2025 Research Day at the Capitol

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - 8:00am - 12:00pm

About the Event

The 2025 Research Day at the Capitol will be held on Tuesday, April 15, at the State Capitol of Oklahoma. The event was established 30 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's 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 at the Capitol.

Timeline & Activities

  • Monday, September 30, 2024 (11:59 p.m.)
    Nomination deadline 
    (Online submission, including uploaded financial responsibility form and abstract) 
  • Monday, November 4, 2024 (11:59 p.m.)
    Virtual student informational training session 
    Video must be viewed by this date
    Student Participation Mandatory 
  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 (11:59 p.m.)
    Students’ revised abstracts are due
  • Friday, December 6, 2024 (11:59 p.m.)                                                                                                   Poster PDFs and final video presentations are due
  • Monday, January 6, 2025                                                                                                                            First round of judging begins                                                                                                                   Student video presentations picked for in-person second-round
  • Wednesday, January 29, 2025                                                                                                             Finalists Contacted 
  • Friday, February 28, 2025 (11:59 p.m.)                                                                                                  Second-round student informational training session deadline                                                             Student Participation Mandatory
  • Wednesday, March 19, 2025 (11:59 p.m.)
    Online registration closes 
    (All attendees)
  • Monday, March 31, 2025 (11:59 p.m.)
    Finalists poster PDFs are due 
    (Note: A hardcopy poster must also be printed by the student for the judging session and Capitol presentation!)
  • Monday, April 14, 2025
    Judging of finalists oral presentations and posters
    11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Embassy Suites OKC Downtown/Medical Center (741 N. Phillips Ave.)
    Student Participation Mandatory 
    (Individually scheduled times; students only) 

  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025
    Research Day at the Capitol: State Capitol, 2nd Floor Rotunda
    Finalists arrive and set up posters, 7:30 a.m. – 8:15 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, Apil 15, 2025
    Awards ceremony
    State Capitol, Multipurpose Room 100
    11:30 a.m. – Noon
    Student Participation Mandatory
    (All registered guests are invited)

Poster Competition and Awards

A panel of EPSCoR-appointed, independent judges will review students' poster presentations from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 14, 2025, at the Embassy Suties Downtown/Medical District in Oklahoma City. Judging will consist of an oral presentation by the student (3 minutes/timed), followed immediately by poster review and Q&A by the judges (5 minutes/timed).

Students will be judged on the following criteria:

  1. Abstract 
  2. Scientific presentation
    (Purpose, hypothesis, background information, results, impact, suggested further study)
  3. Visual appearance
  4. Clarity for general audiences
  5. Relevance of the study

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

 

 

GUEST AND GENERAL PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION

Registered guests are invited to participate in the following activities on April 15, 2025, at the State Capitol:

  • Students Exhibit Posters, 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., 2nd Floor Rotunda, State Capitol Building
  • Awards Ceremony, 11:30 a.m. to Noon, 1st Floor Multi-purpose Room #100, State Capitol Building

Online registration will open in 2025.

Designated Conference Hotel

Embassy Suites by Hilton Okkahoma City Downtown Medical Center (741 N. Phillips Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73104)

Students who qualify for lodging will be contacted. All other guests are welcome to stay at Embassy Suites as availability permits. 

For more information

Contact Honey Bryan, Outreach Coordinator, at [email protected] or 405.744.7645 

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Pictured above: Uzziah Urquiza (right), a 2023 first-place Research Day at the Capitol winner from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, receives his award from Chancellor Allison Garrett (left) at the Oklahoma State Capitol. 

PDF File: 
application/pdf iconResearch-Day-Guidelines-2025.pdf