General
Submission FAQ
Poster FAQ
Oral Presentation FAQ
Prizes FAQ

When and Where is the Graduate Student Symposium?
The Graduate Student Symposium will be held in the GT Student Center Ballroom and nearby rooms on the 3rd Floor of the GT Student Center. Poster set-up is from 8am to 9am. All Symposium Sessions are between 9:00AM and 4:00PM. Awards and Reception will be held from 4:30PM to 6:00PM.

What is the prize structure?
Within each college, the winning poster presentation is awarded $250 and the winning oral presentation is awarded $100. Runners-up will get $150 for poster presentations and $50 for oral presentations. (Additional runner-up slots are added for every 10 poster and every 5 oral submissions.)
Winning poster presentations from each school compete for the grand prize of $1000. For the major college that is home to the grand prize winner, the first runner-up from that college will become that college's winner.
If your major college has less than 3 submissions for either competition, that competition is subject to combination with another college.

Who am I competing against?
Competition is within colleges. If you are a College of Sciences student, you compete with other students in your college to win prizes for Oral and Poster Presentations. First place Poster Presentations from each school then compete with other first place Poster presentations for the Grand Prize of $1000. There is no grand prize or inter-college competition for oral presentations.

Can I work with a team, or does this have to be an individual effort?
You can do your submission in teams. However, one person must be responsible for the team's presentation. This person's information should be on the form. In the text of the abstract submission, please note that you are submitting for a team and give your other team member's names and email in the first line.

What is the attire?
We recommend at least business casual for those doing oral presentations and poster presentations

Is there a full paper to submit?
No. The abstract is submitted to ensure that you have formulated your research. The only submission beyond this abstract is your actual Poster or Oral Presentation the day of the Symposium.

Which students can submit research at the symposium?
Any GT graduate student can submit their research for the symposium. On-campus or off-campus. Any College.

I submitted my abstract, but I didn't get a confirmation email - How do I know my submission was received?
Once you hit the submit button, you should have seen a confirmation page which thanked you for your submission and provided some guidance for proceeding. Your submission is complete at this point. If you did not see this confirmation page, or an error appeared, your submission was not received -submit again.
Further guidance emails will be sent to your stated email address.

I already submitted my abstract, but I would like to make a change. How do I do that?
You may resubmit; your last dated submission will count. It is not necessary to make changes to your abstract unless you are doing a different topic (for example, do not resubmit because you think the scope of your presentation is perhaps narrower or broader than your abstract would make it seem.) Changes to the type of presentation - Oral or Poster - and changes in the Major College are very important changes; make these through resubmission.

Is my research valid for submission if it is not typical?
Yes. You may submit your research regardless of how typical you think it is. Your presentation will be judged against other submissions.

If I submit a poster presentation, will I need to stand by my poster all day?
No. You will be given a presentation judging time which will be a one hour window on March 12,2008 between 0900 and 1600 when your poster is to be judged. It is highly recommended that you are near your poster because judges will score you on how well you present your research. If you cannot be there during your judging time, let the organizers know, and alternative arrangements will be attempted. A judging schedule is to be distributed after all abstract submissions are collected, so you should get an email on February 26th advising you of the schedule (This will show your expected presentation time).

How big is my poster supposed to be?
You have a maximum of 48 inches by 48 inches. Most posters are around 36 by 42 inches. You may choose your own size depending on the information you are presenting and the size of poster you purchase.

How do I get my poster printed?
You can print it on a plotter. You can have it printed in the craft center in the GT Student Center, or at the library, or at any copy type location (kinkos). It will be cheaper in the Student Center.

How much does it cost to print at the craft center? What can they do?
The craft center has provided GSS with the following information:
1. They have matte ($3 per linear foot) and semi-gloss ($4 per linear foot) paper
4. They need your file in .pdf format on a jump drive. They can help you with this
5. The deadline for submitting to them is March 6.
6. Order submitted on with less than 2 business days are subject to rush fees of $5 and $10, respectively, and they are not guaranteed.
7. You can contact them at: 404.894.2827 or see the site at www.foef.gatech.edu/cc

When and where do I set up my poster, and how do I get it back?
Poster set-up is from 8:00AM to 9:00AM on Friday, March 12, 2008. The GT Alumni Association has volunteered to supply breakfast during this time for presenters.
You can pick up your poster after the reception, which ends at 6:00PM on March 12, 2008. Any posters not picked up will be taken to the SGA office; you can stop by the next week to claim yours.

How long should I make my oral presentation? What sort of equipment will I have?
Oral presentations will be conducted in the smaller rooms on the third floor of the Student Center Ballroom. You will have 15 minutes for your presentation. The room will have a computer and projector. MS Powerpoint is typically used for presentations, and it will be available on the computer provided; Exotic software formats may not be supported. Please have your presentation on a jump drive, you may load it on the computer before your session begins.

If I choose to do an oral presentation, can I win the grand prize?
No. The grand prize is for the best poster presentation, which is chosen from winning posters in each college. There is no overall winner for oral presentations.

What exactly are the awards?

(This is subject to change as we secure more funding sources)

Winning poster presentations from each school compete for the grand prize of $1000. For the major college that is home to the grand prize winner, the first runner-up from that college will become that college's winner.

If your major college has less than 3 submissions for either competition, that competition is subject to combination with another college.

Session	College	Place	Prize Money
Poster	Grand Prize		$1000
	COA	1st Place	$250
		Runner Up *	$100
	COC	1st Place	$250
		Runner Up *	$100
	COE	1st Place	$250
		Runner Up *	$100
	COM	1st Place	$250
		Runner Up *	$100
	COS	1st Place	$250
		Runner Up *	$100
	IAC	1st Place	$250
		Runner Up *	$100
Oral	COA	1st Place	$100
		Runner Up *	$50
	COC	1st Place	$100
		Runner Up *	$50
	COE	1st Place	$100
		Runner Up *	$50
	COM	1st Place	$100
		Runner Up *	$50
	COS	1st Place	$100
		Runner Up *	$50
	IAC	1st Place	$100
		Runner Up *	$50

* Additional runner-up slots are added for every 10 poster and every 5 oral submissions.

If I win a prize, how will I get my prize money?
If you are an employee of Georgia Tech - you get a paycheck for an assistanceship of some sort - your money will come via direct deposit to your account on file (subject to taxes). If you are not already getting a paycheck from Georgia Tech, the details of your prize money will be determined after the Symposium.

If you still have questions, you may email jess.chandler@gatech.edu

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