FAQs

The aim of an undergraduate conference is to provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to share their research with fellow undergraduates, in a safe and welcoming environment. Undergrads will be the focus!

We welcome applications from undergraduate students at any stage of study (including first year!), as well as Graduate Diploma of Research, Honours, and Master of Research students. However, most presentation slots will be available only to undergraduate students.

We welcome posters and presentations on any form of research, from literature reviews to empirical studies. The best part? Your research doesn’t need to be finished to present at MURS2026 - we’re keen to have you share anything you’re passionate about, regardless of how close you are to the finish line.

Attending and presenting at MURS2026 is 100% free. Registration includes complimentary morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea. Just by attending, you’ll score a free lunch for supporting our presenters!

The conference will be a one-day event, held on Macquarie University campus. Run by undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as some graduates, the focus will be on undergraduate student experience. It’ll be fun, casual, and the audience will be filled with friendly faces.

No. Your research doesn’t need to be finished to present at MURS2026 - we’re keen to have you share anything you’re passionate about, regardless of how close you are to the finish line.

There will not be a huge audience, it will comprise of presenters, keynote speakers, and MURS staff. Furthermore, we would love for you to invite friends/family/significant others to attend the day so they can see first-hand the great work you are doing and are so passionate about. We do request that you advise us of additional people you would like to attend so that we do not exceed seating capacity. We want the audience to not just provide a supportive environment on the day, but to develop into an inclusive research community that will continue to expand and thrive into the future.

Absolutely! We will need some helpers on the day to make sure everything runs smoothly. When we’re a bit closer to the conference, we’ll send a call out through our newsletter and social media to ask for volunteers.

Mid September: Registration for conference attendance and abstract submission opens. Registration is open to all interested persons wanting to attend the event, not just those presenting.

Late October: Abstract submission closes.

Early November: Offers will be made to presenters

Mid November: The conference program will be released and registration for conference attendance closes.

Late November: MURS2026 Conference!

Details will be released at a later date.

Yes absolutely! Come along to support our presenters, learn about undergraduate research, and learn something new! Before the conference we will send out a form so you can register your attendance and we know how many people to provide catering for!

You can dress smart/casual. It will not be really formal in keeping with the relaxed environment we wish to facilitate for you all.

At Macquarie University! Details to be released at a later date.

This event will be well-covered on social media to keep you in the loop! If you would like to be involved either in the lead-up to the day or opportunities that may arise following the event, please contact us either on Instagram, LinkedIn, or email and we will do our best to keep you involved.

No, the focus of the conference will be providing students with an opportunity to practice and develop their presentation skills, network, and to learn more about career pathways in research. We want to create a safe and inclusive space for students of all abilities and academic backgrounds to present without worrying about marks for an assessment, or about “competing” against others for an award.

An abstract is a brief, self-contained overview of a research study and covers the main . It summarises the problem or question being investigated, why it matters, how the research was conducted, the main findings, and what those findings mean. It allows readers to quickly understand the study and decide whether to read the full paper. 

Abstracts are to be no more than 250 words and should briefly explain: 

• • The topic or background of your research 

  • The aim, research question or purpose 

  • Your approach or methodology, where applicable 

  • Your findings, expected findings or current progress

  • Why the research is important or interesting 

We welcome all submissions. Research proposals, literature reviews and projects still in progress are welcome. 

Your abstract submission form is to be completed by the end of October. Specific dates and times will be released at a later date. MURS Directors will then review all submissions. MURS will notify all applicants of the status of their submission from Monday November 2. Feedback will be up to the discretion of the Directors. 

We will provide you with a template for the layout of your poster, you have the option of using this if you so wish. We will also provide exemplar posters and specific design tips to effectively communicate the main points of your research. You are also welcome to create your own poster style as long as it maintains structural consistency with the template.

Posters are to be A0 portrait size: H: 1189mm; W: 841mm [H: 46.8 in; W: 33.1 in]. If you cannot access printing for a poster of this size, you are welcome to present a smaller poster. However, it must remain portrait due to space allocation for each poster.

You can go to places such as Officeworks and KwikKopy, for example, to print the poster for you. We will also share additional tips if your submission is accepted.

Yes, bring it with you and we will attach it to a portable poster board set up in the conference area.

You will be expected to stand by your poster during breaks. Interested audience members will walk past and view the posters, reading through the work you have done. They may have questions for you regarding your research, so it is good to be prepared and know your research well so that you can competently and confidently answer questions to showcase the work you have done. Your presentation won’t go completely in accordance with a rehearsed script, so be prepared to answer some unexpected questions and just answer the best you can. If you don’t know how to answer something, it is ok to say that you do not know.

Yes, you can do so if you wish.

You will be expected to use references, though no more than 2-3. You can use a format consistent with your field of research. Vancouver or APA is generally recommended. There are acceptable ways of abbreviating references, reducing the space it uses on your poster.

Based on the research described in your abstract, you will give a talk on this in front of a lecture theatre of students and staff alike. You will go into more depth than in your abstract, though cover the same basic points. We want to see your ability to provide a general audience with a clear narrative and take-home message. We will provide you with a template that you have the option of using for your slides. You are welcome to create your own, again, as long as it is consistent with the template.

Your presentation is to be no longer than 7 minutes and no shorter than 6 minutes. There will be 3 minutes allocated for question time following your presentation where you will answer questions from your peers, and where a transition to the next speaker will be made. As a general rule of thumb, allocate approximately 1 minute per slide. 

Please have your slides ready to submit a few days before the conference. More details about submission, including specific dates and times, will be released at a later date. This is so MURS can ensure the smooth running of the presentations, minimising transition times from one speaker to the next and avoiding technical/formatting problems.

We understand some of you may feel nervous or anxious about presenting. To reiterate, the overarching objective of this conference is to provide you with an opportunity to develop your presentation skills, which in part means finding ways that you can manage any nerves/anxiety you may be experiencing. You are also welcome to contact us and we can provide some reassurance and advice based on our experiences. You will be in a nurturing environment where we want to assist you to overcome these feelings. However, practice in your own time remains essential.

• • Speak clearly and at a steady pace, pronouncing challenging words carefully and projecting your voice so the entire audience can hear. Use occasional pauses to give listeners time to absorb important points. Maintain eye contact and confident body language, while using natural gestures and keeping your hands relaxed. Try to minimise filler words such as “um” and “uh.”

  • Avoid reading directly from your slides or notes. If a question is unclear, ask the person to explain or rephrase it. If the question goes beyond your topic or research, it is appropriate to acknowledge this by explaining that it falls outside the presentation’s scope or was not examined in the study.

You will be expected to use references, though no more than 2-3. You can use a format consistent with your field of research. Vancouver or APA is generally recommended.