Tips for Conference Attendance

Professional development is important, and attending conferences is a great way to disseminate information, learn, and build your CV.

Look at conference deadlines and requirements
1. Registration deadlines
  1. Early bird registration is usually cheaper
  2. Registration as a member can sometimes be cheaper (i.e., become a member and then register for the conference)
  3. You can find registration information on the conference's website
2. It is best to have things to present (posters, talks) to make attending a conference worth the cost
  1. Check to see when the submission deadline is as it is often much earlier than the registration for the conference
  2. Make sure to look at the conference's theme for the year if planning to submit research (sometimes conferences will want you to tie your research into their theme)
  3. Check the requirements for how long your submission can be
  4. Check to see if there are certain ways they want you to format your submission
3. It is important to pay attention to the location of the conference as this can impact travel costs, especially if the conference would require a flight vs. being able to drive there
  1. If presenting, it is important to check with any co-presenters that they are willing to travel to the conference
Ask others in HGAPS or at your university if they are attending the conference and about opportunities at the conference
1. Splitting hotels and/or travel can make trips much cheaper
2. Traveling together can increase time with HGAPS or university members and can foster ideas, relationships, and collaboration
3. Get involved with note taking if HGAPS has been asked to take notes for the conference (reference here for how to take notes at a conference)
4. Check to see if the conference is looking for volunteers to help with the event (this can sometimes come with free registration for the conference)
Apply for grants and travel awards
1. Small travel awards and poster funding are sometimes available
2. Small travel grants (some APA divisions offer funding if you submit under them, ABCT usually gives some funding awards)
3. Look into your university’s department of scholarships and funding (often times undergraduate research offices have travel grants and graduate schools often have travel awards available for students)
4. The Psychology department at your university may award travel money to student presenters (this is more typical for graduate students)
5. Check with your research mentor to see if they have funding they can use to help you travel to present research
6. Other organizations at your university may give grants and money awards
  1. UNC
  2. NSCU
    1. Office of Undergraduate Research Travel Awards
  3. Duke
    1. Undergraduate Research Support Conference Grants
  4. Maryland
    1. Undergraduate Research Presentation Grants
    2. Undergraduate Research Awards
  5. Appalachian State
    1. Office of Student Research Funding

**Please add more information and resources especially for other universities!

After you register or submit research

Check for updates about the conference
1. General info such as…
  1. Scheduling changes (especially relevant since COVID as some conference may switch to online if numbers go up)
  2. Time changes
  3. Correspondence about your project
2. Submission status (whether your poster, talk, etc. has been accepted, rejected, or is still pending)
Check in with your team when there are updates
1. Keep your team informed of any updates you receive as they may not see them

If accepted or want to attend the conference regardless

Make your poster (if you are presenting a poster)
1. Go here for tips on how to make a poster
Book flights and arrange travel early
1. Flights are cheaper if you buy them earlier
2. Tuesday is generally the cheapest day to buy flights on most major airlines
3. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are typically the cheapest days to fly
4. Airlines like Spirit and Frontier can be a cheaper option if not traveling with luggage; however, if you are traveling with luggage they can often be more expensive
5. Since COVID consider getting travel insurance in case the conference is cancelled, pushed back, or moved online
6. The more people you stay with, the cheaper your arrangements can be
  1. Airbnb is often a good option, conference hotels are convenient (but expensive!)
  2. Consider staying in a hotel room with others traveling from HGAPS or your university to reduce costs
7. Consider if you need to get a rental car or will just use public transportation/ Uber
  1. It may be cheaper to get a rental car and split the costs with others going from HGAPS or your university

Look at the schedule for talks and workshops for the conference
1. Plan out which presentations you plan on attending
  1. Look at what is free to attend (CE sessions are typically not free, but many other talks and session are)
  2. Choose talks from and about people and topics that you are interested in
    1. Network and learn!
  3. Do some research about the presenters you are planning to attend
    1. This will help you know more about what is being presented
    2. Help you have better conversations with them
    3. Sometimes presenters link suggested articles to read for their talks
2. If presenting, check to see when you are scheduled to present and inform your team
Posters must be able to travel or must be printed at your location
1. Make these plans as soon as possible
2. Ensure your poster will travel safely and meets restrictions
  1. Conferences will typically have size limits or even templates
Prepare an elevator pitch if presenting a poster
1. A 2-3 minute overview of the poster/ research
2. Be prepared to answer questions about your research
Prepare your talk if presenting a workshop or symposium
1. Create slides for your presentation
2. Rehearse your presentation
3. Be prepared to answer any questions about your presentation
Look at things to do in the city
1. Restaurants, museums, or just general exploring can be nice while you’re in a new place