Poster Showcase
Graduate students, postdocs, and faculty present their cutting edge work in a stimulating environment which fosters entrepreneurial thinking.
In 2019, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Energy Institute, the Institute for Entrepreneurship, and all eight CSU Colleges partnered with CSU Ventures to award over $46,000 in cash across 16 award categories (19 awardees).
Why you should attend the poster showcase…
Develop your science communication skills and showcase your entrepreneurial ideas. Interact with other innovative students and faculty, and network with startup company representatives.
How innovators will present their work…
Abstracts for Demo Day are not your typical academic abstract. Rather than telling us about the background/methods/results, we want you to tell us about how your research will create positive results in society. This means creating a story: What problem in society your research/innovative idea solves, why we should care about solving that problem, what your research/innovative idea is (overview/summary), and who would be interested in using your research/innovative idea.
Awards
Awards have historically ranged from $250 - $1500 each (awards may be split among the presenting “team” students, if requested). Award categories and amounts for 2023 are currently pending, and will be updated as sponsorship is confirmed.
Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and special guests are selected as judges and use the same rubric to judge each poster within a given award category. A minimum of two judges are slated for each poster, final scores are averaged, and the highest average score receives the award. A poster may only win one award.
The awards presented in 2019 are listed below for reference.
Specialty Awards (up to 5)
All posters that fit within a specialty category are eligible for the specialty award regardless of College association. CSU STRATA will determine which research qualifies for additional Specialty Award groups. Award amounts will be confirmed in early 2023.
Innovation in Augmented or Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
This award recognizes the most innovative use of AR or VR within a given discipline.
Innovation in Software
This award recognizes the most innovative development and use of a novel algorithm or software within a given application.
Innovation in Programmatic or Educational Outreach
This award recognizes the most innovative development of a novel programmatic service or educational outreach project within a given discipline or specialized audience.
Excellence in Interdisciplinary Human-Centered Design Thinking
This award recognizes exemplary innovation where the end-users (humans) were consulted during development and feedback was incorporated into the design or modeling of the innovation. Additionally, to qualify for this award, the innovation must be interdisciplinary, i.e. developed with multiple departments, outside agencies, or universities collaborating together to achieve the end result.
Excellence in Energy (Three awards)
These awards are for excellence in innovative research, programming, or products that maximize sustainable energy use. (Award amounts TBD)
College Innovation Awards (8)
All posters from a given College will be included in the set of posters judged for that College's Innovation Award. The College Innovation awards recognize the most innovative idea among the posters within a given College-association, unless otherwise stated. Award amounts will be confirmed in early 2023.
The Institute for Entrepreneurship Game Changer Award
This award recognizes exceptional business development or innovative ideas that are inherently translatable to a potential business that will positively impact society; all posters from the College of Business are automatically eligible. Additionally, any business-forward group that has utilized the Institute for Entrepreneurship resources (Ram Ventures, etc.) to develop their business is eligible for this award, regardless of specific College-association.
Innovation in Natural Resources
Innovation in Liberal Arts
Innovation in Health & Human Sciences
Innovation in Natural Sciences
Innovation in Engineering
Innovation in Agricultural Sciences
Innovation in Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
People’s Choice Awards (2)
All posters will be judged by attendees for the People’s Choice Awards (Awards amounts TBD).