Submit an abstract

All NIH graduate students are encouraged to submit an abstract in one of the categories listed below.

• New Proposal
• Biochemistry, Developmental, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Genetics
• Carcinogenesis and Tumor Biology
• Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Computational, and Systems Biology
• Behavioral Sciences, Social Sciences, and Psychology
• Immunology, Virology, and Microbiology
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology and Clinical and Translational Science
• Structural Biology, Biophysics, and Chemistry

If you are a first or second-year student just beginning your dissertation studies, we encourage you to present your research proposals in the "New Proposal" category.

Please note that final judging categories are subject to change based on the number of submissions.

Abstracts are limited to 300 words and cannot include tables and figures. 
Abstracts will not be made public. Only poster titles, authors, & student affiliations will be included in program materials and posted online.

If you do not want to be considered for an oral presentation, the abstract submission is largely a training exercise for you to gain experience.  Your abstract may be used to categorize your poster for judging if necessary, but will not be used for poster judging or included in program materials.

A committee of postdoctoral, staff scientist, and staff clinician judges will evaluate your posters. The best posters in each category will receive NIH Graduate Student Research Awards (NGSRA). At least one of the NGSRA awards is reserved exclusively for "New Proposal" posters, so we encourage you to apply even if you are just starting your research. Don't miss out - submit your abstract now!

Note: If you won an NGSRA at the 19th Annual NIH Graduate Student Research Symposium you can compete again this year, but your poster must be at least 50% different/updated from last year.

If you want to be considered for an oral presentation, your abstract will be used during the selection process. Four students will be selected to present their work in the form of an oral presentation. All GPP students are eligible for consideration to present a talk. If you are chosen for an oral presentation, you must also present a poster.

This year's elevator pitch competition is back in person!

Imagine:

• You're at a conference and you pop into the elevator to head back to your hotel room after a long day of symposia.
• Just before the elevator doors close, your PI idol walks in.
• They ask you what you work on and you have just two minutes - from the time the elevator doors close until they open on your floor - to explain what you do in a clear and compelling manner.

Students will compete in front of a panel of judges live at the symposium event, with a winner being crowned at the award ceremony at the end of the symposium.

Reach out to us with questions at GSCsymposium@od.nih.gov.