One-Minute Tox Talks – Laurentian SETAC 2023 Student Science Communication Competition

Laurentian SETAC invites all undergraduate, masters, and PhD student AGM attendees to compete in our Student Science Communication Competition: One-Minute Tox Talks. This video competition provides student attendees with the unique opportunity to showcase highlights of their research to a wider audience, while improving upon their ability to be clear and concise in their scientific communication!

Students may wish to center the topic of their one-minute “elevator pitch” type video on the research shared in their abstract/platform presentation, or expand upon this to include more information about their thesis topic in general. This choice is up to the discretion of each individual student, and will not impact the evaluation of their submission in any way.

Students are welcome to sign-up to participate in this competition at the time of, or after they complete, registration for the AGM (virtual or in-person). Participating students are required to submit their pre-recorded Tox Talk to info@laurentiansetac.ca no later than Monday, May 29, 2023. All videos will be uploaded publicly to Laurentian SETAC’s Twitter, LinkedIn and website to kick-off the meeting and will be played during the AGM on June 2nd. 

Students are encouraged to share their Tox Talk on any of their personal social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, etc.) after they are made live by Laurentian SETAC using #LaurentianResearch and #SciCom2023 to increase overall competition reach.

All submitted Tox Talks will be evaluated by a panel of judges prior to the AGM. Competition winners will be announced at the award ceremony on June 2nd. See below for more information on competition rules and judging criteria.

Competition Rules:

  • Videos should be 1-2 minutes in duration (a 10 second buffer will be implemented to allow students to finish any final thoughts).
  • Videos may be filmed on a smartphone or any other electronic device, and need not be of professional level quality.
  • Students are encouraged to film their video using the front-facing, or “selfie”, camera of their electronic device in an effort to promote submissions of a more direct and conversational nature, but are welcome to opt to have another individual film them delivering their talk if it makes them more comfortable and/or better suits their creative vision.
  • Students must be made visible speaking to the camera at some point during their video.
  • Supplementary animations, photos, sound effects and text are allowed, but should not be the primary focus of the video (i.e., students should aim to deliver their talk in more of an “elevator pitch” type style rather than a formal presentation with slides, similar to the style of videos frequently shared on the TikTok platform).
  • All videos will be pre-recorded and are required to be submitted to info@laurentiansetac.ca no later than Monday, May 29, 2023.
  • By participating in Laurentian SETAC’s One-Minute Tox Talk competition, you are agreeing to have your video shared publicly on Laurentian SETAC’s official Twitter, LinkedIn, and website, and understand that your video may also be shared on other individual’s personal social media accounts.

 

Judging Criteria: 

  1. Was the information presented in a clear, concise, and easy to follow manner? 
  2. Was the research topic discussed in a manner that a non-specialist audience could understand (i.e. minimal use of jargon)?
  3. Did the student demonstrate good presentation skills (eye contact, tone/pitch, pace)?
  4. Did the student convey enthusiasm for their research?
  5. Did the student successfully engage the audience and maintain their attention?
  6. Were the key highlights and significance of the research emphasized throughout?
  7. Did the video remain in the allotted time frame (i.e. 1-2 minutes)?