Student Research Competition 2023

Application Due Monday, February 20, 2023 | 11:59 p.m.

This competition is designed for student scholars who are just beginning their research or engaging in course-based research projects. Competitors will prepare a single-slide PowerPoint and present a 3-minute mini-presentation to an audience and a panel of faculty adjudicators. Work is judged on clarity of purpose, appropriateness of methodology, interpretation of results, clear articulation of the research, and the ability to field questions from the jury and audience.

Students must submit an application including an abstract (a few sentences) of the research or creative project. During the competition, students will present their distilled work in 3 minutes using one slide. Each presentation is judged by a panel based on the presenter's ability to:

• Clearly and concisely convey the key points from background to conclusions
• Explain essential elements without jargon
• Capture the attention of a broad audience while communicating the importance of the work

Individual students compete across disciplines, and top presenters receive a cash award but do not advance to any statewide competition.

Rules:

• The research can focus on the development of new ideas, methods, or products, or it may focus on the application and revision of current methods or models. Students in creative degree programs should focus on how their creative work applies to the broader exchange of ideas and the role it plays in providing new perspectives or changing attitudes.
• A single static PowerPoint slide in landscape format (no transitions, animations, sound, or media allowed) displayed throughout the talk
• No props, costumes, instruments, equipment, etc. are allowed
• Present for 3 minutes or less—spoken word only (no poems, raps, or songs)

Examples of One-Slide 3-minute presentations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyfyj-2O47Q 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYSQKAtMWT0&t=171s

3-minute presentations will be judged based on the following rubric:

• Clarity: Did the speaker provide adequate background knowledge to make the talk and the importance of the project understandable?
• Organization: Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Language matches audience: Was the topic and its significance communicated in a language appropriate to an interested, but non-specialist audience? (For example, did the speaker avoid or explain discipline-specific jargon?)
• Significance: Did the presenter explain why the project mattered, addressing the impact and results of the research?
• Delivery: How was the delivery, including pace, enthusiasm, confidence, body language, and dynamism of vocal delivery?
• Visual: Did the slide enhance the presentation and help to emphasize the primary points of the talk? Was the slide well-designed, clear, legible, and concise?
• Engagement: To what extent did the talk speak to your intellectual curiosity? Did it make you want to learn more about the topic?

This rubric is based on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being “Excellent.”

Eligibility

Open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

Application

Apply by Monday, February 20, 2023 | 11:59 p.m.

Application Due Monday, February 20, 2023 | 11:59 p.m.

For more advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Students participating in this category, if chosen, are eligible to participate in the statewide competition. 

Students must submit an application and a written report of their research or creative project. The report is to include the following and not to exceed 5 pages:

• 1-page written summary of the research or creative project
• up to 3 pages of optional appendices (bibliography, graphs, images, or other supplementary materials)
• optional cover page

 The rules governing the written report are as follows:

• Though a title page is optional, the summary must include the name(s) of the student(s) and the title of the presentation.
• The summary may not exceed one single-spaced page. Use fonts and margins that ensure legibility.
• Appendices (bibliography, graphs, photographs, or other supplementary materials) may not exceed three pages.
• Research that has human or animal subjects’ involvement must have an appropriate institutional review.
• It is expected that the student will not make an oral presentation by simply reading directly from this summary.

Students will be grouped into sections of 6 to 8 presenters, and where feasible, by discipline category and class standing (undergraduate/graduate), as described below in “Eligibility.”

Each student will have 10 minutes for an oral presentation of his or her work and five minutes to respond to juror and audience questions. Entrants are asked to use PowerPoint slides to support their presentation although we recognize that entrants in the Creative Arts category may use other means to present their work (film, audio, readings). Creative Arts oral presentations should focus on the rational and historical context underlying the interpretation of the material.

Each entry (oral presentation plus written summary) will be judged on the following:

• Clarity of purpose – 15%
• Appropriateness of methodology – 20%
• Interpretation of results – 20%
• Value of the research or creative activity – 15%
• Ability of the presenter to articulate the research or creative activity – 10%
• Organization of the material presented – 10%
• Presenter’s ability to handle questions from the jury and general audience – 10%

(Note: These guidelines and format follow those set by the CSU Statewide Competition.)

Example Presentation Videos and Past Results