2012 GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS COMPETITION Call for Nominations The Purdue University Chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, is conducting a Graduate Student Research Awards Competition in the format of a scientific poster session. There will be a first prize of $200, provided by Sigma Xi and The Graduate School, and recognition for other outstanding posters in each of the four research areas: * Physical Sciences * Life Sciences * Engineering * Behavioral and Social Sciences There will be one prize for each approximately 15 posters in a research area. In recent years, this has resulted in 2-3 top awards in both Life Sciences and in Engineering. To participate: 1. Submit an abstract of your research by 5:00 pm, Wednesday February 1, 2012. These will be published in a booklet. To obtain an abstract submission form, go to the Purdue Sigma Xi website (http://www.purdue.edu/research/sigmaxi/gsrpa.shtml) and click on 'Graduate student'. Applications, in electronic format, may be submitted to rhoward@purdue.edu<mailto:rhoward@purdue.edu> from January 9 to February 1, 2012. Those who submit abstracts will receive detailed information about poster preparation. 1. Present a poster at the 2012 SIGMA XI GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS COMPETITION POSTER SESSION in Steward Center, Rooms 214/218 on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. The session will run from 12:30 - 4:00 pm (for poster set up and viewing) and from 6:00 - 9:00 pm (for presentation and judging). Presenters are requested to hang their posters by 4:00 pm and to be at their posters from 6:00- 8:30 pm to answer questions from the judges. Judging will be conducted 1. Posters selected for award will be displayed at the Annual Sigma Xi Initiation Banquet to be held in the John Purdue Room in Stone Hall in April 2012. In addition, all award winners and those highlighted for Honorable Mention will be invited to attend the banquet in recognition of their outstanding research endeavors. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the excellence and diversity of scientific research at Purdue as well as to make others aware of your contributions. All graduate students and post-doctoral researchers with appropriate research experiences are urged to participate in this competition. For additional information, please contact: Richard D. Howard, Chairperson Sigma Xi Graduate Student Research Awards Competition Department of Biological Sciences (765-494-8136 or rhoward@purdue.edu<mailto:rhoward@purdue.edu>)