Graduate Student Call for Competition Presentations

Build your CV, refine your research, and get your work in front of colleagues, mentors, and employers by entering the ADSA graduate student competitions.

DUE DATE: Abstracts and ancillary materials are due by the overall #ADSA2027 abstract deadline on Tuesday, February 9, 2027, by 11:59 p.m. CT.

General Information Before You Submit

You may enter one national ADSA competition per year. Choose the competition below that fits your work and degree level—we have both poster and oral competitions in dairy foods and production, with production offering dedicated divisions for MS and PhD students—then follow the requirements for that competition below.

A certificate and cash award will be presented to the first-, second-, and third-place winners in each division.

All participants must

  • Be current ADSA members.
  • Submit an abstract by Tuesday, February 9, 2027, following the abstract submission instructions and quality standards for abstracts. The abstract should represent original research, and your abstract submission and presentation should be done with counsel from your major professor.
  • Submit ancillary materials by the same deadline (see ancillary materials for each competition below), including
    • a letter, signed by the major professor and department head, indicating the appropriate division and desire to enter the contest,
    • a headshot photograph, and
    • a brief résumé including name and preferred pronunciation, address, telephone number, degrees and dates received, professional work experience, areas of research, scholarships and fellowships received, professional activities and memberships, and other special interests. The résumés will be used to write the citations of the winners.
  • Register for the meeting by Thursday, April 15, 2027, and attend the meeting in person.

IMPORTANT

Competitors must select their subject area as the first section preference, and their chosen competition as their second section preference when submitting their abstract.

Authors will be emailed by March 12, 2027, indicating final abstract(s) status (accept or reject) and whether it has been selected as a competition finalist.

Accepted abstracts not selected as finalists to participate in the competition will be scheduled for a general oral or poster session according to the subject area listed as “first section preference”.

If you need clarification of, or additional information on, abstract quality or submission, please contact us at abstracts@assochq.org.

2027 ADSA GRADUATE STUDENT COMPETITIONS

National ADSA Dairy Foods Division Oral Competition
National ADSA Dairy Foods Division Poster Competition
National ADSA Production Division Oral Competition (MS or PhD) *
National ADSA Production Division Poster Competition (MS or PhD)

*Starting in 2024, the ADSA Southern Branch Oral Competition was combined with the Production Division Oral MS and PhD competitions. The top-ranking competitors from Southern universities will be recognized as the winners of the Southern Branch competition. Competitors must be Southern Branch members to be eligible.

Choose your competition

Some requirements for abstract submission differ between the production and foods divisions. Consult the table AND each competition’s specific instructions and requirements below.

 

Production Oral

 

(MS and PhD)

Production Poster

 

(MS and PhD)

Dairy Foods Oral

Dairy Foods Poster

Entries allowed per department

One per degree level

Two per degree level

No limit

No limit

How you are judged

Virtual judging session before the meeting

In person

In person

In person

Must you also present in a general session if selected as a finalist?

Yes, required

Optional, only if desired

Only if you are not selected as a finalist

Optional, only if desired

Extended abstract required?

No

No

Yes, four pages; see details below

No

May previous winners re-enter?

Not at the same degree level

Not at the same degree level

Yes

Yes

Accepted abstracts not selected as finalists to participate in the competition will be scheduled for a general oral or poster session according to the subject area listed as “first section preference.”

PRODUCTION DIVISION ORAL COMPETITIONS (MS and PhD)

An institution is entitled to enter one participant per department in each of the MS and PhD Production Division oral competitions.

Students who have placed first, second, or third previously may not enter this contest type again unless they change degree programs (i.e., MS winners can later compete in the PhD competition). Students can, however, compete in the poster competition at the same degree level in different years.

Contestants must submit an oral entry for the competition:

  • Competitors are required to present their competition entry in a regular general oral session in order to compete in the Production Division graduate oral competition.
  • The judging sessions will be held in a virtual meeting format within two weeks before the Annual Meeting. Winners will be notified before or at the start of the meeting.
    • The MS competition will be held on or about the first week of June 2027; exact date TBD
    • The PhD competition will be held on or about the second week of June 2027; exact date TBD
PRODUCTION DIVISION ORAL COMPETITIONS (MS and PhD)

ABSTRACT

To enter the contest,

  1. follow the instructions for submitting an abstract;
  2. select the appropriate abstract section preferences: The general section that best fits your work should be your “first section preference,” and your chosen competition should be your “second section preference”; and
  3. upload your ancillary materials as a single PDF or ZIP file in the file-upload step.

Abstracts not selected as finalists to participate in the competition will be scheduled for a general oral or poster session according to the subject area listed as “first section preference.”

ANCILLARY MATERIALS

In addition to the abstract, students must submit the following:

  • A letter, signed by the major professor and department head, indicating the appropriate division and desire to enter the contest.
  • A brief résumé (see General Information above) and a photograph.

IMPORTANT: The ancillary materials should be uploaded as either a single PDF file that contains all requested materials OR a single ZIP file that contains all documents. Do not upload more than one file.

If you are unable to upload the file during abstract submission, please email the letter, a copy of the abstract (including the online submission tracking number), your résumé (see General Information above), and a headshot photograph to abstracts@assochq.org.

Abstracts missing ancillary materials will be ineligible for competition.

PRESENTING

In addition to presenting in a regular general oral session, each contest participant will be assigned a presentation time during the virtual judging session, which will occur within two weeks before the Annual Meeting.

  • The MS competition will be held on or about the first week of June 2027; exact date TBD
  • The PhD competition will be held on or about the second week of June 2027; exact date TBD

During the virtual judging session, you will have 12 minutes to present to the judges, followed by 3 minutes for Q&A with the judges.

SCORING

Please see the Competition Scorecards section for scoring criteria.

PRODUCTION DIVISION POSTER COMPETITIONS (MS and PhD)

An institution is entitled to enter two participants per department in each of the MS and PhD Production Division poster competitions.

Students who have placed first, second, or third previously may not enter this contest type again unless they change degree programs (i.e., MS winners can later compete in the PhD competition). Students can, however, compete in the oral competition at the same degree level.

Contestants must submit a poster entry for the competition. Contestants are not required to present in both the poster competition and a general section, but may do so if desired. See abstract submission details below. Contestants are required to be present during the Monday morning poster session to present their competition poster.

PRODUCTION DIVISION POSTER COMPETITIONS (MS and PhD)

ABSTRACT

To enter the contest,

  1. follow the instructions for submitting an abstract;
  2. select the appropriate abstract section preferences: The general section that best fits your work should be your “first section preference,” and your chosen competition should be your “second section preference”; and
  3. upload your ancillary materials as a single PDF or ZIP file in the file-upload step.

Abstracts not selected as finalists to participate in the competition will be scheduled for a general poster session according to the subject area listed as “first section preference.”

If you wish to present in a general poster or oral session in addition to the poster competition, you must email your preferred general session subject area and presentation type with your name, title, and abstract tracking number to abstracts@assochq.org during abstract submission.

ANCILLARY MATERIALS

In addition to the abstract, students must submit the following:

  • A letter, signed by the major professor and department head, indicating the appropriate division and desire to enter the contest.
  • A brief résumé (see General Information above) and a photograph.

IMPORTANT: The ancillary materials should be uploaded as either a single PDF file that contains all requested materials or a single ZIP file that contains all documents. Do not upload more than one file.

If you are unable to upload the file during abstract submission, please email the letter, a copy of the abstract (including the online submission tracking number), your résumé (see General Information above), and a headshot photograph to abstracts@assochq.org.

Abstracts missing ancillary materials will be ineligible for competition.

PRESENTING

All poster competitions will occur during the Monday poster session.

Each in-person poster presentation will be scheduled for public viewing for the entire day, with the presenting authors available during the open poster time. All posters should be mounted on the board 30 minutes before the day’s session (which begins at 7:30 a.m.). Please review the poster presentation information.

During the Monday poster session, each contestant will be assigned a time for all of the judges to visit the poster at the same time. Judges will have approximately 10 minutes to ask the student questions about the poster.

SCORING

Please see the Competition Scorecards section for scoring criteria.

DAIRY FOODS DIVISION ORAL COMPETITION

There is no restriction on the number of participants from an institution for the Dairy Foods Division Oral Competition.

Upon review of the abstract submissions, up to ten finalists will be selected for the Dairy Foods Division Oral Competition.

Contestants must submit an oral entry for the competition. Finalists are required to present their competition entry in the Dairy Foods Division Oral Competition session on Monday, June 28, 2027.

The selected finalists for the Dairy Foods Oral Competition will also be required to submit an extended abstract to Hari Meletharayil via email by May 13, 2027. The extended abstract (typed, single-spaced) will consist of

  • a one-page Introduction,
  • a one-page Materials and Methods section, and
  • two pages of Results, Discussion, and Conclusions (no more than 4 pages total).
DAIRY FOODS DIVISION ORAL COMPETITION

ABSTRACT

To enter the contest,

  1. follow the instructions for submitting an abstract;
  2. select the appropriate abstract section preferences: The general section that best fits your work should be your “first section preference,” and your chosen competition should be your “second section preference”; and
  3. upload your ancillary materials as a single PDF or ZIP file in the file-upload step.

Abstracts not selected as finalists to participate in the competition will be scheduled for a general oral or poster session according to the subject area listed as “first section preference.”

ANCILLARY MATERIALS and Extended Abstract

In addition to the abstract, students must submit the following:

  • A letter, signed by the major professor and department head, indicating the appropriate division and desire to enter the contest.
  • A brief résumé (see General Information above) and a photograph.

IMPORTANT: The ancillary materials should be uploaded as either a single PDF file that contains all requested materials or a single ZIP file that contains all documents. Do not upload more than one file.

If you are unable to upload the file during abstract submission, please email the letter, a copy of the abstract (including the online submission tracking number), your résumé (see General Information above), and a headshot photograph to abstracts@assochq.org.

Abstracts missing ancillary materials will be ineligible for competition.

The submitted abstracts will be evaluated by a committee, and up to ten finalists will be selected for the Dairy Foods Division Oral Competition. The selected finalists will be notified by April 29, 2027.

The selected finalists for the Dairy Foods Oral Competition will also be required to submit an extended abstract to Hari Meletharayil via email by May 13, 2027. The extended abstract (typed, single-spaced) will consist of

  • a one-page Introduction,
  • a one-page Materials and Methods section, and
  • two pages of Results, Discussion, and Conclusions (no more than 4 pages total).

PRESENTING

Contestants selected as finalists will give their presentations in the oral competition session on Monday, June 28, 2027. Contestants not selected as finalists will present their papers as part of the Dairy Foods regular oral or poster sessions.

Each finalist will have 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for Q&A with the judges.

SCORING

Please see the Competition Scorecards section for scoring criteria and point distribution for the expanded abstract and oral presentation.

ADSA DAIRY FOODS DIVISION POSTER COMPETITION

There is no restriction on the number of participants from an institution for the Dairy Foods Division Poster Competition.

The poster presenter can present only one poster during the poster competition, and contestants must submit a poster entry for the competition. Finalists are required to present their competition entry in the Dairy Foods Division Poster Competition session on Monday, June 28, 2027.

ADSA DAIRY FOODS DIVISION POSTER COMPETITION

ABSTRACT

To enter the contest,

  1. follow the instructions for submitting an abstract;
  2. select the appropriate abstract section preferences: The general section that best fits your work should be your “first section preference,” and your chosen competition should be your “second section preference”; and
  3. upload your ancillary materials as a single PDF or ZIP file in the file-upload step.

Abstracts not selected as finalists to participate in the competition will be scheduled for a general poster session according to the subject area listed as “first section preference.”

If you wish to present in a general poster or oral session in addition to the poster competition, you must email your preferred general session subject area and presentation type with your name, title, and abstract tracking number to abstracts@assochq.org during abstract submission.

ANCILLARY MATERIALS

In addition to the abstract, students must submit the following:

  • A letter, signed by the major professor and department head, indicating the appropriate division and desire to enter the contest.
  • A brief résumé (see General Information above) and a photograph.

IMPORTANT: The ancillary materials should be uploaded as either a single PDF file that contains all requested materials or a single ZIP file that contains all documents. Do not upload more than one file.

If you are unable to upload the file during abstract submission, please email the letter, a copy of the abstract (including the online submission tracking number), your résumé (see General Information above), and a headshot photograph to abstracts@assochq.org.

Abstracts missing ancillary materials will be ineligible for competition.

PRESENTING

All poster competitions will occur during the morning poster session on Monday, June 28, 2027.

Each in-person poster presentation will be scheduled for public viewing for the entire day, with the presenting authors available during the open poster time. All posters should be mounted on the board 30 minutes before the day’s session (which begins at 7:30 a.m.). Please review the poster presentation information.

During the Monday poster session, each contestant will be assigned a time for all of the judges to visit the poster at the same time. Judges will have approximately 10 minutes to ask the student questions about the poster.

SCORING

Please see the Competition Scorecards section for scoring criteria.

COMPETITION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

If, after reading these instructions, you have any questions regarding Graduate Student Competitions, please send an email to abstracts@assochq.org.

GRADUATE STUDENT COMPETITION SCORECARDS (coming soon)

ADSA Graduate Student Production Division Oral Competition Scorecard
ADSA Graduate Student Production Division Poster Competition Scorecard
ADSA Graduate Student Dairy Foods Division Oral Competition Scorecard
ADSA Graduate Student Dairy Foods Division Poster Scorecard

LATEST NEWS

The #ADSA2027 call for abstract submissions is open until February 9, 2027! Review the instructions and share your scientific work with a global audience of dairy scientists. 

Students: Consider entering the undergraduate or graduate student competitions as you submit your abstracts! 

Registration rates for #ADSA2027 are now posted, the hotel block is already open to ADSA members, and our travel information can help you plan your trip to Raleigh. 

International speakers and attendees: Visa processing can take months. Review our guidance on applying for travel authorization. 

Current ADSA members will be able to save on #ADSA2027 registration fees, making your membership ENTIRELY FREE! Be sure to join or renew for 2027 to save.

We will have a meeting app! You’ll be able to download the #ADSA2027 program online, via the ADSA app, or as a downloaded PDF.

ADSA will never contact you directly about booking a hotel room. If someone calls you about booking a hotel room, they are not from ADSA and are not a legitimate source for booking your hotel reservation.

Want to host an event at the meeting? Submit your event request for ADSA 2027 today.

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