Poster and Presentation Guidelines

Student Research Day Poster Presentation Guidelines

Congratulations on your acceptance for a poster presentation at JBG Student Research Day on November 2nd, 2026! Below are guidelines for poster presentations. Please reach out to JBGResearchSociety@med.unc.edu with any questions.

Poster Presentation Guidelines & Tips

• Poster size limit: 40″ x 30″ 
• Suggested text size guidelines (these sizes assume your file is set to the full 40″ x 30″ dimensions):
  • Title dimensions: 88 – 120 pt
  • Presenter names & institutional affiliations: 70 – 90 pt
  • Main section headers: 54 – 80 pt
  • Subsection headers: 48 – 72 pt
  • Main body narrative: 36 – 52 pt
• Content requirements:
  • The poster title must match the accepted abstract
  • Include all authors and your faculty mentor
  • Acknowledge funding sources
  • Remove all patient identifiers or PHI, for HIPAA
• Please see the JBG Website for poster design tips
• UNCSOM offers FREE BioRender access: Sign in Here
• Free poster templates through UNC Libraries: Here

Please submit a PDF version of your final poster presentation by Friday, Oct 23rd, 2026 at 11:59pm. If you do not submit your presentation by this deadline, you will not be permitted to present on SRD. Please submit at this Link

Logistics for the Day Of 

• SRD will be held in person in Roper Hall. We will send details closer to the day regarding where in Roper you will set up your poster.
• Presentations for SRD fall under 4 categories: Basic Science, Clinical Science and Quality Improvement, Public Health, and Medical Education/Other. If you believe that you belong in a category other than the one you were assigned on your acceptance email, please let us know.

• To be inducted into the John B. Graham Medical Student Research Society, you must attend the Keynote Speaker Address, the Poster Presentations, and the Oral Presentations. However, if you have to miss part of SRD for SHS or another School of Medicine requirement, you are still eligible for induction.

• Day-of Schedule:
  • Keynote Speaker Dr. Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC: 1:30 – 2:40pm 
  • Networking hour/Poster roaming/Appetizers: 2:50 – 3:50pm 
  • Poster Presentations: 3:55 – 4:55pm  
  • Oral Presentations: 5:10 – 6:10pm  
  • Dinner, Award Ceremony, and Society Induction: 6:25 – 7:00pm
• There will be a check-in table in Roper lobby where you will sign in with an SRD representative and receive a nametag. Please allow time to check in before your presentation!
• Set up and take down instructions:
  • Poster easels will be set up the night before SRD, so you may hang up your poster any time before your poster session begins. There will be tacs on the easels for you to use.

Administrative Excuses

• If you are a branch-campus student, you may request an Administrative Excuse prior to November 2nd to travel to Chapel Hill for your presentation. 
• Students who wish to use a conference absence day should forward their acceptance email to their campus designee to request it. Students are asked to submit requests for conference absence at least 60 days in advance or within a reasonable amount of time from the notice of presentation acceptance. 
• If you are out of conference absences, you can use an absence day from your bank. ALL absences, whether conference or from your bank, should be recorded using the Qualtrics Form (Foundation Phase or Clinical Phases form). 

Poster Printing

• We are pleased to offer a discounted printing option through partnership with PhD Posters at this link
• Poster Size Limit: 40″ x 30″
• Printing Deadlines:
  • Standard order deadline: 6:30 PM, Saturday, October 31, 2026 (US/Eastern)
  • Rush order deadline: 6:30 PM, Sunday, November 1, 2026 (US/Eastern); Rush order fee: $35.00 USD
• Pickup Information:
  • Printed posters will be delivered to Roper Hall and available for pickup after 9:00 AM during registration on November 2.
  • Additional information will be emailed once your poster has been printed.

Judging 

• You are required to be present at your poster during the allotted presentation time. Be prepared to give a short (~2-3 minute) presentation of your poster and answer questions from judges. 
• You are expected to stand by your poster for the full session (3:55-4:55pm). You may visit other posters in your hall, but keep an eye out for judges so that you don’t miss your opportunity to present!
• There will be one award per category for best poster. Winners will receive a cash prize. Awards will be announced for each topic and distributed to winners during the closing remarks ceremony. We will have dinner available during the ceremony. 
• Judging Criteria
  Judges will score your poster and presentation on the following:
  • Significance: Why does this research matter, and what gap does it address?
  • Study design: How clearly do you explain your research question and methods?
  • Rigor: Are your methods and analysis sound and appropriate for your question?
  • Interpretation: Do your conclusions follow from your results, and do you acknowledge limitations?
  • Future directions: What are the next steps for this work?
  • Visual presentation: Is your poster clear, organized, and easy to follow, with effective figures?
• We encourage you to seek feedback from your faculty mentor(s) on your poster and presentation prior to SRD. 

Dress

• Please plan to wear business casual or business professional for your presentation

Poster/Oral Presentation Skills Workshop

• The JBG Research Opportunities team has reserved Roper Hall 6302 on October 5th at 12:10 PM for a Poster and Oral Presentation Skills Workshop. Please mark your calendars for this event to get some tips on making your presentation stand out! Lunch will be provided.

Student Research Day Oral Presentation Guidelines

Congratulations on your acceptance for an oral presentation at JBG Student Research Day on November 2nd, 2026! Below are guidelines for poster presentations. Please reach out to JBGResearchSociety@med.unc.edu with any questions.

Oral Presentation Guidelines & Tips

• Presentation length: 9 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
• Slide format: 16:9 widescreen, submitted as a PowerPoint (.pptx) or PDF
• Suggested slide guidelines:
  • Aim for about 1 slide per minute of speaking time
  • Title text: 36 – 44 pt
  • Body text: no smaller than 24 pt
  • Figure labels and axis text: no smaller than 18 pt
  • Limit each slide to one main idea, and use figures over blocks of text
• Content requirements:
  • The presentation title must match the accepted abstract
  • Include all authors and your faculty mentor on your title slide
  • Acknowledge funding sources
  • Remove all patient identifiers or PHI, for HIPAA
• Please see the JBG Website for tips on presentations
• UNCSOM offers FREE BioRender access: Sign in Here

Please submit a PDF version of your final presentation by Friday, Oct 23rd, 2026 at 11:59pm. If you do not submit your presentation by this deadline, you will not be permitted to present on SRD. Please submit at this Link

Logistics for the Day Of 

• SRD will be held in person in Roper Hall. Oral presentations will be held in separate rooms by category. We will send details closer to the day regarding your room and presentation order.
• Presentations for SRD fall under 4 categories: Basic Science, Clinical Science and Quality Improvement, Public Health, and Medical Education/Other. If you believe that you belong in a category other than the one you were assigned on your acceptance email, please let us know.

• To be inducted into the John B. Graham Medical Student Research Society, you must attend the Keynote Speaker Address, the Poster Presentations, and the Oral Presentations. However, if you have to miss part of SRD for SHS or another School of Medicine requirement, you are still eligible for induction.

• Day-of Schedule:
  • Keynote Speaker Dr. Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC: 1:30 – 2:40pm 
  • Networking hour/Poster roaming/Appetizers: 2:50 – 3:50pm 
  • Poster Presentations: 3:55 – 4:55pm  
  • Oral Presentations: 5:10 – 6:10pm  
  • Dinner, Award Ceremony, and Society Induction: 6:25 – 7:00pm
• There will be a check-in table in Roper lobby where you will sign in with an SRD representative and receive a nametag. Please allow time to check in before your presentation!
• A/V and setup:
  • Your slides will be preloaded onto the room computer, so there is no need to bring a laptop. Please bring a backup copy on a USB drive just in case.
  • A clicker will be provided in each room.
  • Please arrive at your presentation room by 5:00pm to check that your slides display correctly and to meet your moderator.
  • Please stay for the full session to support your fellow presenters.

Administrative Excuses

• If you are a branch-campus student, you may request an Administrative Excuse prior to November 2nd to travel to Chapel Hill for your presentation. 
• Students who wish to use a conference absence day should forward their acceptance email to their campus designee to request it. Students are asked to submit requests for conference absence at least 60 days in advance or within a reasonable amount of time from the notice of presentation acceptance. 
• If you are out of conference absences, you can use an absence day from your bank. ALL absences, whether conference or from your bank, should be recorded using the Qualtrics Form (Foundation Phase or Clinical Phases form). 

Judging 

• Judges will be present in each oral presentation room and will ask questions during your Q&A time.
• There will be one award per category for best oral presentation. Winners will receive a cash prize. Awards will be announced for each topic and distributed to winners during the closing remarks ceremony. We will have dinner available during the ceremony.
• Judging Criteria
  Judges will score your poster and presentation on the following:
  • Significance: Why does this research matter, and what gap does it address?
  • Study design: How clearly do you explain your research question and methods?
  • Rigor: Are your methods and analysis sound and appropriate for your question?
  • Interpretation: Do your conclusions follow from your results, and do you acknowledge limitations?
  • Future directions: What are the next steps for this work?
  • Visual presentation: Is your poster clear, organized, and easy to follow, with effective figures?
• We encourage you to seek feedback from your faculty mentor(s) on your poster and presentation prior to SRD. 

Dress

• Please plan to wear business casual or business professional for your presentation

Poster/Oral Presentation Skills Workshop

• The JBG Research Opportunities team has reserved Roper Hall 6302 on October 5th at 12:10 PM for a Poster and Oral Presentation Skills Workshop. Please mark your calendars for this event to get some tips on making your presentation stand out! Lunch will be provided.