The C3E Poster Competition is an opportunity for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers to present cutting-edge research across academic disciplines in energy innovation and compete for awards at the 14th C3E Symposium hosted by Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona, on 8-9 April 2026. A poster committee with a wide range of industry and academic expertise will review and select the most compelling poster submissions for an invitation to present at the symposium.
The posters and entrants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Effectively communicate to multidisciplinary audiences (government, academics, executives, etc.)
Professional and enthusiastic 1-minute poster pitch video
Clarity of the materials, methodology, and results—specifically:
Motivation for the chosen topic
Research methods
Results and/or conclusions and their potential impact
REQUIREMENTS
The entrant must be an undergraduate student, graduate student, or postdoctoral researcher actively participating in a research project (must be original work) with at least preliminary findings. The presentation topic must center on the future of energy in any of the following areas:
Basic Energy Science
Energy Education
Energy Efficiency & the Built Environment
Energy Infrastructure, Reliability, & Security
Energy Storage
Nuclear Energy
Geothermal Energy
Policy & Finance
Reducing Emissions from Energy Systems
Renewable Energy
Transmission & Distribution
Transportation
PROCESS
Create your poster using this template for electronic submission.
Go to File > Make a copy > Edit poster template in Google Drive (preferred) OR
File > Download > Microsoft PowerPoint to edit on your desktop. Upload the file to a sharing service (e.g., Box, Dropbox, WeTransfer).
Record a 1-minute poster pitch video. Wearing smart business attire, introduce yourself, share the title of your poster, and where you attend school and/or work, and tell us why someone should read your poster and learn about your research project. Upload your video to YouTube as unlisted or public.
Use this form to share your poster file link and the YouTube link to your video, and submit by 11:59 p.m. (MST) on February 22, 2026.
Things to consider & acknowledge:
The 2026 C3E Poster Competition submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. (MST) on February 22, 2026.
One poster and video submission per entrant.
Entrants will be contacted via email if their posters are approved for presentation at the 14th C3E Symposium on 8-9 April 2026 at ASU in Tempe, Arizona.
If invited by the poster committee to present in person, you can either print and transport it or print locally and pick up your one-sided A0 (33” x 46”) landscape poster to bring to the symposium.
Posters will be publicly posted online for two days before and throughout the symposium on the C3E website. Winning posters will be publicly posted and archived on the C3E website.
Poster presenters should be available to present their research during symposium breaks and lunch. By attending the symposium, competitors will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, attend the VIP reception & dinner, and network with energy experts and professionals throughout the symposium.
C3E Symposium attendees come from a wide variety of backgrounds, so avoid jargon and acronyms, and assume viewers will have limited knowledge of your research topic.
The symposium and related events may be live-streamed, photographed, and/or recorded. Photographers and videographers will be on-site, capturing images and videos for ASU and C3E to use for promotional and marketing purposes. By participating in these events, you consent to being photographed, filmed, and/or recorded for ASU’s and C3E’s purposes.
The committee will award cash prizes to the five most compelling posters and presentations at the 14th C3E Symposium on April 9, 2026, at ASU.