Overview
The Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum is an annual event that showcases research projects from the brightest undergraduates at Ohio State. Since 1995, the Denmans have supported this forum and continue to promote Ohio State as alumni.
The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum provides an opportunity for graduating student researchers to share their research endeavors with the university community. The Denman Forum is UR&CI's only competitive poster forum in which winners are recognized in each category as determined by faculty, staff, and Denman alumni reviewers. Students will be reviewed on their ability to communicate effectively their research process and results through written poster content and accompanying oral presentation. During the Denman Forum, we celebrate not only the hard work of these students, but also the dedication of their faculty research mentors.
2025 Winners
The 30th annual Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum took place on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom of the Ohio Union.
Winners in all ten categories and our partner awards were recognized at an Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 6, 2025. More details, including winners names and project titles, can be found in our news section.
Other Partnerships
In addition to the generous awards provided by the Denmans, we also partner with several organizations to award discipline-specific prizes, including the Center for Ethics and Human Values, the Infectious Disease Institute, the Secondary Data Core, and the Sustainability Institute. Students researching topics related to these fields are especially encouraged to apply to present at the Denman Forum.
Presentation Prizes
Every student poster/presentation is reviewed from three separate reviewers. The scores are totaled to determine winners in each of the categories. Winners are invited to an awards reception, where they receive a certificate of scholarship, placement medallion and ribbon, and cash prize. The Denman Forum is meant to showcase research from the brightest undergraduates at Ohio State.
Denman Questions
Who can participate in the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum?
The Denman is open to students who will graduate in any semester of the calendar year of the event who have conducting faculty-mentored research. The 2025 Denman Forum, therefore, is open to students graduating in spring 2025, summer 2025, and autumn 2025.
Although the majority of students present alone, students working on the same project under the same faculty mentor are allowed to present in pairs. Additionally, students may present research that was conducted under the supervision of a non-Ohio State faculty mentor.
Final research results are not necessary to present. Yet, because this is a competitive forum, having results to share may help our reviewers evaluate your work.
What are the application requirements for the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum?
Students should be prepared to complete a Qualtrics application with the following information:
- Student's background and contact information
- Research mentor's name and contact information
- Research/creative project title, abstract (350 words or less) and category selection
- Research/creative project co-presenter, if any
- Ohio State advising report upload (used to verify 2025 graduation)
Is the work presented in the Denman automatically published?
Students who participate in the Denman Forum are eligible to submit their work to the Ohio State's Libraries' Knowledge Bank Denman Collection. We do not automatically publish any work. Students are not required to submit their work to the Knowledge Bank. Students should confer with their research mentor before publishing.
What are the categories of research for students to select that best represents their work?
Students can submit their research in one of the following 10 categories:
- Business, Society, and International Relations
- Earth and Beyond
- Engineering and Technology
- Health Under the Microscope
- Innovations in Medicine
- Insects and Other Animal Sciences
- Pediatric and Family Health
- Public Health
- The Human Experience
- Understanding Cancer
What are the poster and day-of requirements for presenters?
- Students are responsible for printing their 36" Height x 48" Width poster using UniPrint services across campus.
- Students should arrive to their assigned session 15 minutes early to set up and be prepared to speak with 3 judges, in addition to the general audience. Reviewers will interact with the students as they see fit - either allowing the students to speak fully or asking questions as the student presents their research.
- Students should allow plan for roughly 10 minutes of interaction for each reviewer, including questions.