The submissions portal opens March 30 for Princeton Research Day, an annual campus-wide celebration of research and creative endeavors that encourages students and early-career researchers to share their work in a way that connects with a general-interest audience.

Participants have until May 3 to submit a three-minute video and accompanying poster describing their research, performance, artistic work or other creative expression, which will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on how effectively they communicate to a non-specialized audience. The highest-scoring participants will receive awards of up to $1,500.

The May 11 in-person event at Frist Campus Center provides an opportunity for participants to share their work and network with attendees from the campus and community through talks, poster presentations, performances and exhibitions of their art and creative works. The event will begin at noon with a Showcase where participants will present their work in front of a poster or exhibit, followed by a reception and an awards celebration including Q&A discussions with selected presenters and University leaders.

Awards are available in a range of categories. For example, the Campus Impact Award recognizes a presentation by a participant whose work has positively impacted the campus in some way. The Library Award recognizes a participant who articulates thoughtful or innovative use of Library resources and services. The fan-favorite FitzRandolph Gate Award goes to two presenters: the most-voted-for video presentation and the most-voted-for in-person presentation.

“Princeton Research Day seemed like a perfect opportunity to get more eyes on my topic, and to allow me to start discussing it with others,” said Payton Croskey, undergraduate Class of 2023, who won the 2022 FitzRandolph Gate Award as a fan favorite last year.

The video presentations and Showcase highlight the breadth of projects undertaken at Princeton, from the Lewis Center for the Arts to the School of Architecture to the Department of Molecular Biology and more.

Here are some key dates for participants:

• March 30:  Video submission portal opens. 
• May 3:  Video submission deadline. 
• May 5:  PRD 2022 videos posted online for viewing and judging.
• May 11:  Princeton Research Day 2023 in-person events and award celebration. 

Princeton Research Day is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and others to practice communication skills, engage in conversation about their work with new people, and explore a vibrant cross-section of research and artistic expression on campus.

Graduate student Rolando Masís-Obando, winner of last year’s Orange and Black Presentation Award, which this year will recognize the participant who receives the highest combined scores for the video and Showcase presentations, said that the experience helped him expand the language he uses to talk about his research.

“It can be a challenge to remove yourself from the sort of bubble you’re in with your work, and to widen the language to make it more accessible,” Masís-Obando said. “In the process of creating content that makes my research more accessible, I enhance my own knowledge and enhance how I think about it. I share in that experience of widening my view of my research.”

Princeton Research Day is a collaborative initiative between the offices of the Dean of the College, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean for Research and the Vice President for Campus Life, with support from the Dean of the Faculty and Office of the Provost.

Visit Princeton Research Day for information, important dates and tutorials for participants. The site also features a full showcase of past Princeton Research Day submissions.