Rapid Fire Presentations

• Three single static PowerPoint slides are permitted. The full title of all presentations and the name/affiliation of the speakers will be circulated to the audience prior to commencement, so the first of the three slides does not need to contain the title of the presentation.
• No slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description is allowed. The first slide must be presented at the beginning of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, small animals, smoke machines, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum; competitors exceeding 3 minutes are instantaneously disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations are to commence from the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Comprehension & Content

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the research topic, research significance, results/impact and the outcome communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation – or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Novelty or Challenge of Research Activity

• Was the topic of the presentation novel and/or challenging?
• Were the key results clearly articulated?

Engagement & Communication

• Did the PowerPoint slides enhance the presentation – were they clear, legible, and concise and used appropriately by the speaker
• Did the oration strike a good balance between clearly communicating the essentials and leaving the audience curious for more information on the study?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or overly generalise their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience’s attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and a confident stance?

1. All presentations are to be submitted to the Convention Audiovisual Centre by 6pm on the day before the competition (participants will be informed of this location by email prior to the start of AESC 2023)
2. Speakers will receive advice of the speaking order in each division
3. Organisers will check slides for conformity with the rules and ensure loading into sequence.

1. In the break before the event, all presenters to assemble (as advised by email prior to the start of AESC 2023)
2. The Marshall will remind them of the rules.

1. At the event, the MC welcomes everyone to the event and emphasises the importance of scientific communication (in the business world, and with the public at large as well as at technical conferences).
2. All the presenters are lined up in order and checked by the Marshall.
3. We plan to provide clip-on microphones to each speaker in turn.
4. The MC will announce the speaker’s name and the title of the presentation.
5.  As soon as the first slide is up, the presenter may commence. The moment they say “boo” the master of the clock will turn on the stop watch.
6. The clock master will hold up a yellow paddle when there is 15 sec to go, a red paddle at 5 sec and yell “STOP” at 0 sec.
7. Each judge is to enter marks onto the pre-printed hard-copy spreadsheet, but can review their scores at the end of the session.
8. The judges will meet as soon as the last candidate is finished in each division and confer on selection of 1-2-3 in each division (10 minutes to do this). If deemed appropriate, it is possible that only 1st prize or only 1st and 2nd prizes will be awarded.
9. The results will be forwarded to the Marshall to collate with the MC
10. At the appointed time (to be advised in a further email to each participant), the MC will call everyone to order and call the winners up to be presented with the prizes by the Sponsor Representative and photos will be taken for society newsletters.

How long are the Presentations? Each speaker is allowed three minutes and three slides(no animations) to communicate their research or work in any Earth Science field.

Am I Eligible? The competition is open to all Early Career Earth Scientists who have worked in the field for 5 years or less (exclusive of career breaks) as well as Honours, Masters and PhD students.

How can I Register? You can register at https://aesc2023.com.au/ before February 2023.

Do I have to submit an abstract? Abstracts are not required; however, participants must be registered to attend AESC 2023.

Do I have to register for the AESC? Registrants need to submit a talk title and a one to two sentence description of the subject matter.

What is in it for me? Employers across all sectors are looking for people with excellent communication skills. Being able to succinctly summarise your work is an essential skill.

Will there be a prize? Depending on the sponsorship achieved we anticipate one prize in the Early Career (5 years or less of working in the field) category and another for students (Hons/MSc/PhD status at a tertiary institution). There may be runner-up prizes as well, depending on the number of participants and sponsorship.

What are the judges looking for? The following broad criteria will be used by the judges:

1. Has the speaker clearly enunciated the scientific question or problem investigated?
2. Was the research undertaken novel or challenging, and were the key results clearly outlined?
3. Quality and effectiveness of the 3 slides presented

I’m not a geologist, can I still register? Yes, absolutely the AESC is for all facets of Earth Science. We are hoping to have a diverse range of presentations from all aspects of Earth Science.

Can I still give a full length talk? Yes, no abstract is needed so you are welcome to also submit an abstract for a full length talk or poster presentation at the conference.