Communicating Your Research

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Accessible Research

NEED ACCOMODATIONS FOR RESEARCH?

Contact the Center for Accessible Education (CAE) if you need accommodations to participate in undergraduate research. Students are not required to be enrolled in a course as part of your undergraduate research experience for the CAE to assist you.

LEARN TO MAKE YOUR WORK MORE ACCESSIBLE

The UCLA Disabilities and Computing Program (DCP) offers trainings throughout the year on how to make digital content more accessible. These are great for students creating websites, presentations or documents.

ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS

  • Check for Colorblind Accessibility: Use Vischeck to check charts, graphs, and figures for colorblind visibility.
  • Add Alt Text to Images: Learn how to write alternative (alt) text so screen readers can describe your visuals to users with visual or cognitive disabilities.
  • Make Your Documents Screen Reader-Friendly: Follow this PDF accessibility guide from UCLA DCP to format your documents for screen reader compatibility.
  • Build Accessible Websites: Use this Web Accessibility Starter Guide to design websites that are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.
Conferences

What can you get out of attending a conference?  Former student, Caliope Marin, shares her conference advice to students attending the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) 2020 Conference, but it’s universal to any undergraduate conference.

CONFERENCES

Each year, hundreds of UCLA students present their research at numerous conferences across the country, which range from the regional and national level. There are also opportunities to attend a student-oriented conference.

There are also many opportunities for students to give poster or oral presentations on campus, including during Undergraduate Research Week.

LIST OF CONFERENCES

Below are a list of conferences UCLA students frequently attend and present at.

INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER

Check out our Instagram “Conferences” highlight to view a day in the life of one of our undergraduate researchers presenting at NCUR 2025.  

Explore our Instagram

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Join the URC-Sciences mailing list to be emailed monthly about upcoming conferences, program deadlines, and other resources.  

Join our Mailing List 

Making Figures

Read Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures from PLOS Computational Biology

Use Vischeck to make sure your figures (charts, graphs, etc.) are visible to people with colorblindness.

Visit this page for information on how to add alternative text to images. Alternative text provides a textual alternative to images that can be read by screen readers, allowing it to be accessible to those with visual or cognitive disabilities.

Presenting Research

Presenting your Research

Presenting your research is a culmination of the process of scientific discovery. Being able to clearly communicate your research to both general and scientific audiences is a key skill to develop.

RESOURCES FOR PRESENTING RESEARCH

Whether you’re designing a research poster or preparing an oral presentation, these tools and templates can help: 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WEEK (URW)

UCLA’s Undergraduate Research Week is one of the largest university-hosted undergraduate research showcases in the country. Students from all disciplines present their work through virtual panels, recorded presentations, and creative performances.   

Visit the Undergraduate Research Week website

EASEL RENTALS

UCLA departments and student organizations can borrow poster easels from the Undergraduate Research Center – Sciences at no cost. To check availability, email urcsciences@college.ucla.edu    

POSTER PRINTING LOCATIONS NEAR UCLA

Looking for places to print your research poster? These UCLA-approved printing services can help: 

  • Bruin Custom Print  
  • CopyMat Westwood 
  • Department of Undergraduate Education – Technical Services  
  • Department of Psychology – Technical Services  
  • Life Sciences BioAdmin  
  • Mail, Document & Distribution Services (MDDS) 

USING UCLA BRANDING AND LOGOS

UCLA Policy 110 states that individual UCLA students may use the Campus Logo, Campus Seal, or Unofficial Seal for student projects directly related to UCLA coursework– such as research posters or PowerPoint presentations- so long as they follow the UCLA Brand Guidelines and include their name and enrollment status.  

Scientific Writing

Scientific Writing

Clear scientific writing is a crucial part of being a STEM researcher. Whether you’re writing a research abstract, preparing a journal submission, or applying for fellowships or graduate school, strong communication skills will set your work apart.  

Explore resources below to support every stage of your writing process-from your first abstract submission to publishing your research.  

WRITING SUPPORT AT UCLA

UCLA Writing Center 

Get one-on-one feedback on abstract, personal statements, and STEM writing assignments. Peer Learning Facilitators (PLFs) can also support you with grammar, structure, and ESL challenges.  

Explore Writing Center Resources

UCLA Library Research Resources 

The UCLA Library offers research guides, research consultations, and subject area specialist support to help at every stage of the research process.  

Visit Research Helpdesk

MAKE YOUR DOCUMENTS ACCESSIBLE

In scientific communication, clarity and inclusivity are essential for broad impact, ethical practice, and reaching the widest possible audience.  

STEM RESEARCH CV/RESUME

CV Writing for Undergraduate Researchers 

Use these resources to create a strong CV tailored to research positions, grad school, or industry. 

WRITING A RESEARCH ABSTRACT

A strong abstract is key when applying to conferences, journals, and scholarships. 

WRITING A SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PAPER

From your first research paper to a formal publication, these tools help you structure, revise, and improve your work.  

RESEARCH PROPOSAL WRITING

Develop competitive proposals for scholarships, fellowships, and research funding. 

PUBLISHING YOUR RESEARCH AS AN UNDERGRADUATE

Publishing your research in a peer-reviewed journal is a great opportunity for any undergraduate. When you publish through Undergraduate Science Journal (USJ), you retain all rights to your article. Publication is also an excellent asset to graduate schools and research fellowship applications.  

Visit the Undergraduate Science Journal website

Travel Grants

URC-SCIENCES TRAVEL

The URC-Sciences Travel Grant supports UCLA undergraduates who have had their life science, physical science, or engineering research abstract accepted for an oral or poster presentation at a regional, national, or international conference. The research being presented does not need to have taken place at UCLA, but all applicants must be UCLA undergraduates at the time they conducted the research being presented and at the time of conference attendance. This grant is paid as a reimbursement after conference attendance. Applicants may be approved for up to $300 per academic year (July 1 – June 30). Students should only apply for this grant after their project has been accepted for presentation and after successfully registering for the conference. 

Our application for the 2026-2027 academic year is open for conferences after October 1, 2026.  

Applications are due four weeks before the conference start date. Funding is limited; students are encouraged to apply as far in advance as possible. 

Approved applicants must submit all itemized receipts being claimed for reimbursement after the end of the conference. All expenses must be paid directly by the student to qualify for reimbursement. Expenses paid by a third party cannot be reimbursed. Eligible expenses include conference registration fees, economy-class airfare, hotel/lodging, ground transportation (including ride-share apps), mileage (distance traveled in personal vehicle only) and parking fees. 

 

TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATION 

Please complete the following DocuSign application. The application will require you to attach the following documents: 

  1. Faculty Research Mentor/Principal Investigator Evaluation Form 
  1. Accepted abstract/paper with your name in the author line 
  1. Official confirmation that your abstract/paper has been accepted by the conference for presentation 
  1. Completed conference registration materials & receipt 
  1. Unofficial transcript 

 

APPLICATION GUIDELINES 

  • Applications must be submitted four weeks prior to the conference start date. 
  • Applicants must be UCLA undergraduates at the time they conducted the research being presented and during conference attendance. 
  • Applicants are responsible for booking their own travel and payment. 
  • This grant is paid as a reimbursement after conference attendance. A maximum of $300 may be awarded per student per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). 
  • If approved, awardees must submit required documents within five business days after the conference end date. 

 

REIMBURSEMENT GUIDELINES 

  • The following expenses are eligible for reimbursement: conference registration fees, economy-class airfare, hotel/lodging, ground transportation (including rideshare apps), mileage (distance traveled in a personal vehicle) and parking fees. 
  • The following expenses are not eligible for reimbursement: membership fees, gasoline (gas costs are computed into the mileage reimbursement rate), prepaid packaged trips (combined airfare and hotel packages), meals and food purchases, poster printing, and any other expenses not eligible for reimbursement. 
  • Student employees will be reimbursed using the same method that they receive payroll. Students not employed by UCLA will be reimbursed via Zelle. 
  • Reimbursements will only be processed after the conference end date and after submission of required documents. 
  • If costs are shared with additional travelers, travel grant awardees must obtain a separate bill for their own individual expenses. 
  • Third-party reimbursements are not permitted – all expenses must be paid by the student directly. Expenses paid by a third-party (anyone other than the awardee) will not be reimbursed.  

 

SUBMISSION OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 

The following documentation must be submitted within five business days after the conference end date. Instructions on how to submit this documentation will be provided if your application is approved. 

  1. Photo of registration badge or other proof of conference attendance 
  1. Itemized receipts for all allowable expenses being claimed for reimbursement must include: 
  1. Date of purchase 
  1. Traveler’s Name – if debit/credit card is used for payment 
  1. Description of what was purchased 
  1. Total cost of purchase 
  1. Method of Payment 
  1. A photocopy of the credit/debit cards used for payment or bank statements. 

HOW TO FIND UNDERGRADUATE TRAVEL GRANTS

Updated Fall 2025.

Use this guide to help you find funding support when presenting undergraduate research at conferences.

1. UCLA Resources

2. Explore Professional Organizations

3. Check Conference Websites

4. Use External Databases

5. Ask Your Research Mentor

  • Faculty and departments often have access to travel funds or can recommend field-specific opportunities.