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Judging and Awards

Judging

Projects are evaluated by faculty experts within their respective fields. Because research and scholarship varies by discipline, criteria will vary in each respective category. In general, judges will examine the following areas for each poster, oral, or performance demonstration presentation:

  • Quality of students’ preparation and presentation of project
  • How clearly the problem is defined and addressed
  • Consistency of conclusion based on presented results
  • Overall professionalism

The decisions of the judges are final and may not be contested.

Awards

To recognize exemplary scholarly achievements, monetary prizes are awarded at the Forum. One first-place award ($100) and one merit award ($50) are given in each category. In addition, two grand prizes will be awarded to one student from science, mathematics, and engineering and one student from humanities, social sciences, and communication arts and sciences.

Students working together in groups of six or less will each receive the award money independently (i.e., If a group of 5 students wins a first-place award, each member would receive $100 each). The maximum amount awarded for groups with six or more members will be $500 for first-place awards and $250 for merit awards; this money will be evenly distributed amongst the group members. Award money will be deposited directly into the students MSU account. If the student does not have any unpaid bills, a check will be mailed to the student at the end of the semester.