You’re invited to participate in UNL’s fifth annual Student Research Days Slam, coming to the Wick Alumni Center April 9, 2026.
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. in the Wick Alumni Center.
Are you an undergraduate, graduate student or postdoc 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!
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 on the Slammers, 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 fee, but space is limited!
Timeline
Presenter applications will be accepted through March 26.
Finalists will be announced March 31.
Winner will be decided at the Student Research Days Slam on April 9.
Application process
Students interested in presenting at the Slam will submit a 60-second video application via Padlet. From those video applications, the selection commitee will choose five finalists to present at the Slam on April 9, where each finalist will give a five-minute presentation.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first UNL Science Slam in 2016, prospective Slammers can choose to respond to any one of the past Slam prompts. You can find a list of prompt options at the application portal .
Eligibility
Undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs from all disciplines. Previous student Slam participants may apply. Previous winners are not eligible. Please note, some scholarships/fellowships may restrict receiving prizes.
Resources for applicants
While the content and style of your Slam presentation is entirely up to you, we encourage you to make your presentation as interesting, engaging and 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 audience 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 Relations with STEM”
