Virtual Science Symposium

VSS: Project Requirements

GLOBE members of all ages can share the results of their GLOBE research in the Virtual Science Symposium (VSS). ​Unlike past years, the 2026 VSS will be an abbreviated VSS. The project submission window will open in December 2025 and close in January 2026. Due to the abbreviated timeline, the project requirements have been updated. Participants should review the required components and available resources below before submitting a project for the VSS.

Once all necessary items are included, VSS research projects should be submitted through the "Upload a Research Report" tool on the VSS page during the submission period.

Projects submitted after the due date will not be reviewed. Submitted projects can be updated through the "Edit My Reports" link under the "Upload a Research Report" tool before the project is published on the website. 

Learn more about how projects are reviewed.


Required Components for the Virtual Science Symposium

Due to the abbreviated timeline, research teams may submit a full research project or a research project proposal. While we welcome projects from all GLOBE regions, VSS projects and proposals must be submitted in English due to the abbreviated timeline. Students may use translation tools, such as Google Translate, DeepL, Canva, or similar tools to translate their research projects. Unfortunately, projects submitted in languages other than English will not be accepted. All projects must incorporate GLOBE data, collected following GLOBE protocols or from the GLOBE database.

1. Completed VSS Project

Option 1: Full Research Project

Presentations must include:

  • Title
  • Abstract or summary
  • Introduction
  • Methods and materials
  • Results and data
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Citations
  • Badge descriptions

Option 2: Research Proposal

Presentations must include:

  • Title*
  • Abstract or summary
  • Research question(s)
  • Description of study site
  • Data collection plan
  • Background and supporting information
  • Expected outcomes or goals
  • Challenges and considerations (optional)
  • Badge descriptions
  • Citations

*Research proposals should include "Research Proposal" in the title to differentiate it from a full research report for reviewers. Review the GLOBE VSS Resarch Proposal Template for an example of other items to include.

Research Project and Proposal Presentation

Projects must include a presentation focused on the GLOBE research. Presentations may be one of the following:

  • A video—10 minutes or less—hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, TeacherTube, or another file sharing site. We encourage you to upload "unlisted" videos to protect student information.
    • Upload a video link, not the video file, as part of the project.
  • A presentation poster
    • Poster files can be uploaded as a PPT, PDF, or image file.
  • An ArcGIS StoryMap
    • Add StoryMap links in the video link section of the project upload tool.
  • Podcasts or other creative presentation formats are also accepted.

Written Research Report (Optional)

A written research report is optional for the 2026 VSS. If included, optional written reports must be submitted as a PDF or Word doc (DOCX/DOC) in English. Reports that are not submitted as these file types will not be accepted.

To download a report template, visit the VSS Participant Resources page

2. Badge Descriptions

Research teams can earn virtual badges to showcase the science and engineering practices demonstrated in their VSS projects. All scored projects earn the "I am a GLOBE Researcher" badge. Research teams should include a short summary of how their work on the research project earned each badge requested. Learn more about VSS badges available.

Note: Projects may earn up to three additional badges.

3. Project Cover Image

An image to be displayed on the student report page of the website. 

4. Media Release Forms

All projects with images or videos should include at least one media release form. If there are no identifiable images of people, please indicate this on a media release form. Everyone who is identifiable in a photo or video must complete their own media release form. Include the title of the VSS project on the media release forms. Save all media release forms as one file per report.

Academic Integrity Guidelines

Participants are expected to write their research reports, prepare presentations, conduct research, and analyze data on their own. Educators and scientist mentors are encouraged to provide feedback, facilitate learning, and offer additional instructional support, as needed, but may not write or directly contribute to student research reports or presentations. Researchers are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity on their VSS projects. Participants should not engage in any form of dishonesty such as plagiarism, misrepresenting research findings, or cheating.

Ethical Use of Generative AI

Research teams may not use generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) to write their reports or to create their presentations. Acceptable use of generative AI may include brainstorming research questions, fine-tuning grammar and language, and the analysis of large datasets, such as predictive modeling; data processing; image analysis; and/or the development of code for analyses.

Researchers should acknowledge the work of others by providing accurate citations and attributing sources properly in their VSS projects. If generative AI is used for any part of the investigation, it must be cited. For more information, review Citing ChatGPT and other Generative AI Tools in Student Research created by the U.S. GLOBE Office.