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| Payment Method | Registration | Registration Closes | Registration Links | |
| Students & Staff | Credit Card ONLY | $550 each | June 8 or at capacity | REGISTER NOW |
| Grad Fair Representatives | Credit Card, PO, and Check | **EARLY BIRD**:$600
**REGULAR**: $650 |
**EARLY BIRD**: June 1
**REGULAR**: July8 |
OPENING SOON |
| Grad Fair Representatives – Sponsorship | Credit Card, PO, and Check | $1,000 each | July 6 or at capacity | OPENING SOON |
ALL REGISTRATION IS FINAL.
Note: We can accept payment by credit card ONLY.
The 2026 UCLA National McNair Conference looks forward to hosting you this summer on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, CA.
TENTATIVE AGENDA
WED, JULY 22ND – WELCOME AND CAMPUS VISITS
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM Registration and Check-In
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM University of Southern California Campus Visit (Add-on Registration)
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM UCLA Campus Tour
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Welcome Reception
THURS, JULY 23RD – KEYNOTES, WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, POSTERS
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM Registration and Check-In
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Keynote Speaker and Breakfast
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM Student Presentations, Poster Sessions, Workshops
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sponsor Showcase
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM UCLA Sunset Campus Tour
FRI, JULY 24th – GRADUATE SCHOOL FAIR, PRESENTATIONS, POSTERS, AND CLOSING
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Networking Breakfast
9:00 AM – 3:45 PM Student Presentations and Poster Sessions
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Graduate Opportunities Fair
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Lunch on Own – On-Campus Restaurants
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM Closing
5:00 PM – 11:59 PM Griffith Observatory (Add-On Registration)
CONFERENCE LOCATION AND HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS
The conference will be in-person at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center, right in the heart of campus.
There are two housing options on the UCLA campus: 1) the UCLA Luskin Conference Center and Hotel or 2) University Housing – Dorm rooms that become a conference hotel room for the summer (run by UCLA Conference Services).
UCLA Luskin Conference Center Hotel: Accommodations have been arranged at the Conference rate of $309/night on-site at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. Please use the following link to book your hotel stay: McNair Conference Hotel Room Block Reservations
University Housing: In your registration form, you will be able to reserve dorm-room accommodations for Participants – Deluxe Double or Triple Residence Hall Room with Shared Community Bathrooms. Each room includes accommodations for each participant, sheets, blankets, towels, and Wifi. Dorms are about a 10- to 15-minute, moderate walk to the Luskin Conference Center.
University Housing Check-In Location (luggage storage if needed; front desk service needs):
Sproul Hall (*building location may change; will send out communication for final location)
350 De Neve Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Front Desk Phone: (310) 825-2275
Singles Room – $380/2 nights per room for 1 occupant; All rooms are configured for single occupancy and single rooms are subject to availability for those who are interested.
Doubles Room – $200/2 nights per room for 2 occupants; All rooms are configured for double occupancy and double rooms are subject to availability for those who are interested.
Triples Room – $160/2 nights per room for 3 occupants. All rooms are configured for triple occupancy and triple rooms are subject to availability for those who are interested.
Note: See rates below for additional nights.
Once registered for the dorm rooms, you must submit dorm room-roommate pairings by Wednesday, July 8th.
Note: Please be sure to reserve enough rooms for your group, especially if you have individuals who would prefer their own room. If seeking single occupancy or have an odd number of people in the group to be paired together, please select the SINGLE OCCUPANCY option for that individual participant.
| PAYMENT METHOD
*fees shown per person |
SINGLE OCCUPANCY* | DOUBLE OCCUPANCY* | TRIPLE OCCUPANCY* |
| CREDIT CARD | $380 for 2 nights
$560 for 3 nights $740 for 4 nights |
$200 for 2 nights
$300 for 3 nights $400 for 4 nights |
$160 for 2 nights
$240 for 3 nights $320 for 4 nights |
STUDENT PARTICIPANTS
All students have the opportunity to present either a poster or an oral presentation. The primary contact for the registering institution will determine which kind of presentation the student will present, or if they will not present, at the time of registration.
ORAL PRESENTATION PANELS
The oral presentations will be organized into 1-hour-long panels with up to four presenters in each panel. PowerPoint presentations are recommended. Regardless of format, please be sure to have a copy of your presentation on a flash drive that can be loaded to the Conference laptop in your presentation location 15 minutes before the start of your presentation panel. All presentations must be loaded before the start of the scheduled panel time.
Available presentation formats are Microsoft Office, Google Drive/Slides, and a PDF viewer. You must come before your assigned session time to set up your presentation. We highly recommend that you also have a PDF copy of your presentation in the event that you do not have access to any of the above programs.
NOTE: Depending on Wi-Fi connection, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to download your presentation from your email or online. We recommend having your presentation saved as a PDF copy on a flash drive as a backup.
TIMING
Students should prepare a 10-12-minute presentation (for a 3 to 4-person panel). There will be time at the end for Q&A from the audience after all panelists have presented. There will be a moderator for each panel who keeps the order and flow of the panel going, assists with technical issues, monitors the time, and facilitates the Q+A. Presenters will receive a 5-minute and 1-minute notice before being asked to stop when their time is up.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Poster presentation sessions will be organized into 1-hour-long sessions. Felt poster boards 4′ x 6′ in size will be provided for posters to be pinned up at the beginning of each session. Students should prepare an “elevator pitch” or research spiel summarizing their research poster, should they be asked to talk about their poster during the session. Poster presenters will be expected to be present next to their poster for the duration of their assigned session and ready to answer any questions from participants who come to view their poster.
Here are some general recommendations for the most popular poster sizes:
Square posters – 42″ x 42” is recommended (minimum size in PowerPoint = 40” x 40” and maximum size = 48” x 48”)
Horizontal posters – 56″ x 42” is recommended (minimum size in PowerPoint = 48″ x 36” and maximum size = 64” x 48”)
Note: The felt poster boards where you will pin up your poster are 4′ x 6′ (48″ x 72″) in size
HOW TO SUBMIT ABSTRACTS FOR PRESENTATIONS
All participants who have been registered will receive a request to complete an Individual Information Form no later than Monday, June 8th. This is also where students will provide supplemental information and submit their abstracts if they are presenting orally or as a poster. Abstracts are due by Wednesday, June 24th. Any students who do not submit an abstract by this date will not be scheduled to present. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words, formatted in Microsoft Word, and single-spaced, using size 12 Times New Roman font. Special characters (e.g., &, ^, é, etc.) are NOT allowed, so students should do their best to type out the symbol instead (e.g., beta, alpha, etc.).
CAMPUS VISITS AND TOURS
You will have the option to register each participant for a campus visit to the University of Southern California (USC) on Wednesday, July 22nd. The campus visit optional add-on will include lunch and transportation. We anticipate that buses will leave the UCLA Luskin Conference Center for USC at 10:00 am. UCLA campus tours will also be offered during the Conference. The USC add-on campus visit cost:
University of Southern California (USC) – $65 per participant
UCLA – Included in Conference Registration
| CREDIT CARD | |
| USC Campus Visit | $65 per participant |
| UCLA Campus Tour | Included in registration |
ADD-ON EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY
Participants are invited to enjoy an evening out in Los Angeles on Friday, July 24th for an additional cost of $150/participant. This price includes dinner and transportation to and from the venue.
Griffith Observatory, Hollywood, CA
| PAYMENT METHOD | Cultural Event – Griffith Observatory
(dinner and transportation included) |
| CREDIT CARD |
$150 per person |
GRADUATE SCHOOL FAIR REPRESENTATIVES
The Graduate School Fair engages McNair Scholars and Staff with representatives from many graduate schools, programs, and organizations.
At the Graduate School Fair, McNair Scholars can:
- Learn about admission requirements, scholarships, and degree options from a variety of graduate schools
- Meet representatives from graduate schools from across California and the U.S.
- Identify new institutions to consider for graduate studies
- Gain resources to support the graduate application process
Registration for exhibitors includes a table for one exhibitor at our Graduate Opportunities Fair on Friday, July 24th at 10 am – 2 pm, your university’s name printed in plain text in our digital program book, a participant list (with names, majors, and email addresses), and breakfast and lunch for one exhibitor. ONE additional representative from the same program can be added for $150, which covers the costs of their meals. Add-on event tickets to Griffith Observatory for exhibitors are also available for purchase at $150 per person.
Registration for sponsors includes a prominent table for one representative on Thursday, July 23rd, and at our Graduate Opportunities Fair on Friday, July 24th, at 10 am – 2 pm, a full-page promotional ad for the digital program book, an opportunity for a 5-minute introduction to the McNair Scholars, a special sponsor table with prospective students at the Networking Breakfast on Friday, July 24th, breakfast and lunch for one from the conference opening to closing sessions, a complimentary ticket for the add-on event to Griffith Observatory on Friday evening, and a participant contact list (with names, majors, and email addresses). ONE additional sponsor can be added for $250, which covers the costs of meals during the conference. An additional add-on event ticket to Griffith Observatory can also be purchased for $150.
Please note: Sponsorship registration is limited. If sponsorship registration appears as sold out, email the planning committee at askgrad@ucla.edu to be added to the sponsorship waitlist.
| Registration | Registration Closes | |
| Recruiter Registration | **EARLY BIRD**: $600
**REGULAR**: $650 |
**EARLY BIRD**: June 1
**REGULAR**: July 8 |
| Sponsorship Registration | $1,000 each | July 6 or at capacity |