Science in a Flash Information Session: Preparing for your Lightning Talk

1. What is a Lightning Talk?

   • Format: 20 slides, each auto-advancing after 20 seconds (total: 6 minutes and 40 seconds)
   • Hands-Free: Once the presentation starts, you do not touch the computer at all.
   • Purpose: This format encourages concise storytelling, helping you focus on the key points of your presentation while keeping the audience engaged.

2. Structuring Your Lightning Talk

   • Focus on a Central Message
     • What's the one thing you want your audience to remember?
     • Build your talk around this core idea.
   • Organize Your Slides
     • Create a story arc with a beginning, a middle and an end.
     • Break down your content into digestible chunks.
     • Think about your sections and how these translate to the format.
   • Use Strong Visuals
     • Avoid text-heavy slides. Use powerful images, diagrams or graphs to support your narrative.
     • Remember: slides should complement what you're saying, not repeat it.
     • For strong talks using this format, presenters rarely look back at the slides and instead focus on the story-telling of their work and engaging the audience.

3. Tips for Presentation Delivery

   • Engage Your Audience
     • Be enthusiastic and make eye contact. Show your excitement about your research or experiential learning project!
     • Vary your tone to avoid a monotone delivery.
   • Communicate Complex Ideas Simply
     • Avoid technical jargon. Think about how to explain your work to someone unfamiliar with the field.
     • Use examples or analogies to make difficult concepts relatable.
   • Rehearse!
     • Practice is key to mastering the timing of automatic slide transitions.
     • Rehearse your talk several times, ideally in front of others who can give you feedback.
     • Look at examples of these types of talks in different subject areas to spark creativity! Notice how the presenter engages their audience and understands the timing of the slides.
     • Talk through transitions instead of pausing at the end of each slide.

4. Example Talks

   • Want inspiration? Check out these talks to see the format in action:
     • Example Talk 1: Dance Floors Show Us How to Solve Student Apathy
     • Example Talk 2: Eco Intensive Agriculture
     • Tips for Presenters

5. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

   • Overloading slides with information — keep it simple and visual.
   • Speaking too quickly — practice timing your speech to match the slides.
   • Neglecting the audience — maintain eye contact and engage with the people in the room.

6. Key Dates and Application Process

   • Application Deadline: Monday, September 23, 2024, by 11:59 p.m.
   • Submit:
     1. A 60-second video introducing your topic and why it excites you
     2. A short (max 250 word) description on how you plan to engage the audience in this lightning talk format
     3. Dates you are available to present during the preliminary sessions

   • Event Schedule:

     • Preliminary Rounds: Monday, October 7 - Friday, October 11, from 12-1 p.m. each day
     • Final Round: Friday, October 18, from 12-1 p.m.

7. Need More Help?

   If you have questions or need more information, please contact us at nsci@rice.edu. We're happy to assist!