Research & Creative Inquiry Forum

Every April, the university hosts the Student Research and Creative Inquiry Forum, a celebration of research, scholarship, creativity and excellence. 

Undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines present their research and creative activities at the university’s annual celebration of student scholarship.

All members of the university community are encouraged to attend. In 2021, the Student Research and Creative Inquiry Forum will be virtual, on the BlackBoard community “Student Research Forum”. The Forum will feature live interactive presentations by the students as well as recorded presentations that allow the visitors to post comments and questions for the presenters.

All members of the university community are encouraged to attend. In 2022, the Student Research and Creative Inquiry Forum will be held in person, in West Village Commons Ballrooms. There will be three poster sessions:

  • April 18  4pm - 6pm 
  • April 19  1pm - 3pm
  • April 20  10am – noon

A presenting student will be assigned to one of these sessions; the online application form will ask for students’ time preference. Please complete this form by Friday, April 8, 2022.

Forum Eligibility Information

We strive to include as diverse an array of presentations as we can gather, so research is broadly defined as any academic activity resulting in a product. Presentations from all departments of the university are accepted and encouraged. This includes research done in pursuit of a class paper; project; or activity; a thesis; or an independent study. 

Forum Application Information

The application form will ask for the title and abstract of your presentation. A good abstract should make it clear what were your goals, it should summarize your inquiry activities and results. The form will ask separately about student and faculty collaborators on the project. If your project was supported by a grant or award, there will be space to indicate that as well. Please ask your faculty mentor to review the title, abstract, and the acknowledgement of support before you submit.

Questions regarding the application may be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry at .

Advice on Completing the Application

  • Look at previous presenter abstracts from your department or college (listed below) for guidance on how to develop an abstract. 
  • The reviewers will only see your title and abstract; please make sure that they clearly describe your project.
  • If you are planning to exhibit artwork rather than a poster, please email a photo of it to after you complete the application.
  • The last question on the form will ask for your time preference for a presentation. Please check with your class calendar ahead of time.

Poster Presentation Information

An academic presentation is a summary of your research, scholarly, or creative project in a concise and visually engaging way. It must be academically sound, highlighting the context of your work (through photographs, maps, etc.), your methods, and results(with graphs, charts, photographs, etc.). Each Forum presenter should expect to prepare a poster, no more than 4 feet wide (and at least 2 feet wide). TU has a poster printer in the Cook Library where your poster can be printed. PowerPoint has convenient templates for posters.

The posters should be the kind that can be rolled up. We will provide poster boards and thumb tacks, so there is no need for tri-fold boards. If your presentation needs more than just a poster board, please email as soon as possible.

Presentation Guidelines

  • The text on the poster should be easily readable. Try to stay practical with standard fonts. Times New Roman, Arial, and Garamond are all legible and readable.
  • Ideally, the poster should not overwhelm the reader with text. Try to space out your information in a way that is informative, attractive, and useful.
  • Graphics, pictures, and figures should be used whenever possible.
  • In the poster title, please include the following information: name(s) of student author(s), and name(s) of faculty who mentored the project. Please show off your Tiger stripes: Towson University logo and colors are always an excellent addition!     

2019 Student Research and Creative Inquiry Forum

In 2019, the Student Research and Creative Inquiry Forum was held on April 17 in the West Village located on the fourth floor of West Village Commons. 

Student Presenters