Micro-poster Information

Submit your Micro-poster »

Submission Deadline: July 9, 2025

Using this powerpoint template (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 82kB Jun17 25), each represented project should prepare a "micro-poster" to share information about their program.

You'll be sharing your micro-poster in table discussions at the Summit rather than in a typical poster session. The micro-poster is not a complete report on your project; it is designed to spark conversation with other Summit attendees and help engage others with your ideas. We will print multiple copies for you to distribute during the table discussions; we will also post the micro-posters on the password-protected Summit website.

Example Micro-posters: Proposal writing workshop (Acrobat (PDF) 476kB Jun25 25) | CChanGe Project (Acrobat (PDF) 139kB Jun16 25)

General Guidelines

  • The PowerPoint templates are 8.5" x 11" in size so they are easy to print. Please keep the size and shape of your micro-poster the same as the template, and keep the portrait orientation.  
  • The template file includes several color options.  Choose one that you like or change the background color to one you prefer.
  • The poster template includes a top, bottom, and middle section. The middle section includes four boxes: two boxes in the left column and two in the right. The box size is a guide to the length of content of the sections. Adjust the size of the boxes as needed, though please keep the boxes in two columns.
  • The micro-poster will include key points and highlights of your NSF project. Think about what is most important to share. Consider using figures, diagrams, or images to make your points.  
  • Keep the text concise.  Lists or bullets are fine. 
  • Use the font size of text on the template as a guide (28 pt for the top "Big Idea" section, 14 pt for the section headings, and 12 pt for text in the middle boxes). The micro-poster examples do show some variation.

Specific Guidelines for the Sections

  1. Top of micro-poster (the one "big idea" section): In this space, share one sentence about your project to share with participants. The "big idea" could be a key research finding, the main question your project is addressing, or an important takeaway from your project.  Note that this sentence is not the title of your grant, which should be included in the lower section. Keep this box at the top of your micro-poster and use a large font.  
  2. Middle section: four boxes
    1. Goals/Objectives (upper left box): List goals/objectives guiding your work - typically 2-3 bullet points. 
    2. Activities (lower left box): Highlight 1-2 core activities of your project. If you have several activities planned, focus on the ones you consider most influential.
    3. Results and/or Other Details (upper right box): Share one or two results you have or anticipate getting. Consider incorporating a figure or graphic.   
    4. Challenge Areas (lower right box) – What are one or two challenges you are encountering that you'd like feedback on OR one or two challenges you have overcome and what you did.
  3. Lower section of micro-poster: Add your project title, the people involved (put names of ITYC Summit participants in bold), and affiliation(s). Make it easy for people to get more details by adding a QR Code to link to details that aren't on your micro-poster such as a website, a published paper, or a person to contact. Feel free to add other contact information (e.g., email) in this section. This section also includes the NSF & ITYC Summit logos. 

Other Suggestions

  • Focus on the big picture and select highlights / key results. Use what you already know to describe your work succinctly, and reflect a bit on what you've learned so far.
  • Don't overthink it! The micro-posters are a tool to spark conversation.
  • Be creative! Adjust boxes as needed; add helpful figures, diagrams, or images.
  • You'll need to pick and choose what to include in the limited space provided (text using 12 pt font or larger; we encourage larger).
  • We've provided two examples to give you a sense of the micro-posters and to illustrate creative variations on the template. 

To learn more about the guiding principles of this type of poster, watch "the Better Poster" by Mike Morrison.