The Undergraduate Research Competition provides a platform to showcase your marketing research in a fun and relaxed setting. Participation also presents an avenue to pursue ICC travel funding from your institution. Accepted research abstracts (following the template provided) will be digitally published on the AMA website as part of the ICC research proceedings, ensuring wider dissemination of your valuable work.

See what past presenters had to say about their experience:

“I simply used research I had already completed from my market research class.  As a result – I secured funding from my university for ICC and I have something impactful to show potential employers in an interview” Participant, ICC 2024

“I never considered a career in research, but after leading a research project and presenting it at ICC, I pursued jobs in marketing research and was lucky enough to land one. That never would have happened if I hadn’t done the research leading up to ICC.” – Participant, ICC 2023

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Submission Requirements

• Submissions are open to current AMA national undergraduate student members. Participants can be either an individual student or teams of two students. (Note: faculty members are not allowed to present with students, and the undergraduate research entry cannot be resubmitted by a faculty member to present in the ICC faculty research session).
• Multiple submissions allowed per AMA chapter/institution.
• No research previously presented at ICC and no AMA Case Competition Research may be submitted.

Research Abstract Guidelines:

To prepare your undergraduate research submission please follow the outline provided below. Entries that do not meet the requirements will be disqualified.

All Undergraduate Research Extended Abstracts MUST be submitted in PDF, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with 1-inch margins.

Please begin with the following elements:

1. TITLE (bold, all caps).

2. Author Names, University Affiliations – No titles (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.) should be used, nor should rank be indicated.

3. Faculty Advisor’s Name

4. Contact Info: Under author names (maximum of two), please include the following statement for the lead author:

“For further information, please contact Lead Author’s Full Name, Title, Affiliation (Email Address).”

4. Keywords: Please provide a list of 4-5 keywords.

5. Description: Please provide a one (1) sentence description of your paper.

Please then standardize the organization and content of your Research Abstract in accordance with the following headings:

6. Lead Heading: RESEARCH ABSTRACT (bold, centered, all caps)

*Please limit your content under each of these headings to no more than 200 words. Please use word count, as submissions in excess of this quantity could lead to disqualifications.

7. Heading One: Research Question (bold, left-aligned, title caps)* – Describe the research question that your research project is intended to answer and why it is being studied. Any subsequent questions may also be included.

8. Heading Two: Method and Data (bold, left-aligned, title caps)* – Describe how you went about answering the research question through your research. Methods can be quantitative, qualitative, or both. However, all research projects must include primary research in order to qualify for the competition.

9. Heading Three: Summary of Findings (bold, left-aligned, title caps)* – Describe the results of your analysis.

10. Heading Four: Key Contributions (bold, left-aligned, title caps)* – Describe the most important takeaways from your research. Consider what marketers could do with your results and what other research could come next.

View Undergraduate Research Sample: Sample Extended Abstract PDF

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Submission and Acceptance Process

1. Submit your entry by January 13, 2027, at 11:59PM CST (12:59am EST / 10:59pm MST / 9:59pm PST).
2. If your entry has a team of two presenters, please designate a lead contact person to manage the submission process. This person will be responsible for sharing important information with the co-presenter.
3. All submissions will undergo a review process, and the accepted submissions will receive an invitation for presentation in a poster-style competition at ICC. The invitation email will include details regarding poster design and will be sent closer to ICC.
4. Accepted invitations require the students to register for ICC, attend the conference (April 8-9, 2027, in New Orleans), and present their research in-person. The student(s) who make the initial submission must also be the presenter(s) on the day of the competition (i.e., no substitutes).
5. Upon check-in at ICC, all presenters will be provided with a trifold/canvas for displaying and presenting their research.
6. At ICC, an initial round of judging will occur earlier in the day, followed by a second round for those who advance.
7. The winner(s) will be announced during the Friday Awards Ceremony at ICC.

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Round Details

Poster Set-Up: Friday, April 9, 2027

Round 1: Friday, April 9, 2027

• This is an open session where presenters will stand next to their posters, have an opportunity to discuss their research with a broad audience, and answer questions.
• Up to six posters will advance to the final round.

Final Round (Oral Presentation): Friday, April 9, 2027

• This is a closed session, students will have an opportunity to present their research to judges.
• The format will be similar to the first round presenters will stand next to their posters, have an opportunity to discuss their research with judges, and answer questions.
• Judges will have a final opportunity to review the posters and submit their scores to determine the ICC best undergraduate research submission and will be awarded during the Awards Ceremony on Friday night.

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How is the Research Judged?

The undergraduate research submissions will go through two rounds of judging.

All research abstract submissions will be reviewed by the competition chair(s) and then, if accepted,
Poster presentations will be judged at ICC in two rounds of competition. Judges at ICC will include faculty advisors and other professionals.

Judging Criteria
The judging will be based on the following criteria:

Research Question (20 points): Is the research question(s) clearly stated, innovative and relevant, informed by previous studies, and influential to the understanding of the topic?

Conceptualization (20 points): Are the key concepts clearly defined, grounded in the literature, and clearly explained in terms of causal relationships and measurement?

Methodology and Data (20 points): Is there a clear description of data collection and analysis procedures? Is the methodology appropriate and sufficiently rigorous.

Results and Discussion (20 points): Is there a clear presentation and discussion of the results with reference to the research question(s)?

Presentation (20 points): Is the research structured/outlined logically, presented professionally and effectively, well-written (free of grammatical errors and typos), and visually appealing?

The second phase of judging will take place in-person during the Undergraduate Research session where the students will present at the International Collegiate Conference (ICC).  Faculty advisors and other professionals will evaluate the posters according to similar criteria.

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Awards

The Undergraduate Research Competition session will identify the following winners:

• 1st Place: $250 and AMA Certificate
• 2nd Place: $200 and AMA Certificate
• 3rd Place: $100 and AMA Certificate

New: Check out the Undergraduate Research Competition presentations featured in the ICC Proceedings! Click on the link below to access.

• 2027 ICC Proceedings – Coming Soon
• 2026 ICC Proceedings
• 2025 ICC Proceedings
• 2024 ICC Proceedings

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FAQs

Do I have to be registered for the 2027 AMA International Collegiate Conference to participate?
Yes, participation requires registration for the ICC as it is held in person at the conference.

Can my chapter submit multiple posters?
No, there is a limit of one poster presentation per collegiate chapter/university.

Questions?
Contact AMA Collegiate at: Collegiate@ama.org.

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Calling All AMA Volunteers!

Want to make an impact and support the next generation of marketers?

Here’s your chance – AMA is looking for volunteers to help judge our Collegiate Opportunities.

Learn more and sign up today, visit the AMA Collegiate Volunteer Page. 

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