University of Kentucky graduate and undergraduate students are invited to submit an abstract and poster for the fourth annual sustainability research poster competition held in conjunction with the annual UK Sustainability Showcase on Oct. 23.

Posters must be related to the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth — all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

UK Sustainability and the Office of Undergraduate Research are partnering to offer an opportunity for students in all majors to submit their sustainability-focused research poster.

“The poster competition is important to the University of Kentucky because it provides a platform for a broad spectrum of students to display their work, which has the potential to create awareness and engagement within the community,” said Bridget Bolt, graduate student and research assistant in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “It also encourages interdisciplinary collaboration by bringing together people from various academic backgrounds, fostering innovative conversations and ideas in support of a more sustainable world.”

Judges with relevant expertise will review all posters and winners will be selected for both undergraduate and graduate categories. Judging takes place without student presentations.

Students can present their posters during the showcase in the atrium of the Healthy Kentucky Research Building (HKRB) on Oct. 23. The submission deadline is Oct. 13.

First place ($250), second place ($150) and People’s Choice ($100) awards will be presented to winners during a special awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. The winners of the UK Sustainability Challenge Grants will also be announced.

Posters will be judged according to the following criteria:

• Content (poster demonstrates clarity of topic, objective and background)

• Motivation for research and technical relevance to sustainability

• Methodology and approach to problem

• Quality of proposed research results/findings

• Conclusions are supported by information presented

• Poster presentation (display aesthetics and logical flow between sections)

• Understandability (poster is effective even without student explaining it)

• Overall rank versus other posters in each category

More information, including registration and submission guidelines, is available here.