2025 UCD STEM Early Career Researchers Symposium Post-Event Feedback Survey

Dear UCD STEM Research Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Academic Faculty Members.

We hope that you have enjoyed the recent 2025 UCD STEM ECR Symposium that took place in the UCD O’Reilly Hall on Monday, June 16th, 2025.

We would be grateful if you could please return your answers to this survey as soon as possible - they will be key to making the next Symposium more useful, impactful, and enjoyable!

Please note that this survey will be open only until Monday, July 21st, 2025, 17:00. After this deadline, please feel free to submit your feedback directly to the Symposium’s organisers – it will be very welcomed!

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* 1. Please choose your participant category :

Research Graduate Student – College of Engineering & Architecture

Research Graduate Student – College of Science

Postdoctoral Fellow – College of Engineering & Architecture

Postdoctoral Fellow – College of Science

Academic Faculty – College of Engineering & Architecture

Academic Faculty – College of Science

Other

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* 2. Did you attend the Symposium in-person in the UCD O’Reilly Hall on Monday June 16th, 2025?

Yes (the entire Symposium)

Yes (only partially, e.g., one of the two poster sessions)

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* 3. Are you planning to return to next year’s event?

Yes

I don't know yet

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* 4. Did you attend this event in previous years?

No, this was my first time

Yes, only once (in June 2023, OR 2024, OR 2025)

Yes, two times

Yes, all three years (in June 2023, AND 2024, AND 2025)

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* 5. During past events, a light lunch was typically provided by UCD for the Symposium participants. Do you think that this is important for encouraging attendance and networking?

Extremely important

Very important

Neither Important nor "Not Important"

Not very important

Not important

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* 6. During 2023 and 2024, the participants were provided with a lunch voucher of fixed value (e.g., €10), which allowed them to choose their food options in the main Student Restaurant. In 2025, participants were offered a lunch bag closer to the venue. Which option would you think is better to promote networking? (Must choose only one answer)

A lunch voucher of fixed maximum value for the restaurant/cafeteria (as in 2023 & 2024)

A lunch bag closer to the venue (as in 2025)

Other (please specify)

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* 7. For next year, the organisers are considering extending the event to include presenters from other colleges, especially the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Science, which may increase the number of attendees by about 50% to 60%. How would you rate this option?

Yes, this is a great idea (e.g., extending from STEM to “STEAMM” to include Agriculture, Medicine)

Yes, this is a great idea, but the event should include all UCD Colleges (e.g., social sciences, arts and business)

No, please keep the current size and scope of the symposium (i.e., include only presenters and judges only from Engineering and Science).

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* 8. In the words of our Science College Principal, ‘This event is particularly important for our PhD students and post-doctoral researchers; not only to be able to present their own work, but also to use the opportunity to explore the diversity of research across UCD and establish new connections.’ Considering this statement, do you think that this symposium has fulfilled this role?

Very much

Significantly

To some extent

Very little

Not at all

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* 9. How useful did you find this event as an opportunity to network with your research colleagues in UCD and in promoting a research culture?

Very much

Significantly

To some extent

Very little

Not at all

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* 10. To encourage participation and recognise top poster presenters, postdoctoral researchers and academic faculty members were invited to grade and rank the posters, on a volunteering basis. Improvements have been made every year with a goal of having a fairer and more automatic ranking process. For example, in 2025, more judges volunteered to help us than in the past - 12 for each college. We also implemented a new online grade collection system that allows us to collect, record, trace back and verify all grades after they were submitted online by the judges. This year, we also used three different grades for each poster, carrying equal weights (1/3 of the total grade) on a scale of 1-to-10 (10 being the best): (1) "Clarity of Scientific Story and Accuracy", (2) "Design & Visual Appearance", and (3) "Presenter/ Oral Presentation (at the Symposium!)".

Do you think that it is important to continue organising a system for judging and ranking the posters and recognising the best ones with awards?

Very important – awards are important

Somewhat important

Neither important nor not important

Somewhat not important

Not important – no awards should be given

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* 11. There are four awards being offered for each college: the Dean's Award (equivalent to 1st prize), and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prize. Keeping in mind the broad range of research areas, and that each College is composed of several Schools, please choose one of the options below.

The current system of four awards per college should be kept,

One award should be given per each participating school (each school that offers an award must nominate at least one judge that will rank the posters from that school)

One award should be given per each participating school (based on ranking done by judges from any school)

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* 12. How could the process of ranking the posters and allocating the awards be improved further? (select one or more options below)

The "Design & Visual Appearance" (currently 33.33%) part of the total grade for each poster should be replaced by a “Popularity” score that could be given by any Symposium participant. (e.g., by using an online survey accessible at the event via a QR code)

All scores should be awarded only on the day of the Symposium (and thus remove the need to upload a PDF file before the event).

More academic faculty members should be invited to serve as judges in addition to postdoctoral research fellows and research scientists.

Other suggestions for improving the poster judging/ ranking?

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* 13. Please provide brief suggestions on how to improve the overall experience for attending the Symposium (e.g., include brief invited talks and presentations, for example during the lunch break or before the awards ceremony).

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* 14. This event is traditionally scheduled in early/mid-June. Please comment briefly on the suitability of these dates, keeping in mind the UCD term dates and the specific academic calendar of the main stakeholders involved (i.e., PhD students, Postdocs, and Academic Faculty Supervisors).

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* 15. Would you be interested in helping with the organisation of next year’s symposium?

Yes! (to preserve anonymity, please send separately an email directly to the organisers to express your interest)

Not sure yet, but I may consider volunteering to help once the date is confirmed

No - I am too busy!

No, other reason

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* 16. Gender: How do you identify?

Man

Non-binary

Woman

Prefer to self-describe, below

Self-describe:

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100% of survey complete.