GradCon
GradCon is the 91次元's graduate student research and scholarship conference that will be held on March 6, 2026. UM GradCon is interdisciplinary and welcomes presentations from all disciplines and departments. It is organized annually by the UM Graduate Student Research Council and is sponsored by the UM Graduate School. The conference is free and open to the public. All members of the UM campus community are encouraged to attend and participate.
Categories & Presentation Types
Categories
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
- Social Sciences/Humanities
- Visual and Performing Arts (includes Creative Writing) research or explanation of artwork, sculpture, painting, writing, reading, dancing, playing an instrument, etc.
- Professional Experiences (capstone projects, white papers, internship experiences, or other applied work that does not fall under the traditional research umbrella)
Presentation types
- Posters
- Oral
- 3 Minute Thesis
The conference welcomes works-in-progress as well as talks or posters previously presented elsewhere. GradCon presentations may include a portion of a thesis, dissertation, or a successful seminar; final results or conclusions are not required to submit or present.
Important Dates
| Date | Milestone / Deadline |
|---|---|
| January 19 | Submissions open |
| February 1 | Preliminary deadline for abstracts to be considered for Best of GradCon Awards |
| February 13 | Selection of Award finalists |
| February 15 | Final deadline for general submission abstracts |
| February 23 at NOON | Deadline for Award finalists to submit final presentations and videos |
| February 27 | Last day to submit posters to ScholarWorks for printing at Paw Print |
| February 28 | Last day to make edits to general submission abstracts |
| March 6 | GradCon |
Best of GradCon Awards
Five cash awards of $300 are available to presentations that opt-in to the Best of GradCon;
- Best Oral presentation in STEM
- Best poster presentation in STEM
- Best Oral presentation in Social Sciences/Humanities
- Best Poster presentation in Social Sciences/Humanities
- Best Visual & Performing Arts presentation
At this time, Professional Experiences presentations do not qualify for Best of GradCon
Finalized abstracts must be submitted by midnight on February 1nd to be eligible. Finalists will be notified by February 13, 2026 at your NetID email. Finalists must upload either the final version of their poster or oral presentation slides along with a MP4 video to ScholarWorks by Monday, February 23 at noon. Up to 10 minutes for poster presentations and up to 15 minutes for oral presentations and performances. Failure to upload video before the deadline will result in disqualification.
Awards will be presented at the Best of GradCon Awards Ceremony in the UC ballroom on the 3rd floor of the UC. More information will be emailed to finalists before the event.
GradCon Schedule
March 6, 2026
9:00 am-12:00 pm: Oral Presentation Sessions
12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm: Poster Presentation Session
2:00-3:00 pm: 3 Minute Thesis Competition
3:15: Awards Ceremony