MIEC26 is July 23 in Hattiesburg. $500 for 1st place undergrad poster. MAS 2026 is March 19-20 in Biloxi. Who's presenting?

[Admin]

OKAY MISSISSIPPI RESEARCH GIRLIES AND BOYS. LISTEN UP.

We have TWO major statewide conferences this spring/summer, and I keep seeing people say "I wish I had presentation experience" but then NOT SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS.

1. MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (MAS) 2026

• When: March 19-20, 2026. THIS IS THREE WEEKS AWAY.
• Where: Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, Biloxi.
• What: Addresses, symposia, workshops, scientific papers, exhibits. Divisions include ag, plant sciences, cellular/mol bio, chemistry, etc. .
• Who: Sponsored by Mississippi INBRE. Students, faculty, professionals.
• Deadline: Probably already passed (oof), but put it on your calendar for 2027.

2. MISSISSIPPI IDeA/EPSCoR CONFERENCE (MIEC26)

• When: Thursday, July 23, 2026.
• Where: Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg.
• Registration: FREE. Open to all STEM faculty, undergrads, grads, healthcare, R&D.
• Abstract Deadline: Monday, July 6, 2026.
• Registration Deadline: Thursday, July 9, 2026 .

HERE IS THE MONEY PART:

Undergraduate Poster Competition:

• 1st Place: $500
• 2nd Place: $400
• 3rd Place: $300
• 4th Place: $200
• Honorable Mention: $100

The Rules:

• You MUST register for the conference AND submit a separate abstract form.
• You need a screenshot of your registration confirmation to submit the abstract. SAVE THE EMAIL.
• Only undergrads are eligible for cash prizes, but grad students, post-docs, and high schoolers can still present for experience .

Pro-Tip from the MIEC26 website:

"Faculty members, graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and other qualifying registrants may be selected to serve as judges."

Translation: If you're a grad student, you might get recruited to judge undergrad posters. Put it on your CV and network your ass off.

Also: MIEC26 has no-cost exhibitor booths for MS colleges recruiting students. If your department needs visibility, email Danny Holland at USM .

Question for the floor:
Who here has presented at MIEC or MAS before? How was the feedback? Did you actually get job offers or just a nice line on your resume?

 

[DeboraMiles]

MIEC26 is July 23 which is PERFECT because that gives me all summer to actually finish my data collection?? my PI has been dragging his feet on approving my IRB but now i have a deadline to hold him to. thanks admin!!

for anyone wondering about the difference between the two conferences:

MAS (march): bigger, more formal, more expensive, better for serious networking with established researchers. biloxi is fun but also distracting ngl. more divisions so more likely to find people in your exact niche. better for grad students and faculty honestly.

MIEC (july): smaller, cheaper (free!!), more relaxed, better for undergrads and first-time presenters. hattiesburg is easy to get to for most ms schools. the poster competition prize money is SIGNIFICANTLY better. better for undergrads and building confidence.

do both if you can swing it. MAS for the resume, MIEC for the cash.

also someone asked about psych—MIEC definitely accepts behavioral sciences. i've seen plenty of psych posters there. just submit under the appropriate division!!