CA STEM Symposium

Please read all instructions very carefully!

IMPORTANT: Your abstract must be read and approved by your faculty mentor or program director before you submit it. 

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The Basics:

• Compose your abstract, title, and author listing in Microsoft Word.
• When submitting through this survey, copy and paste these components into the boxes indicated. 
• We will also ask you to upload a Microsoft Word file with your abstract

Formatting and Special Characters:

• Do NOT use underlined, bold, italicized, superscript or subscript characters; the online submission system will not transmit any such formatting characteristics.
• Most symbols (examples: é, æ, ñ) and Greek letters (examples: Σ, β, α, γ, μ, π) typically aren’t transferred accurately between systems. We will include a document submission option as well as the text box. Please fill out both.

Title:

• Your abstract title should be in Title Case.
• Do NOT include quotes around your abstract’s title.
• The word limit is 30; any titles longer than 30 words will be truncated in the final program (but the submission page will accept them initially).
• If you’re presenting in a group, the title must be identical across all group member applications.
• What to Include:
  • The title should clearly indicate the nature of the study.
  • Describe your research in succinct terms, reflecting the contents of your abstract. Use key words, and do not use abbreviations and chemical formulas.
• EXAMPLE TITLE
  • Title That Describes Your Research in Succinct Terms

Author Listing:

• Provide the first name, middle initial, and last name of the authors.
• Indicate the “presenting” author (you) by writing the name in ALL CAPITALS.
• The Faculty Mentor should be listed as the last author. Do NOT include titles or degrees, such as Dr., Ph.D., M.D., etc.
• If you’re presenting in a group, every group member must have an identical author list. You will all have to agree on the order in which your names appear.
• EXAMPLE AUTHOR LISTINGS
  • One presenter: JANE M. DOE, Jared R. Frey, Emily Estes, and Sophie T. DeSombre
  • Two presenters: JANE M. DOE, JARED R. FREY, Emily Estes, and Sophie T. DeSombre
  • Three presenters:  JANE M. DOE, JARED R. FREY, EMILY ESTES, and Sophie T. DeSombre

Abstract Body:

• Your abstract should be more than 100 words but no more than 250 words long. Any abstracts longer than 250 words will be truncated in the final program (even though the submission page will accept them initially).
• Your abstract should be organized into a single paragraph; do not indent the paragraph.
• If you’re presenting in a group, the abstract body must be identical across all group members.
• What to Include:
  • The abstract should include introductory/background information and clearly state the research question.
  • Next should be a summary of the methods employed and results obtained.
  • Conclude the abstract by stating the significance of the research conducted or direction of the project.

 

Eligibility:

• There are no visa requirements. (International, undocumented, DACA, and AB540 students are welcome.)
• You have at least 2 years of university/college experience by the start of the Fall 2026 school year. (Community college experience counts.)
• You are affiliated with a California university or research institute. (You are either a student or currently conducting research at a California institution.)
• You have no graduate school experience. (You are not currently and have not previously been enrolled in a masters or doctoral program)
• Examples:
  • Currently enrolled students in a CA university that are either rising juniors or senior
  • Transfer students with 2 years of community college experience, starting at a 4-year CA university in Fall 2026
  • Recent university graduates from a CA university that graduated within the last two years (2024-2026)
  • Postbacs at a CA university or research institute
  • Visiting student researchers (rising juniors & seniors) that are conducting research with a CA university or research institution (even if their home institution is outside of CA)

The oral presentations will be organized into panels of 4-5 presenters with similar or complimentary research topics. Students should prepare a 10-12-minute presentation and there will be time at the end for Q&A from the audience after all panelists have presented. Each session will have at least one UCLA faculty member to keep time, provide feedback, and lead the Q&A period. Presenters will receive a 5-minute and 1-minute notice before being asked to stop when their time is up.

Please be sure to have a copy of your presentation on a flash drive that can be loaded to the Conference laptop in your presentation location 10-15 minutes before the start of your presentation panel. All presentations must be loaded before the start of the scheduled panel time.

 

PowerPoint presentations are recommended. Regardless of format, please be sure to have a copy of your presentation on a flash drive that can be loaded to the Conference laptop in your presentation location 10-15 minutes before the start of your presentation panel. All presentations must be loaded before the start of the scheduled panel time.

Available presentation formats are Microsoft Office, Google Drive/Slides, and a PDF viewer. You must come before your assigned session time to set up your presentation. We highly recommend that you also have a PDF copy of your presentation in the event that you do not have access to any of the above programs.

NOTE: Depending on Wi-Fi connection, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to download your presentation from your email or online. We recommend having your presentation saved as a PDF copy on a flash drive as a backup.

Yes. You can present in a group. There is a section in the application where you can let us know you’re presenting with a group.

Keep in mind…

• Each member in your group must submit an application
• When submitting the application, every group member must have an identical abstract including identical title, author list, and abstract body.
• You will not be given more time to present. Your presentation will have to be 10-12 min long and will be cut off if you try to go past that time. Try to share the speaking time equally across group members and make sure to practice multiple times to ensure a smooth transition between group members.

It is completely up to you.

If you present individually but about the same project, make sure your presentation is not identical and that you are each tackling different aspects of the project. You might be placed in the same presentation panel or in separate presentation panels. If you’re on the same panel, your audience shouldn’t feel like they just heard the same presentation. If you’re in separate panels your presentation should have all of the necessary information for the audience to follow along.

If you would like to present together, please review the section on group presentations.

• First Priority will be given to students who plan to apply to a biomedical/life science PhD program in the next two years and are currently participating in a capstone research project. 
• Second Priority will be given to students who plan to apply to any STEM PhD program in the next two years.

We do our best to accommodate all students who meet the eligibility requirements.

We will notify you by email before August. If you have not received a notification by August 1st, please reach out to Malu Arreguin (mjarreguin@mednet.ucla.edu)

No, you can present on research you’ve conducted previously. That being said, UCLA faculty and recruiters will be present thus we suggest you choose research that you feel comfortable talking about and that is representative of your overall research interest.

Due to overwhelming interest and space limitations, symposium attendance is limited to confirmed participants. Confirmations were emailed on 8/7/2026. Family members are welcome to attend their student’s presentation; however, lunch cannot be provided for family members. Additional logistical information will be shared directly with attendees.

No. Please fill out the general registration form if you are not planning to present.

Due to overwhelming interest and space limitations, symposium attendance is limited to confirmed participants. Confirmations were emailed on 8/7/2026. Family members are welcome to attend their student’s presentation; however, lunch cannot be provided for family members. Additional logistical information will be shared directly with attendees.

Event attendance is free.

However, if you are driving to UCLA you will have to pay for UCLA parking. See our UCLA Transportation website for information on fees and locations.

No. In order to provide lunch and keep this event free there is no wiggle room in our budget. We cannot offer any funds for travel, parking, lodging, or miscellaneous expenses. We recommend asking your friends if they’re also attending to share travel costs, reaching out to your research program director, or contacting your university’s Undergraduate Research Center to see if there are any scholarships or funds that are available.