Conference Information

History and Mission

The Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Conference (SUPC) was founded by Stanford undergraduate George Slavich in 2001 and it has been run by undergraduate Stanford students ever since. SUPC's mission is to promote psychological science and the professional development of psychology students by facilitating professional networking and the sharing of high-quality psychological research. It accomplishes these goals by serving as a showcase for undergraduate research, as well as by providing an opportunity for participating students to make valuable contacts with each other, and with Stanford faculty and graduate students.

In addition to supporting the advancement of undergraduate psychology students, SUPC is proud to promote the educational advancement of future psychology majors by inviting up to 100 high school students to attend the Conference each year, free of charge. SUPC also donates up to $1,000 annually to an underserved high school psychology program. These funds are typically used to purchase new academic materials, such as textbooks and audio visual items, or to support psychology-related educational programming. Information about this award is on the SUPC Educational Advancement Award page.

Since its inception in 2001, SUPC has hosted nearly 4,500 undergraduate student presenters and more than 925 high school psychology students from 114 schools, 42 states, and 17 countries. Its sustained level of success has helped raise more than $100,000 to support undergraduate and high school level psychology programs, making SUPC the premier international conference for undergraduate psychology students.

Eligibility

To be eligible to present at SUPC, you must either be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at ANY university or college, or have completed the research you intend to present while still an undergraduate. If you recently graduated and are not currently enrolled as an undergraduate student, then the work you present must have been completed during your time as an undergraduate student. Individuals enrolled in a graduate or advanced degree program of any kind (e.g., master's program, Ph.D. program, medical school, etc.) are welcome to attend the conference as a spectator, but may not present. High-quality abstracts from high school students are sometimes accepted, depending on quality and space.

All abstracts should be based on original research that was conducted by the presenting author or authors. Research that was conducted in collaboration with a graduate student or faculty advisor is permitted, so long as the presenting undergraduate author(s) contributed substantively to the research. All individuals who were involved in the project must be listed as authors on the abstract. If the work was conducted in the context of a research group or lab, then the research mentor or faculty advisor must be informed of the submission and must be listed as an author on the abstract.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for students who have performed interesting, high-quality research, and who are excited about presenting their research to other students, faculty, friends, and family. Students should also be excited about hearing others present their research.

Structure of the Conference

SUPC hosts both oral and poster presentations. Oral presentations are 14 minutes long, with a 4-minute Q & A session following each talk. Computers, with PowerPoint installed, are made available for the Oral talks. All presentations should be saved using a PC version of Microsoft PowerPoint, to ensure proper presentation. These files will be requested in advance by the programming committee. Poster presentations are displayed on a 4 x 8 foot poster board. The poster size limit is 4 x 4 feet. Posters that are larger than this size will not be permitted at the conference.

The conference will begin at 3:30pm on Friday, with registration, a welcome address conference programming, and a special evening banquet that should not be missed. Conference activities will resume at 7:00am on Saturday. On Saturday, presenting students eat lunch in small groups with other students, as well as with Stanford graduate students and professors who typically attend. For students interested in applying to graduate school, this is a great opportunity to network with other students who are applying and to get advice from graduate students and professors at Stanford. Paper and poster presentations are interspersed throughout the day. One of main events is a special keynote presentation around lunchtime, which is given by a renowned Stanford professor. The tentative schedule for Friday and Saturday are below:

Friday, May 20th, 2016
Registration: 3:30-4:00pm
Opening Session: 4:15-4:30pm
Banquet Dinner: 4:30-5:45pm
Workshop 1: 6:00-6:50pm
Workshop 2: 7:00-7:50pm
Mingling/light refreshments: 7:50-8:30pm

Saturday, May 21st, 2016
Continental Breakfast: 7:00am
Registration: 7:00-8:00am
Conference programming: 8:00-5:30pm

The keynote speaker for SUPC 2016 will be Stanford professor, Dr. Alia Crum, who directs the Stanford Mind & Body Lab. Her research focuses on how changes in subjective mindsets can alter peoples' objective reality through behavioral, psychological, and physiological mechanisms. She is also interested in understanding how mindsets affect important outcomes outside the realm of medicine, in the domains of behavioral health and organizational behavior. More specifically, she aims to understand how mindsets can be consciously and deliberately changed through intervention to affect organizational and individual performance, physiological and psychological well-being, and interpersonal effectiveness.

All attendees are invited to this talk. Attendees are also invited to a more practical talk discussing graduate school in psychology, to be given by a Stanford graduate student or faculty member.

Participant Information

There are two types of attendees: presenters and spectators. Presenters are undergraduates (or recent undergraduates) who have a research project (oral or poster presentation) that they will be presenting. Everyone else, including parents and friends of the presenters, are encouraged to attend the Conference as spectators. Space for both presenters and spectators is very limited. Attendees should register as soon as they know they will be coming to the Conference.

Abstract Submission

All abstracts must be submitted using the online Abstract Submission Form, which is accessible from the Registration page. Abstracts must be submitted by the abstract submission deadline that is listed on that page. Because some international students are required to obtain a visa in order to enter the United States and present, we have a separate abstract deadline for international students. No late abstract submissions can be accepted and there are no exceptions to this policy.

Conference Registration

All presenters and spectators must register for the Conference in advance. Registration is conducted online using the Registration Website, which is accessible from the Registration page. All registrations and all registration fees (see below) must be received by their respective deadlines, which are listed on the Registration page. No persons will be admitted to the poster or paper presentations without a pre-paid registration.

Fee and Fee Payment

The conference registration fee for presenters is $45 (Saturday Only) or $75 (Friday Banquet + Saturday). The registration fee for spectators is $25 (Saturday Only) or $55 (Friday Banquet + Saturday). All registrations include a nametag, digital copy of the conference program, and admission to all of the conference presentations, as well as a light continental breakfast on Saturday morning and lunch on Saturday afternoon. An official printed conference program can also be purchased for $20. Registration fees are collected during the online registration process and people who have not registered will not be admitted to the conference. Refunds cannot be produced and there are no exceptions to this policy.

Timeline

A timeline for this year's abstract submission, registration, and payment process is available on the Registration page.

Stanford Prize

Students who are eligible for the Stanford Prize are encouraged to apply for the award when they submit their conference abstract. More information regarding this prestigious award is available on the Stanford Prize page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How competitive is the abstract submission process?

We typically receive abstracts that are well-written and based on high-quality research. In recent years, we have received many more abstract submissions than we can include in the program. Based on the quality of the submissions, and taking into consideration both programming goals and space constraints, we typically accept between 100 and 130 abstracts for inclusion in the final program.

Q: That sounds competitive. Do you think I should submit an abstract?

Yes, absolutely. As Stanford Professor Albert Bandura says, "we should be realistic about the odds, but optimistic that we can beat those odds!"

Q: Can I present research that I conducted with a graduate student or faculty advisor?

Yes, so long as you contributed substantively to the project -- for example, you generated the idea for the project, managed the subject running, took a lead on analyzing the data, or wrote the project up for publication. All individuals who were involved with the project must be listed as authors on the abstract. In addition, your research mentor or faculty advisor must be informed of the submission and must be listed as an author on the abstract.

Q: Can I present if I just graduated from college?

Yes, so long as the research you will present was conducted while you were in college. As described earlier on this page, in order to present, you must either (a) currently be enrolled as an undergraduate student at ANY university or college or (b) have completed the research you intend to present while still an undergraduate. Individuals enrolled in a graduate or advanced degree program of any kind are welcome to attend the conference, but may not present.

Q: Can I present if I'm a high school student?

Yes, possibly. Each year, we receive a number of abstracts from high school students. We accept a small number of high-quality abstracts from this pool. We encourage you to submit your best work for review. Although this is primarily a conference for undergraduate college students, SUPC has a long history of supporting psychology programs at the high school level.

Q: I am an international student and need to get a visa to attend. Do you have an early abstract deadline for international students?

Yes. We recognize that obtaining a visa can be difficult and requires extra time. For this reason, we have a separate abstract deadline for international students who need additional time to acquire a visa in case their abstract is accepted for inclusion in the program. The abstract deadline for international students is listed on the Registration page.

Q: I had a personal issue and could not submit my abstract by the deadline. Can I submit a late abstract?

Unfortunately, no. The abstract submission deadline and review process occurs on a very tight schedule. Therefore, late abstract submissions cannot be accepted. Please make sure you submit your abstract by the deadline listed on the Registration page.

Q: I'm presenting a poster. How big can it be? What do I include?

The maximum size for posters is 4 feet X 4 feet. Your poster can be smaller than that, but not bigger. Great tips on creating and presenting your poster can be found on many different websites.

Q: I'm giving an oral presentation. What are the guidelines for creating and presenting my oral presentation?

Oral presentations are 14 minutes long, with a 5-minute Q & A session following each talk. The final version of your oral presentation should be saved using a PC version of Microsoft PowerPoint, version 2003 or earlier. These files will be requested in advance from the Conference programming committee. If you save your presentation in a different format, such as in a more recent PowerPoint format or in Apple Keynote, we cannot guarantee that it will display properly at the Conference. We suggest that you bring a back-up copy of your presentation with you to the Conference. It is not necessary to bring a computer. A PC computer and a computer projector will be provided for you. Great tips on creating and giving your talk can be found on many different websites.

Q: How are the presentations scheduled?

Oral and poster presentations are grouped and scheduled based on a number of factors, including number of abstracts received, space availability, abstract quality, similarity of an abstract to others, and overall distribution of abstracts across the topic areas. Because of the complexity involved in setting the program, we unfortunately cannot accommodate special requests regarding the scheduling of a particular presentation.

Q: What if I'm conducting a study but don't have results yet?

Preference is given to abstracts that include actual results. However, we aim to create the most exciting scientific program possible, and we realize that not all projects will have results by the abstract submission deadline. In this case, you should describe your predicted results. Good studies with the promise of interesting results will be included in the program.

Q: Can I submit more than one abstract as first author?

Yes, you can be the first author on more than one abstract. However, you may not select the same presentation format option for both abstracts. In other words, one abstract submission must be listed as an Oral presentation and the other as a Poster presentation. You may not submit more than two abstracts as a first-author.

Q: How do I pay for my conference registration?

Information regarding payment is available on the Registration Website, which is accessible from the Registration page.

Q: What is the Stanford Prize?

The Stanford Prize is a prestigious award that celebrates outstanding research in psychology at the undergraduate level. Students who provide evidence of exceptional scientific achievement in any area of psychology are eligible for the award. More information is on the Stanford Prize page.

Q: Can I give a presentation that promotes a product, group, or service?

No, presentations that aim to promote a particular product (e.g., book, software), group (e.g., non-profit group, company), or service (e.g., private practice, consulting service) are not appropriate for this forum. The mission of SUPC is to promote psychological science and the professional development of psychology students, and we do not approve requests to attend the conference as a keynote speaker or corporate presenter.

Q: How do I get to Stanford by car?

For driving directions to Stanford University, please click here.

Q: How do I get to Stanford by plane?

Stanford University is easily accessible by several major international airports in the San Francisco Bay area:

Q: Can SUPC defer the cost associated with attending the Conference?

SUPC is a not-for-profit group and, as such, unfortunately cannot offer scholarships or financial aid for students to present or to attend the Conference. However, we strongly encourage individuals to coordinate their travel and room situations to reduce costs associated with attending the Conference.

Q: How do I find a nearby hotel room?

Although SUPC does not help organize travel or room accommodations, we can suggest some hotels that are nearby. Here is a Google map listing hotels that are near Stanford.


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Q: Will hotel accommodations or transportation be provided?

Attendees are responsible for securing hotel accommodations, and for establishing transportation to and from the conference. Please see the travel and hotel information above for suggestions.

Q: Can I bring friends and family to the Conference?

Yes, friends and family, and all other spectators, have always been welcome at SUPC. We believe in the value of sharing important professional experiences with friends and family, and we encourage you to invite them to attend. However, please remember that all spectators much pre-register for the conference, even if they are only attending one or two presentations. Individuals who have not pre-registered for SUPC will not be allowed to view the presentations. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Q: What can we do while we're at Stanford?

Stanford University is located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most beautiful regions of the world. We encourage you to explore Stanford and to visit its many surrounding attractions. For more information, please visit the Stanford University Visitor Information page.

Q: I attended the Conference and loved it. How do I cite my presentation in my resume or curriculum vita?

Here's a proper example reference list entry for your SUPC presentation:

Smith, J. M., & Jones, P. T. (2014, May). Emotional self-efficacy and its impact on health. Paper presented at the Fourteenth Annual Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Stanford, CA.

Q: I don't see an answer to my question. What should I do?

If you don't see an answer to your question, consider contacting the conference staff. We'll do our best to get back to you in a timely manner. Our contact information is available on the Contact page. Please do not contact the Department of Psychology at Stanford, as the administrators there will not be able to answer your questions.

To register for the Conference, go to the Registration page.



Did you Know...
● Since 2001, SUPC has hosted nearly 4,500 psychology undergraduate students... and more than 925 high school students



Proceeds from SUPC support underserved students studying psychology



● Presenters can choose between oral presentation and poster formats



● Spectators, including friends and family, are always welcome to attend SUPC



● As a not-for-profit group, SUPC unfortunately cannot help defer costs associated with attending the Conference



● Students are strongly encouraged to self-organize to make the event more economical, fun, and rewarding