Overview
PRD is an annual celebration of early-career research and creative endeavors, open to all early-career researchers and creators at Princeton: undergrads, grad students, postdocs, and more. The event brings together participants from all areas of study, including the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, the arts and humanities.
- Participants explain their research or creative work via 3-minute videos using everyday language, emphasizing the importance of communicating across disciplinary lines.
- Prizes are awarded to the videos that best explain work to a non-specialist audience.
- Explore previous presentations in the gallery of PRD videos.
This year we are encouraging early submissions. If you submit your complete presentation by 11:59 p.m. on April 14, 2025, you can order a Coffee Club small beverage or pastry on us, or receive a 16-oz commemorative Princeton Research Day pint glass.
The final deadline is April 30, 2025 at 5 p.m.
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How does it work?
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- In 2025, PRD includes videos hosted on Media Central (beginning May 2, 2025) and an in-person celebration at Frist Campus Center and simulcast online.
- You'll create a 3-minute video presentation describing your research, performance, artistic work or other creative expression.
- You can also create a poster to present at PRD.
- Here's the timeline for 2025:
- January 13 - Submission opens
- April 14 - Priority submission deadline
- April 30 - Final submission deadline for award consideration
- May 2 - PRD videos online for viewing and judging
- May 8, 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Princeton Research Day 2025 in-person event and awards celebration
- Our panel of judges will evaluate the submissions for prizes and awards of up to $1,500.
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Who can present?
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All Princeton undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral and other early career researchers and scholars of any major or discipline can present at Princeton Research Day.
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Why present?
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- Develop your ability to explain complex topics to general audiences
- Get coaching on online presentation skills
- Share your work with friends, family and colleagues inside and outside of your specialty
- Bolster your resume/CV
- Earn monetary prizes of up to $1,500, plus awards
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What types of work can I present?
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- Seminar paper
- Summer research internship project
- Junior independent work
- Senior thesis research
- Dissertation project
- Postdoctoral research
- Creative work in the arts (includes short performances, readings, film and video screenings, exhibition of artwork)
- More
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What else do I need to know?
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Presenters:
- Can present research conducted with a faculty member from another university
- Can submit a presentation with multiple students or researchers
- Can present research that is in the early stages
- If your research or creative work is not complete by the submission deadline, consider sharing your work in progress.
- Are responsible for ensuring that their presentation will not endanger later publication or intellectual property filings, as Princeton Research Day is a public event. While we expect that participants will share their intention to present with their faculty advisers and supervisors, official approval from an adviser or supervisor is not required during the application process.
Steps for Presenters
We're excited that you've decided to present at Princeton Research Day! The Prepare pages will help you get a sense of the range of research and creative work represented through this event and will guide you in crafting your presentation.
Questions? Contact the PRD team at [email protected].
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Consult campus resources
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- View our recorded workshops for valuable tips on creating your presentation: both the video and the optional (but encouraged!) poster.
- Access campus resources that assist with writing, presentations and multimedia.
- Review the accessibility guidelines prior to creating your presentation.
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Prepare your video and poster
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- View our tips for crafting your PRD video
- Check out the Awards page to review the criteria used in determining the award winners and see if your presentation qualifies for one of the sponsored awards.
- Write a 250-word summary describing your project in nonspecialist language.
- Create your poster (optional but highly encouraged) for the on-campus Showcase (you can win additional monetary prizes for taking part in this component).
- Record your video. See the acceptable formats and guidance.
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Submit!
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Head to the Submit page to review detailed guidance on uploading your video - make sure you have everything you need prepared to upload!