however, you may list all the co-authors in the project in the designated field in the LOI form and they will be displayed where applicable.
If the project has multiple people working on it, can the co-authors also speak during the talk, or is it only the primary author who can speak? Group presentations are allowed with the same 5–7-minute time limit.
Is the SPH presentation template (PPT) a requirement for submission? The SPH PPT template is a required format.
Is there a limit to the number of slides allowed to each PowerPoint presentation? There is no limit on the number of slides if presentations are within the 5–7-minute time frame.
What happens if the presentation goes over the 5–7-minute time limit? Presentations will be cut off at the 7-minute mark to ensure all presenters receive an equal opportunity.
My availability during Research and Scholarship Week is limited. What is the Poster Competition time commitment during the week? Do students have to do anything live? Yes, you will need to be available to present your research live on Friday, April 25, 2025 between 12:30pm-4:00pm.
My research submission is a systematic literature review. It is not based on original research from primary data but rather on comparing peer-reviewed articles and drawing conclusions from the comparative analysis. Would this qualify for the competition? Yes, systematic literature reviews would be acceptable submissions.
Which competition should the LOI be submitted to if the project has multiple authors across degree levels? If there is substantial involvement (i.e., more than an advisory role) from team members with the more advanced degree, then the research project should qualify for the more advanced competitions.
Can students use posters they have presented at other conferences? Yes, students can submit projects to the Student Research Symposium that have already been presented at other conferences.

Research Week Events Heading link

Apr 24 2025

SPH Research Centers Forum & Networking: UIC Research Week

Thursday, 3:00 pm–4:30 pm

SPHPI 160

Apr 25 2025

Conducting Health Research in a Changing Funding Climate

Friday, 11:00 am–12:30 pm

SPHPI 132