The 2024 MBIM URS will take place on April 29th. Students are encouraged to register in teams or as an individual.

Download this information and rubrics here: URS_2024_Presentation_Guidelines.

Presentation Logistics:

The presentations will be live. All members must be present and contribute equally to the presentation. No pre-recording will be accepted.
Presenters will be asked to submit their presentation slide(s) one week before the event on April 22nd.
The symposium will feature two types of presentations:

● 10×10 Presentation

Presenters will be given 10 minutes to present a maximum of 10 slides followed by a 2-5 minute question and answer period from both judges and the audience.
10×10 presentations will need to include an introduction, methods ,results, and discussion section.

Presenters will be given 3 minutes to present 1 slide with no question period.
3×1 presentations may include full research projects, proposals, or working thesis.

Ensure that font sizes are large enough to be read. This includes figure legends and graph axis titles. Suggested font sizes: 36 pts for headers, 20-24 for main text/legends
Do not use excessive text. Try to make use of images, tables, or diagrams. If using images or tables that are not of your own, make sure you cite your sources!
You should talk about all of the content on each slide (explain the axes, controls, and systematically walk through the data). If the slide is busy and contains unnecessary content (e.g. cute cat pictures), please remove it.
Be critical of animations. Used well, animations can be very effective. However, overuse or unnecessary use can be distracting.
It is important to ensure that you use Presenter Mode properly so that the speaker’s notes are not visible to the audience during your presentation.

Oral presentations can be individual or team-based (up to 4 people).
Oral Presentations are timed and limited to 10 minutes with no grace period. Time cards will be raised when there are 5 minutes, 1 minute, and 30 seconds left.
Presenters should design no more than 10 PowerPoint slides and present 1 slide per minute. Please Note: talks that exceed the time limit will be ineligible for the “Best Oral Presentation” awards.
Presenters will receive questions and feedback from judges and audience members, which will be facilitated by a committee member. The Question & Answer period will be 2-5 minutes.
This rubric will be used to assess your presentation: 10×10 Judging Rubric 2024

A single, static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration). Images used in the slide must be your own, or you must have permission from the owner of the photo(s) and provide proper credit(s). You may have a separate slide for citations.
Use a font size of 24 or above (unless it is for axis or figure captions which can go as small as size 14 point font).
When designing your slide think about how you will use it to communicate your research:
- Your main claim or thesis statement should be clearly stated in your slide title.
- We recommend utilizing figures/diagrams in your slides as opposed to blocks of text.

Presentations can be individual or team-based (up to 4 people).
To ensure smooth transition between presentations, we ask presenters to submit their slide to the planning committee by April 22^nd.
Presentations are timed and limited to 3 minutes. Please Note: talks that exceed the time limit will be ineligible for the “Best 3×1 Presentation” awards. You will be shown time cards at 1 minute, 30 second, and times up.
This rubric will be used to assess your presentation: 3×1 Judging Rubric 2024

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Here are some useful resources you can refer to when preparing your presentations.

3×1 Presentations:

Download the 3MT Presenter Slide PPT and follow the instructions to prepare the slide for your presentation.
Simon Clews (University of Melbourne) has prepared a helpful guide on preparing for the Three Minute Thesis Competition
Jackie Amsden (Simon Fraser University) discusses how narrative frameworks can help grad students effectively tell their research story
Matt Abrahams (Stanford University) provides Tips and Techniques for More Confident and Compelling Presentations
Matt Abrahams (Stanford University) podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart: advice for impromptu speaking
Anett Grant (Executive Speaking) addresses Six Pieces of Bad Speaking Advice That Just Won’t Die
Inger Mewburn (RMIT University) developed How to Talk About Your Thesis in 3 Minutes
Ontario Consortium for Graduate Professional Skills posted 6 Components of Successful 3MT Speeches (video)

10×10 Presentations Resources

Tips and Tools for Giving Effective Scientific Oral Presentations – DC Oliver https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O6DlHkVhGQ7zTf3MxfH1q-wihKU3TNM3/view?usp=sharing