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Yes! For all majors and disciplines, UMCUR offers a space for UM students to share their projects in the form of oral and poster presentations, performances, and exhibits. Group presentations and performances are also welcome!

While many students present their senior thesis project, presentations and performances from all years and types of projects are encouraged, assuming you played a significant role in the project. Your contribution can include major in-class projects, presentations on experiential learning (practicums, internships, etc.), a lab or group research project, creative or non-fiction writing, visual or performing arts, literature reviews, and more!

Abstract/Artist's Statement Submissions (200-250 words) must be specific to this presentation/performance. The prepared material should not be an abstract/artist's statement that you previously submitted for an award or other application; rather, it should be revised to reflect your most recent work on the project. An artist's statement may be submitted in lieu of an abstract to the Visual & Performing Arts category. Entries should also include research or an explanation of artwork, writing, reading, dancing, playing an instrument, etc.

• What is your project topic or focus, and what is the problem, issue, or possibility examined?
• What is your guiding question and/or reason for doing this project?
• What method(s)/approach(es) did you use to carry out this project? Explain the process behind your work.
• What is your main argument, response, prediction(s), or finding(s)? (For students still analyzing data or producing project-related materials, you may have in-progress content, predictions, and ideas that aren’t finalized.)
• What is the project's significance and contribution to your field and/or to society? Why is your work important, or potentially important, and for whom? 

Yes. You are welcome to submit an abstract/artist's statement if you are a current UM undergraduate, regardless of where you experienced the project. You will still need the faculty mentor you worked with to approve your abstract/artist's statement.

Yes. Students can share ongoing or early-stage research and creative scholarship. It is acceptable to present on preliminary ideas, responses, results, or anticipated findings.

Project categories are used to group similar topics together. You will need to select a category when you submit your abstract/artist's statement that fits your field of work. The five categories--with examples of associated fields--are:

• Humanities – ancient and modern languages, literature, philosophy, ethics, history and art history, law, religion, journalism, communication, critical and theoretical approaches to the arts
• Life Sciences – study of living things, e.g., ecology, biology, botany, wildlife biology, microbiology, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, biochemistry, paleontology
• Physical Sciences – astronomy, physics, chemistry, meteorology, geology
• Social Sciences – anthropology, archeology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology
• Visual and Performing Arts - presentations/performances focused on student-created arts, e.g., music, drama, dance, film, art, sculpture, poetry, and creative writing

Franke Global Leadership Initiative (GLI) presentations are their own category.

• Oral presentations are 15 minutes (12 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for questions and responses). Presenters will have the option to use presentation slides during their talk. Oral presentations are a good option if a presenter (1) has a detailed project that an audience can be guided through; (2) is comfortable with or wants to practice giving professional talks; and (3) would like to engage with many people at one time.
• During a poster presentation, presenters will be by their poster for one hour and will communicate with people who are interested in their work. A poster presentation can be a good option if a presenter (1) would like to engage in more informal, one-on-one conversations; (2) has visually complex information or very technical information; or (3) has a project in its early stages and/or suggestions and conversations could be generative for developing the project.
• Performances are 15 minutes (12 minutes for the performance and 3 minutes for questions and responses).

Yes. All applicants must have their faculty mentor review and approve the abstract or artist's statement prior to submission. Submitters will be asked to provide the name and department/program of their mentor in the submission form and will be asked to verify that their mentor reviewed the submission. 

Abstract and artist's statement submissions occur through the ScholarWorks Online Submission Form using a student's NetID email: first initial + last initial + six numbers (ex: AA123456@umconnect.umt.edu). In addition to your abstract/artist's statement, students will be asked to select a research or creative scholarship category and provide a name and email address for a faculty mentor at the time of submission.

You can find specific information on the Submit Your Abstract/Artist's Statement page. 

The NetID format is two letters (first initial, last initial) and six numbers (e.g. "ab123456"). Find more information on the .

Posters need to be either 36" x 44" or 44" x 36" for this conference.

Font sizes: 

Title: size 84+ point font

Author name: size 42+ point font

Section heading: size 30+ point font

Text: size 28+ point font

Oral presentations are scheduled for 15 minutes (12 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for conversation, in the form of question and answer with the audience). Conference rooms will be set up with a laptop and a projector, and presenters/performers will use the slides they submitted to ScholarWorks.

You can find a list of key responsibilities and dates on the Important Dates page.

The Office of Undergraduate Research will offer several workshops to support students interested in presenting or performing at UMCUR. Workshops will be held throughout the spring semester. You can find more information on workshops and dates on the Workshops & Resources page.

• Participate in the UMCUR Abstract/Artist's Statement Writing Workshops. We'll discuss how to write an abstract/artist's statement, and we’ll also provide information on submitting an abstract/artist's statement through ScholarWorks.
• Review abstract/artist's statement samples from all research categories on our Sample Abstract/Artist's Statement webpage.
• For additional assistance, make an individual appointment with the or the Writing Center.

• Student participants are required to participate in at least one workshop, which will be offered throughout spring semester. These workshops will provide tips on how to develop oral or poster presentations and performances; discuss and apply important skills for presenting research and creative scholarship; and offer the opportunity to receive suggestions on presentations and performances.

Yes, student presenters and performers are required to participate in one workshop offered throughout the semester. These workshops will provide tips on how to develop your oral or poster presentation or performance; discuss and apply important skills for presenting research and creative scholarship; and offer an opportunity to receive suggestions on your presentation/performance. For participants who cannot attend one of these sessions, please email catalina.deonis@umontana.edu to receive important information. 

Posters uploaded to ScholarWorks by the upload deadline of 11:59pm on Sunday, April 20, will be printed for free (UMCUR will cover the cost of printing one poster per person). Posters will be ready for pick up by noon on the day before the conference (Thursday, April 24). Paw Print staff members will contact poster presenters using the preferred contact method selected in ScholarWorks during conference registration. Late submissions will not be printed in time for the conference. 

Student presenters and performers will be given an assigned presentation window in early March. This time slot will be based on the time availability provided during conference registration. While the oral presentations and performances are only 15 minutes, we ask that students and their supporters plan to stay for the entire session to show support for all presenters/performers.

If your availability changed after submitting your abstract/artist's statement, please contact the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research immediately to request a different time slot. Requests received after March 14 will be more difficult to accommodate. Email catalina.deonis@umontana.edu. 

We ask that presenters and performers commit to their assigned time. Last-minute requests for changes and cancellations impact the overall conference program and make it difficult to build and offer a high-quality conference experience.

Oral presentation and performance sessions are scheduled for a 1.5 hour timeframe, while poster sessions are scheduled for one hour. To ensure participants are ready and to reduce noise/distractions in the room, we ask students to commit to staying for their entire session, whenever possible, and plan to be there 10 minutes before the session starts. You will know the exact time and order for your presentation/performance before the conference.

Yes! We strongly encourage students to invite anyone they think would be interested in the event! UMCUR is free and open to the public. We ask that any supporters (mentors, community partners, friends, etc.) plan to stay for your entire one-hour session to show respect and support for other presenters.

A general conference program with session information, project titles, and presenters/performers will be released in March. A conference program with specific times for each project will be available before the conference on the UMCUR website.

These project descriptions are available in ScholarWorks and will be published several days before the conference. 

Please see the conference schedule on the UMCUR homepage. 

Upload your final presentation/performance slides or other media files to ScholarWorks by 10am on Thursday, April 24. Late submissions will not be approved in time and, thus, will not be accessible during the conference. Please follow this strict due date and time to ensure a smooth conference.

Display your poster before the poster presentations begin, between 8:30-9:30am. (UC doors open at 7am, if you need to drop your poster off early.) Pins will be provided in the South Ballroom at a front table. Please note, poster files are due earlier than other files in ScholarWorks; each poster presenter should upload their final poster file by Sunday, April 20, by 11:59pm, no exceptions. 

 is UM’s open access, online repository. This resource creates an online space for research and creative scholarship that students share at UMCUR. The system provides a permanent link to your conference abstract/artist's statement and your poster or slides that you can share with future employers, graduate schools, and people you know. ScholarWorks also helps UM document and archive undergraduate projects over time (), as well as offers a guide for teaching future undergraduate students about research and creative scholarship opportunities at UM.

Use the ScholarWorks submission portal to submit your abstract/artist's statement. At the time of submission, you’ll be asked to complete the following information:

• Project Title
• Author Information
• Co-Presenter/Co-Performer
• Project Type
• Student’s Major
• Project Funding and Affiliations 
• Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
• Faculty Mentor’s Department
• Faculty Mentor’s Email Address
• Additional Mentor (if applicable)
• Abstract/Artist’s Statement
• Category (choose):
  • Humanities
  • Franke Global Leadership Initiative
  • Life Sciences
  • Physical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Visual and Performing Arts (including Creative Writing)
• Mentor Reviewed: Indicate whether or not your mentor has reviewed your abstract.
• Generative AI: Confirm that you did not use generative AI to write your abstract or artist's statement.
• Preferred Presentation Time: Select from the options.
• Required Workshop Attendance: Select from the options.
• Conference Featured Events: Select from the options.
• Accessibility Needs or Accommodations: List any needs you have.
• UMCUR Award Consideration: Check the box if you would like your project to be considered for an award.
• Photo and Video Release

More information can be found on the registration page.

We suggest uploading your final abstract/artist's statement by the submission deadline (Friday, February 28). However, if you need to edit your abstract/artist's statement, data, or authors, you can do so before the upload deadline on Friday, April 18, by no later than 5pm. The registration page has information on how you can make those updates.

If you would like your poster, presentation/performance slides, or other media files to be part of the publicly accessible ScholarWorks record, you can upload these materials by the upload deadline on Thursday, April 24, by 10am. The registration page has information on how to add these files.

Yes. Poster presenters who want Paw Print to print their poster must upload their appropriately-sized poster file by Sunday, April 20, by 11:59pm. Revise your conference submission through ScholarWorks to add your poster file; the registration page has information on how to make this update.

If you or your faculty mentor/advisor DO NOT want to make your work openly available online, you may choose a campus access restriction and/or an embargo upon submission to ScholarWorks after the conference. Please contact Wendy Walker at the Mansfield Library if you need help with or information about these options.

You can find past UMCUR abstract and artist's statement examples and presentations/performances (if added by students) on the UMCUR Awards and Archives page.

UMCUR will present awards to the top presentations and performances from each of the five project categories (Humanities, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Visual & Performing Arts). To be considered for an award, you must select the appropriate box in ScholarWorks when registering by the Feb. 28 deadline. For students interested in awards consideration, several committees, composed of faculty and staff members, will review abstract and artist's statement submissions to determine finalists from each project category. The authors of those top abstract and artist's statement submissions will then have their performances and presentations reviewed during the conference, using an evaluation rubric.

**The Franke Global Leadership Initiative will manage the awards for GLI fellows and their capstone mentors. 

Find information on past awardees on the UMCUR Awards and Archives page.

Yes. Faculty members must approve a student's abstract/artist's statement for them to participate in UMCUR. Students will be asked to verify that their mentor approved their submission when they first submit their material in ScholarWorks. 

The conference program will be posted to the UMCUR website by March, allowing interested parties to search for a student and find the session time and location.

UMCUR relies on volunteers to help the day run smoothly. Volunteers welcome conference attendees at the front desk, answer questions about where to find rooms or schedules, assist with hanging posters, moderate panels, by introducing projects, asking questions of presenters/performers, and keeping track of time during sessions. Some professors give students extra credit for volunteering. Please visit the Volunteers page to learn more about supporting this event.

UMCUR is a celebration of undergraduate research and creative scholarship on campus! The event offers a space for students to learn from and support their peers and for faculty and staff members to encourage a culture of research and creative scholarship.

Invite your students to participate in the conference by:

• informing class members about due dates for participation and encouraging them to present/perform.
• offering extra credit for students to volunteer, present, or attend sessions.
• bringing your class to a session related to the course.

Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Research, if you would like to financially support UMCUR or undergraduate research and creative scholarship at UM in some other way.