Poster session

This year's Symposium poster session will take place in person and virtually.

The call for the 41st Spring Research Symposium poster submissions is open until April 5, 2024 at 4 p.m. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2024
8:45 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Multi-purpose room (MPR), second floor, UMSU University Centre
University of Manitoba, Fort Garry Campus

The Centre on Aging welcomes poster submissions that focus on research related to aging. The poster may be one that you have presented at a conference in the past 18 months, or a report on work in progress. All posters must be prepared for an in person or virtual format.

If you will be presenting a poster (in person or virtual) at the Spring Research Symposium, you must register for the symposium. The registration form is available on the Centre on Aging’s Web site.

Register for the Symposium

The Spring Research Symposium poster session is open to Centre on Aging Research Affiliates and their research staff, post-docs, or students conducting aging related research.

Form submission instructions

  1. Review the poster submission guidelines below before completing the poster submission form.
  2. Complete the online submission form to take part in the poster session.

Submit a poster

The form requires the following information:

  • Name 
  • Email
  • Presentation format
  • Poster title
  • Author listings and affiliations
  1. If there are questions about your submission or it is not clear that there is an aging component, Centre staff will contact you. 
  2. The call for posters is open until April 5, 2024 at 4 p.m.
  3. Identify if you will be presenting in person, virtually, or both.

Virtual posters will have different formatting requirements

Poster presentation guidelines

  • A graduate student presents her aging related research during the poster session at the Spring Research Symposium.
  • Symposium attendees attend the poster session at the Spring Research Symposium.

Viewing in-person poster presentations

  • Individuals presenting posters in-person should note the posters will be available for public viewing prior to the morning session, over the lunch hour, and during the morning and afternoon breaks. 
  • Poster presenters should make themselves available during the break times to meet with and discuss their posters with Symposium attendees. Symposium audience includes academics, students, practitioners, and the general public. 

Viewing virtual poster presentations

The virtual presentation session will be available for viewing online for a limited time on May 8, 2024. Audio narration is mandatory for your poster presentation. Presenters must submit their poster in an audio recorded, five slide format.

  1. Presenters will be allotted five minutes maximum to present, using a maximum of five slides (includes any title or reference slides) to discuss their research. This method is much easier for virtual attendees to follow the visuals with the audio. Presenters are required to include audio narration for the viewing audience.

Presenters who exceed the scheduled time will be contacted, and will need to adjust their presentations to meet the five-minute time limit.

  1. The presentation session will stream live on the day of the Symposium (9 a.m.–4 p.m.) There will be no opportunity for virtual poster presenters and the viewing audience to connect and discuss research online.
  2. We encourage you to include your UM email contact information for those viewers who may want to reach out and ask any follow up questions about your virtual presentation.
  3. To view the presentations, Symposium virtual poster attendees will click a link on the Table of Contents to access the poster session webpage.
  4. While not presenting in person, virtual poster presenters are encouraged to take part in Symposium presentations online. 

Developing your poster presentation

Guidelines on developing your in person poster presentation

  • Posters must be prepared in conference format style and printed in wide format to display on the assigned poster board. The poster boards are velcro style, 6 ft x 4 ft boards. Layouts should allow space for titles and authors. Presenters will be allowed one poster per board side.
  • Poster dimensions of your poster should be no larger than 4 ft x 3 ft (or 42 inches (width) x 32 inches (height)), including the margin, and printed in wide format to display on the assigned poster board.
    As an example, see CadLab printing specs for reference. 
  • A limited amount of Velcro dots will be available for presenters to hang their poster. These will be available first come, first serve.
  • In person poster presenters may provide copies of their presentation, other related handouts, and include your contact information for symposium attendees.
  • Use appropriate, respectful language when discussing older adults. Refer to the Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) "Reframing Aging Journal Manuscript Guidelines."
  • Ensure that you are following appropriate copyright standards. You should be citing your sources and using Creative Commons or Public Domain images. Visit the UM Copyright Office’s website for additional information. 
  • When using the UM logo, ensure you are using the correct version as per the UM style guidelines (See Brand resources section): umanitoba.ca/about-um/brand.
  • On the day of the Symposium, all posters must be removed from the poster boards at 4 p.m. Centre on Aging staff are not responsible for posters not removed by 4 p.m.

Developing your virtual poster presentation

  1. Create your slide presentation, using a maximum of five slides in PowerPoint. When using the UM logo, ensure you are using the correct version as per the UM style guidelines: umanitoba.ca/about-um/brand

    Additionally, you may use the UM branded PowerPoint template, which is also available to download from the UM style guidelines webpage. Or, you may use your own PowerPoint slide template.
  • Choose the slide size of 16:9 (widescreen), which is more effective for the viewing audience. Remember, they may be viewing your presentation on a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
  • To do this, in PowerPoint, select the Design tab>Slide size>Widescreen. 
  • Suggested minimum font size should be 18 points.
  • Try to use a maximum of six lines per slide.
  • Write for a general audience. Symposium attendees generally are made up of the general public, academic, practitioners and professionals, and government organizations.
  • For readability, we suggest you use dark colours (black, brown, blue) on a light background; and avoid using light colours on a dark background that may be difficult to read on screen (white, yellow)
  • Avoid including busy graphs that require a lot of explanation. Include only relevant images or graphs.
  1. Use appropriate, respectful language when discussing older adults. Refer to the Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) "Reframing Aging Journal Manuscript Guidelines."
  2. Ensure that you are following appropriate copyright standards. You should be citing your sources and using Creative Commons or Public Domain images. Visit the UM Copyright Office’s website for additional information.
  3. Due to the virtual nature of the poster session, students, post docs, and Research Affiliates should provide context about their poster and include audio narration. The narration simulates what you might do with someone in-person.

Think of it as if you were providing a virtual tour of your presentation. Provide a maximum five minute narration. Walk the audience through your poster by:

  • highlighting certain elements of figures, tables or pictures, etc.;
  • discussing how you conducted your research;
  • using plain language, as attendees come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, and the general public; and
  • speaking clearly and at a steady pace.

Recording your virtual presentation

  1. Record your five minute presentation in Zoom. If you need help recording, view this short video tutorial on preparing your PowerPoint presentation in Zoom.
  2. Save your file in an MP4 file format.

Submitting your virtual presentation

  1. Submissions must be received by April 5, 2024 by 4 p.m. Presenters should only submit their final narrated presentation version. Any poster submissions received after April 5 will not be accepted.
  2. Name your presentation file in the following format: first author’s “last name-poster title”. This will help us to prepare the files for the online format.
    e.g., murphy-exploratory study of google nest hubs in the long-term care setting in Manitoba
  3. Submit your virtual poster via Dropbox and share your folder with rachel.ines@umanitoba.ca. We will confirm receipt of your virtual poster once received.
  4. Closer to the Symposium date, you will be notified where to find your virtual presentation online.
  5. On the day of the Symposium, all virtual presentations will be taken offline at 4 p.m.

For more information

If you require additional information on submitting a poster or require a poster template for the Spring Research Symposium, contact Nicole Dunn by email or by phone 204-474-6698.