The purpose of an acknowledgements slide
An acknowledgements slide lets you clearly and accurately recognize people who contributed to the research, collaborators, and any funding sources. The University of Colorado STEM Routes guide describes the acknowledgements section as the final slide of a presentation and lists lab personnel, research contributors, collaborators, and funding sources among the items that may be acknowledged (Science Communication & Figures). The University of Illinois’s scientific presentation notes also mention an acknowledgements slide at the end of a talk and recommend recognizing assistance received and resources (Tips for creating and giving scientific presentations). These are recommendations from the sources; also check whether your event or institution has specific formatting rules.
The main purpose of this slide is to make contributions visible accurately. The suggestions below cover grouping names, briefly describing roles, and checking information. These are editorial choices for a presentation; the sources do not identify them as mandatory standards.
Whom and what support should you acknowledge?
First, identify the people who contributed during the research process, collaborators, and any funding sources. The STEM Routes guide lists lab personnel, collaborators, and funding sources as examples for an acknowledgements slide. In its section on preparing a poster, the guide also mentions people who conducted experiments or analyzed data as examples of specific contributions. Match these examples to the actual roles of the people involved in your work. If you are unsure about the extent of a contribution, check with the person or project team rather than making an assumption.
If space allows, you can add a brief description of the person’s role beside their name rather than listing names alone. For example, you could write “contributed to preparing samples” or “supported image data analysis.” These are example phrases only; adapt them in the actual presentation so they accurately reflect the person’s contribution. Giving funding information a separate line from personal contributions may also make the content easier to scan. This is a layout choice, not a required division into sections.
Distinguish acknowledgements from authorship carefully
An acknowledgements slide and an author list do not serve the same purpose; however, the sources provided do not set a single authorship criterion that applies to every field and type of presentation. The authorship guidance in the STEM Routes guide is in the context of posters: it recommends considering people who made a specific contribution to the research for inclusion among the poster authors, and recognizing in the acknowledgements section someone who only advised the research program and did not work in the lab. The guide also discusses, in the context of poster authorship, the possibility that a professor who runs the lab may have provided the funding that made the research possible.
Do not apply this guidance as a definitive rule for all disciplines and types of presentation. When deciding whether someone belongs on the author list or the acknowledgements slide, also check the applicable guidelines for your project and event. Focus on describing the person’s role accurately in the contribution statement.
Organize and verify the information
If they fit the content, you can use short subheadings such as “Contributions,” “Collaborations,” and “Funding.” They are not required; do not add a heading that has no corresponding content. If the same person had multiple roles, combining their contributions in one accurate statement may reduce repetition.
Check names, institutional names, and funding information against project records or with the relevant people. Include additional details, such as a project number, only if you can verify them; the sources provided do not say that every presentation must include a project number. The source also does not require photographs: the STEM Routes guide notes that names and/or a photo may be used. If you choose to include a photo, consider whether it is appropriate for your presentation and whether you need to obtain permission from the people shown. This is a practical editorial consideration.
Keep the slide concise and readable
You can choose a heading such as “Acknowledgements” or “Acknowledgements and contributions” and keep each contribution description on the same line as the relevant name. If descriptions are long, shorten them while preserving their meaning. Consider removing repetition or grouping information as layout options to try before reducing the font size.
The STEM Routes guide recommends that the design suit the content and that choices such as font, color, and the amount of text on the slide be made deliberately. This is general presentation design advice; the source does not specify a particular font size or a layout requirement specific to an acknowledgements slide. Review the slide in presentation view to assess whether the text is readable under your presentation conditions. For other parts of the presentation, you can also consult the guides on organizing a scientific presentation into sections and preparing the title slide of an academic presentation.
Fictional contribution slide example
The names of the people, institutions, and programs below are entirely fictional. Here is a possible draft for a research team studying temperature changes in plant samples:
- Contributions: Deniz Arı — contributed to preparing samples; Ece Yılmaz — supported the organization and analysis of image data.
- Collaboration: Northern Research Laboratory — collaboration with the research team.
- Funding: Sample Research Program — funding information to be verified against project records.
This is not a real contribution statement. Do not use fictional names in an actual presentation; replace the people, institution, and funding information with verified information from your project. Write contribution statements based on actual roles rather than copying the example. If the funding name or, where applicable, project number has not been verified, do not present it as confirmed information.
Frequently asked questions
Where should the acknowledgements slide go in a presentation?
The University of Colorado STEM Routes guide describes the acknowledgements section as the final slide; the University of Illinois notes also mention an acknowledgements slide at the end of a talk. This is a presentation recommendation from the sources. Follow any different guidelines set by your event or institution.
Should I include a photo of everyone who contributed?
No; the sources provided do not say that a photo is required. The STEM Routes guide says that names and/or a photo may be used. You can use names and brief descriptions of contributions; if you choose to add a photo, you can assess its suitability separately.
Final checklist
- Have I recognized the contributors, collaborators, and any funding source?
- Have I matched each contribution to the right person and checked the spelling of names and institutions?
- Have I verified the funding information and, if included, the project number?
- Do the statements describe people’s roles without misrepresenting them?
- Have I considered the author-list decision separately from the acknowledgements slide and checked the relevant guidelines?
- Have I reviewed the slide in presentation view and assessed its readability?
