Regional Student Conferences

How does AIAA determine what Universities/groups will be hosting Student Conferences?
This is determined within each region on a yearly basis. Hosts change each year, and every region has a different way of determining who will host the following year.

Will my paper be published?
Effective February 2023, all university student (undergraduate, graduate, and team) papers submitted and presented at the Regional Student Conferences (Regions I-VII) will be published with AIAA. Please review the FAQs  for all questions pertaining to publishing papers for the Regional Student Conferences.

Can I present my previously published work at an AIAA Student Conference?
No. The purpose of presenting at an AIAA Student Conference is to showcase the original, unpublished work of students. Therefore, we do not permit previously published work to be presented at an AIAA Student Conference.

When do Student Conferences take place?
Student Conferences generally take place in late March/early April each year, with the exception of Region VII – International, which takes place in November each year. Precise dates are subject to change and selected at the discretion of the conference organizers.

What is the criteria for determining the acceptability of my paper to the AIAA Student Conference Program?
All abstract submission should be 1,000 words max. Final papers should be written in the AIAA Meeting Paper Format and have the following additional elements required by the Student Conference Program:

• Be sure your AIAA status (student member) and student category (undergraduate or graduate) are footnotes for the authors at the bottom of the first page.
• 11 page limit -- Single column, single spaced, 10 point font. This includes all figures, citations and text.
• 2 student authors and 1 faculty advisor for undergraduate / graduate papers if 1 master and 1 undergraduate must be entered into graduate category.
• Industry sponsors may NOT be listed as authors but may be thanked in the acknowledgement section.
• Only the work completed as an undergraduate or graduate student is eligible for competition. (Early) Doctoral students are eligible to participate while they are completing their doctoral coursework. Doctoral candidates who have completed their coursework and are focused solely on their dissertation are not eligible for competition.
• Make sure that you review the proofreading checklist for papers submitted to AIAA conferences. You can reduce minor errors and increase your score on grammar and style by checking this list before submitting your paper.

If you have any more questions about the rules or proceedings of the Regional Student Conference Program, please refer to the Regional Student Conference Rules .

Where do I submit my abstract/final paper?
Abstracts and papers must be submitted via aiaa-awards.org/. All abstracts/final papers are due on their due date by 2359hrs US Eastern Time. Papers in the Region VII Student Conference will be due at 2359hrs Australian Eastern Standard Time on the due date listed.

Do I need to be a student member to present at an AIAA Student Conference?
Yes, you and all members of your authorship team must be AIAA student members in order to present and have your paper accepted. Anyone who doesn’t have student membership by the time their final paper is submitted will cause the submission to be disqualified.

When do I find out if my abstract has been accepted?
Typically, you will find out within a week of abstract submissions closing.

If my abstract is rejected, will I be able to make changes and re-submit it?
Yes, you can! You will have 24 hours to re-submit your abstract.

Do I need to be registered for the conference in order to present?
Yes, all presenters need to be registered for the conference. Fees vary by conference.

Does AIAA provide travel support for attending Regional Student Conferences?
No, AIAA does not provide travel support for this program.

Are there prizes for best papers?
Yes! AIAA Student Conferences award three prizes in each category*:

• 1st - $500 and an invitation to the International Student Paper Conference at the AIAA SciTech Forum
• 2nd - $300
• 3rd - $250

*The above prizes are for university students.

If there is more than one author, any prize monies received will be sent to the attention of your school for disbursement.

What happens if I win 1st place in my category?
If you win first-place you will receive an invitation to present at the AIAA SciTech Forum’s International Student Paper Conference, where you will compete in your category against the finalists from the other six AIAA regions. Additionally, your paper will be published as part of the AIAA SciTech Forum’s proceedings.

I have a question that wasn’t answered here. Whom do I ask?
For Region II, please direct your questions to Cassy Dellinger at region2@aiaastudentconference.org . For all other regions, please direct questions to Lindsay Mitchell at studentprogram@aiaa.org .

My faculty advisor is crucial to my paper. Can they be listed as a co-author?
Yes, your faculty advisor can be listed as a coauthor. For Graduate and Undergraduate categories, the two-author limit still applies if you decide to list your faculty advisor as an author.

Are you interested in hosting a future regional student conference at your college/university? AIAA requires schools to complete its Host School Proposal Form to be considered a candidate to host a student conference. The form details all the requirements, roles, and responsibilities to hosting the conference, in addition to ensuring the student branch leaders, faculty advisor, and university department officials understand the expectations. After completing the form, AIAA will be in touch with more information.

Host School Proposal Form