Undergraduate Research Symposium
Discovering the Future Together
May 12-16, 2025
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) hosts the UC Irvine Undergraduate Research Symposium, an annual week-long event in May that offers hundreds of undergraduates the opportunity to present the results of their research or creative activities in a professional setting. The 2025 Symposium will include innovative art performances as well as oral and poster presentations from undergraduates in all majors and disciplines.
This free event draws thousands of attendees, including undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, family, friends, and other members of the community. We hope you will join us for a VIP Lunch and Reception to celebrate the great accomplishments of our talented student researchers!
The countdown is on! Scroll down to see how you can participate.
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Student Research
The complete 2025 topic title list will be available in April 2025. Until then, to get an idea of the breadth of topics presented you can view content from 2024 Symposium Program. To make the arena floor easier to navigate, presentations are grouped into topic clusters. Clusters may include students from different majors and disciplines.
2025 Poster Presentation Topic Clusters
| Child and Adolescent Development | Human Experience and Expression |
| Earth and Beyond | Innovations in Medicine |
| Engineering and Technology | Memory Mind Learning |
| Global Perspectives | Mental Health |
| Health under the Microscope | Public Health |
Subject to change
Student Performances
Students from Claire Trevor School of the Arts will showcase their research through live performances during three sessions on May 16. See the schedule below.
Networking
Through participation in undergraduate research UC Irvine students are building the skills they need and future employers want; critical thinking, communication, time management, and personal drive. Visit the Bren Events Center arena floor to meet and interact with our undergraduate researchers. Graduate and faculty mentors are frequently also in attendance to observe, support, and sometimes grade their students. Your engagement in this process has a significant impact on their outcome. Review the schedules below to plan your time with us.
Join us as a Judge
Judges are needed in three categories:
- Virtual Audition Videos – Asynchronous reviews April 8-14
- In-Person Oral Presentation Spotlights – May 12-15
- In-Person Poster and Performance Showcases – May 16
Express your interest in presentation judging here
Virtual Judge
Review and score videos to help us select the finalists for the Oral Presentation Spotlights and Poster Showcase. Video judges will be provided with a link to a set of audition videos that can be viewed at any time during the assigned judging window (approximately 5 days). Submit scores and feedback online to help select presenters who will later be judged at their respective live events.
Oral Presentation Spotlight Judge
Four nights to deliver 40 presentations. All oral presentation sessions will be held Monday through Thursday, May 12-15 from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm. Each night will include an interdisciplinary mix of presentations. All in-person oral presenters will be recognized as recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. The top presenting individual or team from each night, as decided by a team of judges, will also receive a monetary award.
Poster and Performance Showcase Judge
This all-day event will provide the opportunity to deep dive into undergraduate research. Walk the floor and talk to students about their projects, findings, and how they have grown through the process. The creative majors will host two performance showcases featuring multiple researchers per showcase who will demonstrate innovative research in the Arts. The top posters in each theme, as determined by the judges, will be recognized as a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. The top poster presenter or team in each theme will also receive a monetary award.
