You’re invited to participate in UNL’s third annual Student Research Days Slam, coming to the Nebraska Union Ballroom on April 17, 2025.
The Student Research Days Slam is a campus-wide contest in which graduate, undergraduate students and post-docs from ALL DISCIPLINES are challenged to communicate their work in short, dynamic, engaging presentations, with a winner to be decided by the audience. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the Slam competition will follow noon–1 p.m.
Are you a undergraduate, graduate student or post-doc engaged in research or creative activity in any field? Apply to present at the Slam. Share your work with your peers in a fun and supportive environment, and add a little bling to your C.V. Speaking of bling: The winner will receive a $500* prize, and the other finalists will each receive $100*!
* Refer to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid guidance on Receiving Additional Resources to learn how outside awards may impact your existing financial aid package.
Are you interested in learning more about UNL student research in a fun, informal setting with free food? Reserve a seat in the audience. Cheer the Slammers on, and then it’s up to you to decide who gave the most compelling presentation and deserves to be crowned Supreme Slammer. There is no registration deadline, but space is limited!
Read about last year’s Slam.
Timeline
Presenter applications will be accepted through March 27.
Finalists will be announced April 1.
Winner will be decided at the Student Research Days Slam on April 17.
Application Process
Students interested in presenting at the Student Research Days Slam will submit a 60-second video application via Padlet[HB1] . From these video applications, the selection committee will choose five finalists to present at the Slam on April 17, where each finalist will give a five-minute presentation responding to this year’s prompt:
If you could travel into the past or the future to tell people about your research or creative endeavor, where would you go, who would you talk with, and what would you tell them?
Eligibility
Undergraduate, graduate students and post-docs from all disciplines. Previous student slam participants may apply. Previous student slam winners are not eligible to apply. Please note, some scholarships/fellowships may restrict receiving prizes.
Resources for Applicants
While the content and style of your Slam presentation are entirely up to you, we encourage you to make your presentation as interesting, engaging and as meaningful as possible to those outside your discipline. The selection committee is interested not only in the content of your story, but also in your ability to engage the viewer with your creativity and narrative skills.
A few resources to help you develop a compelling Slam idea:
- Kurt Vonnegut on the shapes of stories (video)
- Randy Olson on effective storytelling templates (video)
- Guillermo Orts-Gil on ‘Science, Emotion, Communication!’ (blog post)
- The Story Collider on “In & Out of Love With Science: Stories about relationships with STEM”
