Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session and Competition
For the first time, this year, the annual Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session and Competition is open to all Duffield Engineering majors. And yes, cash prizes are available!
Undergraduates students are invited to present any faculty-mentored research conducted within the past year at this year’s session, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 5–6:30 p.m. in Duffield Atrium.
The poster session is sponsored by the Office of Inclusive Excellence and the Engineering Communications Program. Students must apply to participate in the poster session and also apply separately to be considered for the cash prizes. More information is below.
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Apply
Apply to be part of the Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session by filling out the following form by March 21, 2026:
In order to be eligible for either poster competition cash awards, students (individuals or teams) must first be accepted into the Undergraduate Research Poster Session.
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Cash Prize Process
If a poster is accepted to the Undergraduate Research Poster Session, students can then apply for cash prizes available via the competition portal, which opens April 7, 2026 and closes April 15, 2026.
The competition portal will be linked in the schedule below.
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Attending Poster Trainings
Anyone can attend the scientific and technical poster trainings, offered March 18, 2026 and March 25, 2026. Whether or not you intend to be part of this event, all students are welcome to join these workshops.
The March 18 event will cover poster design and expectations, and the March 25 event will be more of a live workshop.
Poster Competition Timeline
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March 18 & 25, 2026
Preparation workshops.
Time/place: 5-6 p.m. in Hollister B14
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March 21, 2026
Applications for the Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session close.
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April 7, 2026
Submissions portal for poster prizes opens. Watch this website for the portal to open!
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April 15, 2026
Completed submissions for prizes due by 5 p.m. Eastern DST (deadline will not be extended).
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April 22, 2026
Awards will be announced at the Undergraduate Engineering Research Poster Competition, Duffield Hall Atrium
About the Awards
The Engineering Communications Program and the Office of Inclusive Excellence are excited to announce several award opportunities for students participating in this year’s Undergraduate Engineering Research Poster Competition poster event. Applications for these awards will be available to all qualifying students who are affiliated in a major offered by Duffield Engineering.
Both award categories recognize the specialized format of the scientific poster as an important form of communication within engineering, scientific, and technical fields. For this event, poster presentations are the medium, showcasing for the larger Cornell community how undergraduate research and experience are conduits to breakthroughs, creative problem solving, and community engagement.
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Judging Criteria
These prizes will be awarded on the basis of the poster alone. For both categories of awards, the judging criteria will be the same.
For accepted entries, the Engineering CUP SUPER Award (Showcasing Undergraduate Posters about Engineering Research) is open to all undergraduate engineering students currently registered for credits via Duffield Engineering. There will be one CUP SUPER Prize of $1000.
For accepted entries, the Whitney Prize is slightly more restrictive in that awards can only be given to students in Duffield Engineering that have also been enrolled in an ENGRC course in the current academic year (Fall 2025 or Spring 2026). There will be a $1000 First Prize and a $750 Second Prize.
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Individual or Team
For award considerations, a poster may be submitted by an individual or a team. However, any award payouts will only be provided to engineering students, per the award charters.
If a team submits a poster and wins, all prize monies will be divided equally between the engineering undergraduates on that team.
How to Apply for Undergraduate Engineering Research Poster Competition 2026 Prizes
An application website and portal will be open from approximately April 7, 2026 to April 15, 2026.
The website will outline criteria and judging rubrics. The application portal will provide a secure way to upload poster files for consideration while also collecting vital contact information from students.
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Engineering Communications CUP Prize
Sponsored by the Engineering Communications Program, this prize category is open to all currently enrolled undergraduate Engineering students; students are not required to have been enrolled in an ENGRC course for this prize.
$1000 – First Place prize.
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The Douglas Whitney Prize for Engineering Communications
This prize category is in honor of Douglas Whitney ’61, and it is restricted to all undergraduate Engineering students who have enrolled in an ENGRC course in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026.
- $1000 – First Place prize
- $750 – Second Place prize
- $250 – Possible honorable mentions
Announcement of Awards
Awards will be announced at the Undergraduate Engineering Research Poster Competition on April 22, 2026. After winners are announced, the Engineering Communications Program will be in touch with students on how to provide prizes to individuals.
