Purpose

The purpose of the Undergraduate Student Paper Competition is to provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to gain experience in reviewing discovering, and presenting scientific information in a scholarly manner on a topic of current importance and interest to the animal industry.

Rules and Regulations

1. Contestants must be enrolled as an undergraduate student in an institution within the Midwest ASAS Section or ADSA Branch which offers a baccalaureate degree in Agriculture at the time of abstract submission.
2. Participation is limited to one entrant per institution.
3. It is the prerogative of each institution to select its entrant for the competition in any manner.
4. The project supervisor's name should be included as an author on the paper.

The paper should be more than just a review of literature and should include original research in which the student was involved. The research should be at a level appropriate for an undergraduate student.

Location and Setting

Papers will be presented at the Midwest ASAS/ADSA Annual Meeting.

Time Limit

1. The oral presentation must be a minimum of nine (9) minutes in length and a maximum of twelve (12) minutes.

2. At the completion of each paper, there will be a period set aside for discussion of the paper.

3. Total time for the oral presentation and the discussion should not exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

Use of Visual Aids

1. Visual aids are encouraged, but their use is limited to 2" x 2" projection slides.

2. Slides may depict data, graphs, illustrations or any other material that might enhance the oral presentation.

3. A 2" x 2" slide projector, a projection screen and a pointer will be provided.

Procedure for Entering

1. An abstract of the paper with title and name(s) of author(s) must be transmitted by the departmental administrator to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Midwest ASAS or ADSA postmarked no later than November 1 prior to the meeting. The abstracts should be prepared according to the format used for abstracts of scientific papers in the Section. The abstracts will be circulated to the judging committee prior to the competition. Abstracts that have been evaluated and rejected by the section chair cannot be revised and re-submitted as a competitive paper by the author.

2. The Midwest ASAS/ADSA abstract form should be used for submitting author name(s), title of presentation and abstract of presentation to the Secretary-Treasurer.

3. Entrants in the Undergraduate Student Paper Competition will be printed in the Midwest annual meeting program booklet.

4. In the case of multiple-author presentations, designate the presenter with an asterisk (*) after that person's name.

5. It is suggested that each institution conduct its own contest prior to entry time in order to determine its representative to the competition.

Evaluation

1. The presentation will be scored by three or more judges, as arranged by the Committee.

2. Judges will evaluate each presentation individually according to the following criteria:

   1. Abstract: 10 pts.
   2. Knowledge of subject: 25 pts.
   3. Subject matter: 20 pts.
   4. Organization: 15 pts.
   5. Presentation & personal attributes: 15 pts.
   6. Visuals: 15 pts.

Awards

1. Cash awards will be presented to the three individual or group entrants receiving the highest point totals: first, $300; second, $200; and third, $100).

2. Winners will be announced and awards presented at the Midwest ASAS/ADSA Annual Awards and Business Meeting.