Student Oral Presentation Competition

Step up to the podium!

Attention young innovators: send us a one-minute video describing your research project and you could win a chance to present your idea to the movers and shakers of the science and technology industry, and gain invaluable advice on how to turn your idea into a reality.

Fifteen finalists will have the opportunity to attend Discovery 2011 on May 18-19 and present their new technology, innovation or start-up idea in five minutes, followed by a two-minute question period from a panel of esteemed judges. Winning presentations will receive one of three cash prizes of up to $2,500.

Don't miss your opportunity to enter!

Student Oral Presentation Competition

• The oral presentation contest is open to all post-secondary students enrolled at an Ontario university or college during the period of April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011.
• Applicants must post a one-minute video about their research project to YouTube. Fifteen finalists will be selected by Ontario Centres of Excellence staff to compete at Discovery 2011 for cash prizes.
• In your one-minute video, please demonstrate why you and your project should be a finalist at Discovery 2011. Be clear and interesting!
• Students will be responsible for the production of their videos and oral presentations.
• The research described must be part of an applied science research project - undertaken at an Ontario university or college - active sometime between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011 (may have been started and/or completed during that period).
• The research project described must have commercial potential.
• Students selected as finalists must acknowledge their research partners and industry collaborators in the opening and/or closing slides of their Discovery presentation.
• To enter the competition your entry form and one minute video must be uploaded to www.YouTube.com by April 18, 2011. The title must read "OCE Discovery 2011 Oral Presentation Contest - your name - your school", for example, "OCE Discovery 2011 Oral Presentation Contest - Marc Nantel - University of Toronto". Once your one-minute video is uploaded, please notify and send the link to jenessa.fernandes@oce-ontario.org [don't forget to do this, or your submission won't be judged!]
• Please note that one-minute videos submitted without a contest entry form will not be judged.
• Contest finalists will be notified by April 22, 2011 and will receive a free pass to Discovery 2011.
• Cash prizes for the top three presentations are as follows:

  First place: $2,500
  Second place: $1,500
  Third place: $1,000

• The Student Oral Presentations will be featured on stage, in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at Discovery 2011.

In developing the one-minute video and five-minute live presentation, consider the following:

• Presentations are intended to promote research outcomes, not report on results. The following questions will help you decide what to present in your video and, if chosen, your oral presentation:
1. Is your research moving science and engineering forward in an innovative way?
2. Does industry have a need for this research? What is the problem to be solved?
3. What is the impact of this research?
4. Is there an industry that could commercialize the resulting technology or will this create a new market sector?
5. Will this research lead to job creation or wealth for a company?
6. What is the level of involvement of the partners in this research? How committed are they?
7. Has the appropriate market sector been identified? Are there others that could be considered?
• Are you able to convey your message clearly to a broad audience (i.e. academics, industry and the general public)?
• Is it evident in your video who the contributors to this research are?
• Is the flow and organization of information clear?

The above questions are from the criteria that will be used to determine which 15 applicants are selected to present as competition finalists at Discovery 2011. To enter the competition, please download the Student Oral Presentation Competition entry form or email jenessa.fernandes@oce-ontario.org.