The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities

Sustainability Research Poster Contest

The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities (CISC) presents the 2008 Governors Island Sustainable CUNY/Sustainable NYC Research Poster Contest. This summer marks our 3rd Science Exhibition and Lecture Series on Governors Island. Though we have showcased CUNY research in the past, this year we are making a particular effort to applaud and publicize the important research that CUNY students are doing. To that end, we are sponsoring our first student research poster contest for the science exhibition!

We encourage ALL CUNY students conducting urban sustainability research to submit research posters for display and evaluation. Poster submissions will be on public display at Governors Island every weekend from June 7th to August 31st, 2008 (students are NOT required to be present with their posters). Governor's Island attracts over 70,000 visitors each summer making our poster sessions a wonderful opportunity for CUNY students to educate and inspire a large public audience through their research.

We welcome a range of submissions on all aspects of urban sustainability including topics as diverse as climate law, ecological services, green design and engineering, industrial ecology, sustainable business practices, alternative energy development and use, and civic environmentalism.

Submission Details

There will be 2 deadlines for the poster contest: The first for abstracts, the following for the actual poster.

Deadline for submitting poster abstract is Sunday May, 1st by 5PM.

The following information must also be provided with your abstract:

Name
Email Address
Phone Number
Student Status and School (e.g. sophomore at Queens, master's student at Hunter)
Major or Program

Abstracts should be emailed as a word document or PDF to Carina Molnar: cmolnar@hunter.cuny.edu. Please use "Governors Island Poster Submission" as the email subject line.

Deadline for poster submission is Monday, May 16th by 5PM.

Posters must be submitted in hard copy to the designated CISC contact person on your campus. CISC contact person information will be provided after the May 1st abstract deadline.

Official Rules

The contest is open to all currently enrolled CUNY students. Faculty members are encouraged to submit posters but will not be included in the contest or judging.
Posters may have multiple authors (co-authors), however only one entry will be allowed per person. Prizes will be awarded per poster.
Abstract must be 200 words or less. Abstracts need to follow standard abstract guidelines and contain all basic components. An excellent summary of how to write an abstract can be found at the following sites:
http://research.berkeley.edu/ucday/abstract.html
http://www.uaf.edu/csem/ashsss/abstract_writing.html
Work must be original. Though the research may be conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor, the poster (and abstract) should be of the students own writing, design, and construction.
Posters should be of high academic quality and meet the expectations of college/university level work. Each should contain all standard poster elements (a proper title, headings, text, graphics and captions) divided into appropriate sections (introduction, materials and methods, results, conclusions, literature cited, acknowledgements, and further information) and formatted for a large poster. The following websites offer detailed advice on how to plan and execute effective posters:
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters
http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/posteradvice.htm
We strongly encourage you to use these websites. Posters that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted.
All posters must be printed onto one single page. Posters must be within the size range of 24" by 36" to 36" by 48". Posters larger than 36" by 48" OR smaller then 24" by 36" will not be accepted. CISC is not responsible for any printing cost.
After submission, CISC will mount all posters onto foam board using a spray adhesive. This mounting is permanent, therefore posters will be returned to students on foam board.
Posters will be available for pick up at the CISC offices (Hunter College East Building, room 1215) from September 20th until November 7th after which time the posters will become the property of CISC.
Participants should expect to come to the Island during one of the weekends of July 19th or 26th to discuss their entries with visitors. If this is in no way possible, please indicate this in your abstract submission.
The exhibition hall will be monitored by day and locked shut at night. Regardless, the Institute cannot take responsibility for the security and safety of posters while on display at Governors Island.
The Institute cannot take responsibility for loss or damage to any poster while in transport to or from Governors Island.
The Institute reserves the right to discontinue the contest if no more than 15 submissions are received by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 16th, 2008.
The Institute reserves the right to change any and all rules at any time without notice.

Judging

Entries will be judged in a "Green People's Choice Award" contest, whereby all visitors to the exhibition will be able to cast a ballot. Visitors will be asked to review each submission based on the following criteria: creativity and originality, craftsmanship and skill, and relevance to the topic. They will then vote for their favorite piece. Only one vote per visitor.

Prizes

Prizes supporting sustainable green living will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Additional Information

For additional information contact Carina Molnar: cmolnar@hunter.cuny.edu or 212-650-3456.