Otago Spotlight on Equity 2021

Poster Competition guidelines

Key Dates

9 August | Abstract submission

2 September | invited e-poster and audio presentation submission

7 September | Shortlisted entrants notified and asked to present a 2-3 minute talk at the symposium

How to Enter

Step 1: An abstract/summary

A 250-word summary of your research written for an academic audience. If you are working as part of a research team, you need to make it clear how your research contributes to the team’s objectives. This summary is used to assess the research merit of your research, in particular whether it is likely to result in the generation of new, potentially internationally leading-edge knowledge. Please provide details of your research including your research questions, methodology and conclusions, even if these are only interim based on early work.

Provide a title for the abstract, names of supervisors and departmental affiliations

Abstracts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word attachment via email by midday on Monday 9 August 2021 to healthsciences.research@otago.ac.nz.

Step 2: A poster

This will demonstrate the entrant's ability to successfully communicate their research to a scientifically educated audience, but one that may not have particular expertise in your field. Remember there will be people from disciplines as diverse as Pharmacy, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, to Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics and Public Health in attendance.

Language should be simple and concise. Your e-poster should include your research question, methodology and conclusions. You will also be asked to include a 3-min recorded audio presentation with your e-poster for the competition. E-posters (including audio) have to be submitted by midday on Thursday 2 September to healthsciences.research@otago.ac.nz to enter the competition. We will send information on how to record your presentation if your abstract is accepted.

Your poster will be printed and on display at the symposium on Wednesday 8 September. A specific programme slot will be allocated for poster viewing and you must be present at the assigned space during the designated time to discuss the work presented. You will receive more information by email if your abstract is selected.

Step 3: Presentation at the symposium

A judging panel will review all e-posters prior to the symposium. A number of students will be shortlisted for the Poster Competition Prize. Shortlisted students will be notified the day before the Symposium.

Those who are shortlisted will be asked to present their poster in a 2–3-minute talk to attendees of the Otago Spotlight Series: Achieving Health Equity from Research on Wednesday 8 September. The judging panel will decide the winners after these presentations.

Judging Criteria

It should be noted that the poster competition places extra weighting on the student’s ability to communicate the ideas presented in their poster verbally. There will be three criteria and the student will be marked out of 25.

1. The validity of the scientific question and findings. (5)

2. The communication of these ideas in the abstract and poster. (5)

3. The student’s ability to communicate these ideas verbally in a 3 min presentation. (15)