At the regional and national levels of the Competition, along with displaying a poster, you present your research in the form of an oral presentation. Then you answer questions from a panel of judges about your work.
The presentation is open to the public; however, the question-and-answer (Q&A) session is in a separate and private room with only you and the judges. Practice your presentations in front of an audience, so you are better prepared.
Oral Presentation
Your presentation is timed and can be no longer than 12 minutes. You are given a signal after 11 minutes, so you can conclude your report in the remaining minute. No materials may be distributed during the oral presentation. All team members should participate in the oral presentation.
Your presentation should primarily focus on the overall importance of the research, but should also include enough detail to engage the interest of the more knowledgeable audience members. You are presenting to a panel of judges who have read your Research Report and reviewed the references you cited. The audience may also include individuals who are unfamiliar with scientific research.
Your presentation should include a:
- Clear statement of the problem and its importance
- Summary of the key elements of your research and your key findings
It should answer these questions:
- What is the most important thing about this research?
- Is something about this research, or its findings, remarkable?
You need to explain anything remarkable and should speak briefly on your methodology. Demonstrate that you carried out substantial parts of the research independently, with only limited guidance from mentors. This is also the time in which you acknowledge those mentors and others who have assisted and inspired you in this research.
Almost all scientific presentations employ visuals. A well-thought-out graphical presentation helps you communicate more clearly with the audience. You may use Microsoft PowerPoint or other methods to present your visuals. The universities supply computers for you to use. Ensure your presentation is easy to read:
- Use thick, block type for visuals; avoid italic, script, and thin letters.
- Use a combination of capitals and lowercase; avoid only capitals.
- Use only a few colors; avoid too many colors or light colors, such as yellow.
The day before your formal presentation to the judges, you are assigned 20 minutes to practice.
Your presentation must be finalized prior to your practice session. No changes to your presentation are allowed after this time.
During this time, you load your presentation on the laptop that is used during your formal presentation. In case of failure with the computer, you are required to bring a backup of your visual presentation. Therefore, we encourage you to bring your presentation on both a CD-ROM and USB (in case one doesn't load properly) or on a laptop computer, if you have one available.
Q&A Session
Immediately following the oral presentation, you are guided to a private room with the judges for a private Q&A session. No materials or notes may be brought to the Q&A session.
The judges question you for up to 12 minutes. After 10 minutes, you'll get a signal to give you time to conclude.
The Q&A session gives you the opportunity to address any questions about your report and the fundamental science behind what you have done. Teams should also make it clear how each member contributed and how each role is appropriate to the nature of the study. Although notes are not allowed in the Q&A session, a flipchart or whiteboard is provided.
After your turn is complete, you return with the judges to listen to the remaining oral presentations.
Presentation Protocol
There are a few rules to follow regarding the presentations.
- All students are expected to observe all the presentations during the weekend.
- The presentation room doors are closed during each individual student or team presentation. No one is allowed to enter or leave during this time.
- Cameras, video equipment, or other recording devices are not allowed in the presentation rooms at any time.
- Extend courtesy by turning off your cell phones and scheduling rest room visits during breaks.
