Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference
The Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference is a space to celebrate undergraduate research, scholarly activities and creative works from all disciplines. The high-quality work reflects the intellectual curiosity of our undergraduate students, the outstanding abilities of the research mentors, as well as USD's commitment to academic excellence and experiential learning opportunities.
The 2027 annual conference will take place Tuesday, April 13th, 2027 and Thursday, April 15th, 2027 from 12:15 - 2:15 pm at the University Center Forums. This two-day conference offers two different presentation formats: 2-minute lightning talks on Tuesday and posters and displays of multimedia and creative works on Thursday.
This event is open to the entire campus community. Light lunch and refreshments will available.
Update 10/6/2026
The 2027 Creative Collaborations Registration Form will be available from February 8, 2027 through March 19, 2027 at 11:59 PM. See below for more information.
Presentation Format
Tuesday, April 13: 2-minute Lightning Talks |
Thursday, April 15: Posters and Displays of Multimedia and Creative Works |
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Presenting at the Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference should not be a program or course requirement.
How to Register to Present
Write an abstract for your project.
An abstract is a short summary of your research that lets readers know what your research is about. Your abstract should be no more than 250 words. Work closely with your faculty mentor in writing your abstract. Additionally, there are several resources you may find online and through Copley Library to help you write your abstract.
Register to present at Creative Collaborations by Friday, March 19, 2027 at 11:59 PM.
Creative Collaborations 2027 Registration Form (available in February 2027)
In the registration form, we ask the following:
- Presenter and presentation details
- Presentation format selection and session preference
- Students have the option to present on both days or on one of the two days
- Abstract submission
- Permissions for publishing your work on Digital USD and OUR website
Before registering, make sure to communicate with your faculty mentor that you want to present at Creative Collaborations and get their approval. We will be contacting them to ensure that they approve of your presentation.
Create your slides, design your poster, or prepare your multimedia or creative works display.
For lightning talks:
- Your presentation can have as many slides as needed for your 2-minute talk. We recommend an average of 3-6 slides.
- Please use Google Slides to create your presentation.
- Slides can be formatted in whatever way works best for you and your presentation! Be creative!
- Use at least 24 pt. font for all body text that you want your audience to read. Headings should be larger.
- Make sure your images, tables, or figures are large enough to view from a distance.
- We recommend no use of videos.
- Slides are due to OUR (ugresearch@sandiego.edu) on Tuesday, April 6, 2027 at noon. Slides cannot be modified after this deadline.
For posters:
- All posters must be in portrait orientation (36x42) [see templates here]
- Design may vary from disciplines and even projects. In general, we recommend to include the following in your poster:
- Title: project title
- Authors: your name, names of research collaborator(s), research mentor name and department/institution
- Introduction/Objectives
- Methods
- Results or Findings (expected, preliminary)
- Discussion
- Conclusions/Future Directions
- Acknowledgments: include any sources of funding you received to engage in the research project
- For additional information and resources, please visit our Presentation Resources website.
- Posters are due to OUR (ugresearch@sandiego.edu) on Thursday, April 8, 2027 at noon. Posters cannot be modified after this deadline. OUR will take care of ordering and purchasing posters for presenters.
For multimedia and creative works:
- Presenters are responsible for providing their own equipment for display (e.g., easel for art display)
- Communicate with OUR (ugresearch@sandiego.edu) to determine what additional equipment beyond the standard poster boards might be needed
Optional: Attend a Creative Collaborations Presentation Workshop on April 1, 2027.
In this workshop, we will go over presentation best practices and dedicate time for students to practice and improve their presentation skills (RSVP HERE).
A place to celebrate undergraduate research and creative works!
Abstract Books
The 2027 abstract book will be available digitally on this page and on the MyUSD app in April 2027. There will be limited printed copies for the audience during Creative Collaborations. Abstract books from previous years can be accessed electronically by clicking on the links below.
Have any questions?
Come to Office Hours!
We are happy to assist you with any questions you may have about getting involved with undergraduate research! Our Fall 2026 office hours are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 - 2:00 pm in Maher 252. We hope to see you there!