Graduate Research Innovation Exchange

The annual Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRIE) is a poster celebration and competition that highlights the breadth, diversity, and quality of WPI's graduate research. Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Dean of Graduate Studies, it is a two-part event consisting of an Open Research Celebration and Finals with Awards.

About GRIE

True to its name, the Graduate Research Innovation Exchange is a marketplace where students across disciplines get to know each other and share discoveries and new ideas. It is also a great way to get feedback on research in-progress—input that can help students prepare for sharing their work down the line through papers and presentations.

Student presenters also receive input from attendees who are able to vote for People's Choice Awards for their favorite presentations.

The best presentations by master's, PhD, and post doctoral fellow candidates engaged in research in the categories of Mathematical, Chemical, and Physical Sciences; Business and Social Science; Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Computer Science; Life Sciences and Bioengineering; Robotics, Cyberphysical Systems, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences; and Aerospace, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Civil and Environmental, Fire-Protection Engineering are invited to present in the finals. Winners from the finals round will receive cash prizes.

In 2021, more than 165 master's and PhD candidates shared their innovative and purposeful research with the WPI community and 63 students advanced to the finals. Twenty winners were awarded cash prizes after the finals.

See our list of current and past GRIE winners.

2022 Plans

The GRIE Open Celebration will be held virtually from February 9-15, 2022.
Students will pre-record a 7-minute video presentation and submit it to be viewed by the WPI community and judges. Video links will only be available to the WPI community via this page and judges to protect intellectual property.
A public program with title, author, advisor, keywords, and technical statement will be posted to the GRIE page.
Judges will have one week to evaluate assigned presentations and submit their scores and feedback.
Additionally, an audience feedback survey will also be available so students can receive feedback from others who viewed their presentation but were not assigned to judge it.
Top scorers will advance to the finals on April 5, 2022. We hope to hold this event in person. Check back in February for further details on the finals.

Registration

Registration for 2022 has closed. Check back in the Fall of 2022 for details on 2023 registration.

Research Areas
Business and Social Science
Life Sciences and Bioengineering
Robotics, Cyberphysical Systems, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Fire-Protection Engineering
Mathematical, Chemical, and Physical Sciences
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Data Science, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and Interactive Media

Guidelines & Eligibility

GRIE is open to all WPI PhD candidates, MS students, and post-doctoral fellows engaged in thesis or similar research, or MS candidates completing a course- or program-related capstone project.
Although presentations may have multiple authors, including the faculty advisor(s), there should be one lead author registered and presenting. The lead author MUST be the graduate student and only this student will be considered for awards.
- DS GQP teams do not need to register now for the February celebration. Look for information from your department this Winter. Any other team interested in presenting their work, should consult with Rory Flinn before registering.
Only one presentation will be accepted per student; it is the student’s responsibility to have his/her presentation recorded according to competition guidelines.
Presentations should be an MP4 file and the recording should be 7-minutes or less in length. Longer submissions will not be judged and will not be eligible for the finals. For submissions exceeding the allowed 7-minute recording time, the GRIE organizers will decide if the presentation can still be included in the event, even if not to be judged.
Presentations should include slides and slides must occupy the vast majority of the screen.
Video audio must be clear and easy to hear.
Presentations should clearly identify a project title, researchers involved, and department.
Recordings of presentations must be submitted to GRIE organizers per the specified guidelines by advertised deadlines in order to be posted for judge and WPI community viewing.
Presentations should appeal to both experts and non-experts in your field as judge expertise may vary. You must be able to clearly explain your research to a wide range of judges and audiences.
Click here to view what your poster will be judged on.

The Student Training and Readiness Sessions (STARS) program developed by the Office of Graduate Studies offers sessions specifically designed to help graduate students prepare for participation in GRIE. Learn more about STARS.

Graduate Student Research

Graduate Studies