2024 Undergraduate Student Poster Competition

Presented by:
FINRA Investor Education Foundation
American Council on Consumer Interests

 

First Prize: $1,000
Second Prize: $700

Conference registration and travel stipend of up to $750 for each student winner*
$300 travel stipend for accompanying faculty mentor
One year’s membership in ACCI for each student winner

*Only two $750 travel support per 1st and 2nd place are guaranteed. If funding permits, some
travel support for another student on a winning team may be possible. Proper receipts required.
 

Students are encouraged to work in teams to develop a research plan, the results of which can be portrayed as a poster to be presented at the ACCI Annual Conference, May 21-23, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Poster Topics

Topics should generally align with ACCI’s mission devoted to consumer well-being and the FINRA Foundation’s mission to empower underserved Americans with the knowledge, skills, and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout life.

A committee of ACCI members and FINRA Foundation staff will review submissions.

Competition Rules

  1. Team Information
    • Teams are encouraged to learn more about the mission, vision, and values of ACCI by visiting Vision, Mission, Values.
    • Each team may consist of one (1) to three (3) undergraduate students who are taking at least nine (9) credit hours in 2023-2024 as per the registrar’s records. Teams may be comprised of any composition of majors.
    • Teams must have a faculty advisor who is a current member of ACCI, and this faculty advisor will be the only correspondent with the ACCI office.
    • Students do not have to be current members of ACCI.
    • There is no limit to the number of teams who may apply per university or college.
    • Faculty should submit their team(s) Intent to Participate Form no later than February 6, 2024.
    • Finished posters and two-page Poster Project Report and Poster are due no later than March 8, 2024.
    • Applicant or advisor (or their family members) cannot work for or be involved in the governance of FINRA or the FINRA Foundation.
    • Applicant or advisor cannot be registered with FINRA.
    • Applicant or advisor cannot be employed by a FINRA-registered firm.
    • Applicant or advisor cannot be employed by an agency exercising oversight of FINRA.

  2. Evaluation and Notification Timelines
    • A sample judging form is available here and indicates evaluation criteria.
    • The winning team and the runner-up will be notified on or about April 1, 2024, and will need to confirm their acceptance to participate no later than April 22, 2024.
    • The ACCI office will then work with advisors and team members for registration, travel and hotel reservations.
    • Winning teams will be allowed to send up to two students and if more students are on the team and funds allow, a third may be approved. Each of the two students will receive a registration waiver to ACCI's 2024 annual conference; after the conference, up to a $750 travel stipend per student pending submission of a travel reimbursement form with acceptable and proper receipts (Format for this documentation will be provided). Payment will not exceed acceptable documentation. Students may not travel early or late to qualify.
    • Students should be prepared to fund their travel and hotel and then be reimbursed. Faculty advisors will be essential in helping students manage their travel record-keeping. Students must stay at the site hotel, and double occupancy is anticipated among the winning teams. Reimbursements will only be made to the student, in the student’s name and not to a university account.
    • Instructions on how to prepare the final poster as well as the size of the poster can be found on the 2024 Annual Conference page.
    • Attendance by at least one team member for all days of the conference and presentation of their poster in scheduled poster sessions are required to receive the award. That is, students must participate in the full conference arriving in time for the opening general session and not leaving before the closing general session has concluded and the conference adjourned.

Download a full copy of the competition instructions, submission forms and judging sample form HERE.


 Questions concerning content
Dr. Yunhee Chang, Competition Committee Chair, [email protected]

 Questions concerning logistics
ACCI Executive Director, Holly Roseski, [email protected]