Competitions

RPS Research Poster Competition Brief

The BPSA Research Poster Competition, brought to you by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), provides pharmacy students and trainees with an exciting opportunity to present their research to peers and leading members of the profession.

This competition aims to showcase innovative work in pharmacy and highlight the research and analytical skills that are highly valued by employers, including professional engagement, critical thinking, and professional development. If you have conducted pharmacy practice, clinical, or education-based research, we encourage you to submit your research poster and share your work with the wider pharmacy community.

Eligibility

To enter the competition, entrants must:

• Be a current member of the BPSA and the RPS
• Be studying an MPharm degree (Year 1–4) at a recognised UK School of Pharmacy or undertaking the Foundation Training Year

Eligible entrants therefore include:

MPharm students in Years 1–4
Foundation Trainee Pharmacists
OSPAP MPharm students

Non-eligible entrants:

• Students completing a Masters research project or dissertation - (non-MPharm degrees)
• Students undertaking intercalated research degrees related to pharmacy
• Placement or sandwich year students undertaking pharmacy-related research

Eligible Project Types

The competition welcomes a broad range of research relevant to pharmacy practice and the pharmaceutical sciences. Acceptable project types include:

• Original research (quantitative or qualitative studies)
• Laboratory-based research
• Quality improvement projects
• Clinical audits
• Service evaluations
• Systematic or scoping reviews
• Educational research within pharmacy education

Examples of eligible work include:

MPharm Dissertation / Research Projects
Summer research placements or internships
Research conducted during Foundation Training placements
Collaborative research projects with university or NHS supervisors
Research undertaken as part of student-led initiatives or organisations

If you are unsure whether your project qualifies, please contact the Competitions Coordinator (competitons@bpsa.co.uk).

Research conducted outside the degree programme

Research completed outside of the university degree programme may also be eligible, provided the entrant conducted or contributed substantially to the work.

Projects that may not meet the competition criteria include:

• Opinion pieces or commentary articles
• Reflective summaries without research methods or results
• Posters containing only background information without original findings
• Projects lacking a defined methodology or analysis

All posters must clearly state the study type and include a concise methods summary.

Research Topics

Posters should relate to one or more of the following areas:

Integration of technology or digital innovation in patient care
Pharmacy practice or clinical pharmacy
Equality, diversity, and inclusion in pharmacy
Pharmacy education
Sustainability in pharmacy
AI in pharmacy

Projects addressing other pharmacy-related research themes may also be considered at the discretion of the judging panel.

Poster Structure Requirements

To ensure consistency and clarity, posters must include the following sections:

• Title / Research Question
• Background / Rationale
• Aim(s) and Objectives
• Methods
• Results / Findings
• Discussion / Implications
• Limitations
• References
• Acknowledgements / Funding / Conflicts of Interest

These sections help demonstrate the full research process and ensure the work presented meets the standard expected of an academic research poster.

Expectations for Methods, Results and Limitations

To ensure the scientific quality of submissions:

• Methods must clearly describe what was done and how the research was conducted
• Results must include key findings from the project rather than only planned or expected outcomes
• Discussion should interpret the findings and explain their relevance to pharmacy practice, education, or research
• Limitations must be acknowledged and discussed
• Posters should include implications for future research, policy, or clinical practice where relevant

These elements help distinguish a research poster from a descriptive summary.

Referencing Requirements

Posters must use credible academic sources and follow a consistent referencing style.

• References must be presented using the Vancouver referencing system
• In-text citations should be included where appropriate
• A reference list must be included

Entrants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of their citations. Incorrect, misleading, or fabricated references may result in marks being deducted.

Ethics and Governance

Where applicable, posters should include a brief statement addressing ethical approval or governance considerations.

For example, projects involving:

• Patient or public data
• Surveys or interviews
• NHS or university datasets
• Clinical service evaluations

Entrants should confirm whether appropriate ethical approval, governance approval, or institutional permissions were obtained.

This can be included within the poster under a short statement such as:

Ethics / Governance Approval:

(e.g. Approved by University Ethics Committee / NHS Trust approval obtained / Not required).

Poster Format and Submission Requirements

Posters must adhere to the following formatting requirements:

Poster size: Maximum A0 size
Orientation: Portrait
File format: PDF
Maximum word count: 500 words - In-text citations are included in the word count (excluding title, authors, and reference list)
Font: Calibri Body
Line Spacing: 1.5

Additional guidance:

• Images, graphs, and tables may be included - ensure these are labelled appropriately (Figure 1, Table 1 etc)
• Font sizes should remain clearly readable when printed at A0 size
• Posters should maintain clear visual design and logical structure
• File size should ideally not exceed 10MB

How to Enter

Please email your completed poster to:

competitions@bpsa.co.uk

Your email should include:

• Full name
• University
• Year of study or Foundation Training status

Email subject line: RPS Research Poster Competition

Adjudication Process

Posters will be judged using a structured rubric aligned with the competition criteria.

The Prize

The winner will receive the opportunity to:

🏆 Attend and showcase their research poster at the 2026 RPS Annual Conference

Deadline: