Student Research Poster Competition

Step into the future of the breakbulk and project cargo industry with our Student Research Poster Competition. Bringing together undergraduate and postgraduate teams from leading Texas universities, the competition showcases fresh thinking and the next generation of industry talent. Winners will be announced during NextWave Education Day on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

What is the Poster Competition?

The Student Research Poster Competition invites undergraduate and postgraduate teams to develop a research-led poster exploring a real-world challenge relevant to the breakbulk and project cargo industry.

Shortlisted posters will be displayed on the show floor at Breakbulk Americas 2026, with winning teams receiving a cash prize and recognition during NextWave Education Day.

Hear from the Breakbulk Americas content team as they walk you through everything you need to know about the competition.

How it works

Step 1

Registration opens

✔ Register your team to take part
✔ Access the official poster template and competition guidelines

OPEN NOW

Step 2

Research & Create

✔ Develop a research-led poster based on one of the available industry topic areas
✔ Build your concept and design your poster using the official template

Spring - Summer 2026

Step 3

Registration Deadline

✔ Final deadline to confirm participation
✔ Only registered teams will be eligible to submit a poster

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Step 4

Poster Submission Deadline

✔ Upload your completed poster submission
✔ Ensure all formatting and competition requirements are met

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Step 5

Shortlisted Posters Announced

Selected posters will be displayed on the Breakbulk Americas website

Friday, September 18, 2026

Step 6

Student Research Poster Competition Awards

✔ Shortlisted posters displayed on the show floor
✔ Winning teams announced live at Breakbulk Americas NextWave Education Day
✔ Cash prizes awarded

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Who Can Enter?

The Student Research Poster Competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at universities across Texas. Entries must be submitted by teams of 2–6 students, with each team collaborating to produce one research poster exploring a topic relevant to the breakbulk and project cargo industry.

Topic Areas

Port Infrastructure

Sustainability & Energy Transition

Global Capital Projects

Submitting Your Poster

How to Submit

Upload your completed poster using the Dropbox link provided after registration.

Posters submitted by email will not be accepted.

Poster Requirements

Be submitted as one PowerPoint (.pptx) slide

Use the official Student Research Poster template.

Be set to 40 inches (W) × 32 inches (H).

Include the poster title, student name(s), faculty advisor(s), industry advisor(s) and university name.

Include a short reference section (QR codes may be used to link to full references).

Be original work based on one of the official competition topic areas.

Please Note

Do not alter the template header or footer, including sponsor logos.

Do not submit posters created by pasting a JPEG or image exported from Canva or other design software into the template.

Images, graphs and diagrams should be high quality to ensure they print clearly.

Entries that do not meet the submission requirements will be disqualified.

Why enter?

Posters displayed on the show floor

Exposure to industry leaders

Networking opportunities

Cash prizes

Industry recognition

Evaluation criteria

Posters will be reviewed by a panel of judges and scored on the following 5 criteria, each rated on a scale of 0 to 20 each (total 100 points). Two different sets of criteria apply to the two categories of submissions (undergraduate and graduate), as follows:

Undergraduate

Context and accuracy
Organization and structure
Visual presentation
Clarity of text
Relevance quality and intext citation

Graduate

Research rigor and methodology
Innovation and original contribution
Professional presentation and communication
Depth of analysis and critical thinking
Policy or industry relevance

2025 Competition Highlights

Get Inspired by Our 2025 Entries

Questions about the Student Research Poster Competition?

Rubie Drake

Senior Content Producer

Breakbulk Events & Media

Get in Touch

Margaret A. Kidd

Department Chair, Logistics & Supply Chain Management

San Jacinto College

Get in Touch

Cassia Bomer Galvao

Associate Professor, Maritime Studies

Texas A&M University at Galveston

Get in Touch

Discover Breakbulk Americas

NextWave Education Day

In the context of the talent gap, the industry is enthusiastic and excited to meet young talent and offer them opportunities within their organizations. Breakbulk Americas NextWave Education Day is where students have the best opportunity to connect with professionals from across the supply chain.

Learn more

Why visit?

Breakbulk Americas is the event for all those involved in the project cargo and breakbulk industry working in this project-rich region and is the region’s largest trade event for the industry.

More reasons to visit