Research Day at the Capitol was established 31 years ago to showcase the outstanding undergraduate research being conducted at Oklahoma’s colleges and universities in the areas of science (including social science), technology, engineering, and mathematics. The prestigious event is sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (OK EPSCoR), and the National Science Foundation. Oklahoma State University is allowed to send four undergraduates to this event.

The 2026 Research Day at the Capitol event includes two rounds of judging and encompasses multiple activities.  Note: Not all students will be selected to present their poster at the Capitol for the second round of judging. The second round of judging takes place in-person on Monday, April 27, 2026. During this round, students’ posters and oral presentations will be individually judged (typically during the afternoon at a location in Oklahoma City), with competition results determined from the live poster presentations. On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, students selected for the second round will meet with legislators at the State Capitol building and share their research during a poster exhibit from 7:30 a.m. – noon, and poster competition winners will be announced during an awards ceremony.

Eligible Applicants:

• The student must be a legal resident of Oklahoma.
• The student must be enrolled as an undergraduate at Oklahoma State University for the entirety of the 2025-2026 academic year.
• The student’s research must have originated from and been conducted at Oklahoma State University in the fields of science (including social science), technology, engineering, or mathematics.
• Priority will be given to students with prior experience presenting a poster at a research conference or symposium. (This may be internal to OSU or at a professional conference.)
• The student MUST attend all sessions. Waivers will not be granted; make-up dates will not be scheduled.

• Informational Training Session: View in entirety by November 12, 2025, 11:59 p.m.
• Judging Session*: Monday, April 27, 2026, noon – 5:00 p.m. at a location in Oklahoma City. Students’ posters and oral presentations will be judged during an individually scheduled time. Only students may participate in this session. Competition winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the State Capitol the following day.
• Research Day at the Capitol Activities*: Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Student posters will be on exhibit in the State Capitol Rotunda, and students will meet with legislators and Capitol guests.
• Awards Ceremony*: Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – noon. Competition winners will be announced during an awards ceremony.

*Required for those students who are selected to advance to the second round.

OSU's 2026 Student Representatives
We are now accepting nominations/applications for 2026 Research Day at the Capitol. Applications will only be accepted via the online nomination form; applications are due September 24, 2025 at 11:59 pm.