Call for Abstracts

    Information for Presenters

    Session Format and Presentation Instructions

    Click here for the tentative program. 

    Oral Presenters

    • You are allotted 14 minutes for your talk (11 minutes for presentations plus 3 minutes for Q&A).  Timing will be strictly enforced.
    • Presenters will be required to use the conference AV system to minimize setup time. Your slides must be submitted by Wednesday, February 26, 5 p.m. ET to this Dropbox folder.  Please prefix your filename with your oral session number and talk number for easy identification. For example, O3-4 John Doe.pptx if you are in Oral session 3, talk number 4. 
    • Please arrive at the presentation room at least 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the session. There are two parallel sessions – please consult the program to make sure you go to the correct room.
    • The preferred formats are Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe PDF. Please prepare your slides in 16:9 aspect ratio. We suggest bringing a copy of all the files, including movies, on a USB key. If you are including videos in your presentation, it is highly recommended you use a standard codec to avoid playback issues. Exporting the presentation using the Package for CD option from PowerPoint will ensure that all media files are copied into one location and file paths are adjusted inside the presentation. Windows Video Player is installed on the presentation computer.
    • General guidelines for preparing your presentation:
      1. Ensure that all text, figures, tables, etc., are visible in a large conference room (keep font size > 24 pt).
      2. Images should have high contrast so the audience can clearly see your findings; make images and data tables as large as possible.
      3. Avoid low-contrast color combinations – e.g. red text on a dark blue background, blue on black, pale grey on white.
      4. Ensure that you have an appropriate number of slides in your presentation.  As a rule of thumb, you should have one slide per minute of talk time; fewer if you have slides with complex figures or tables, or if you will show a long animation/movie.
      5. Practice your talk prior to the meeting.
      6. Projectors are 16:9 aspect ratio. Native panel resolution is 1920 x 1080
    • Best presentation awards will be handed out at the closing ceremony.

     

    Pitch-and-Poster Presenters

    • Pitch-and-poster presenters will first give a 3-minute pitch. Immediately after your pitch session, there will be a 60-minute poster session in the Poster hall for you to discuss your work with symposium participants and answer questions. 
    • For your pitch, please prepare a one-page static slide (3MT style, no animation – see below for links to examples) in landscape PDF format. 
    • Presenters will be required to use the conference AV system to minimize setup time. Your pitch slide must be submitted by uploading your file to this Dropbox folder no later than Wednesday, February 26, 5 p.m. ET.  If your slide is not received by the deadline, a slide with your name and the title of your abstract will be displayed when you give your pitch.  Please prefix your filename with your pitch session number and talk number for easy identification. For example, P3-4 Pitch John Doe.pdf, if you are in pitch session 3, talk number 4. 
    • Guidelines for preparing your pitch presentation:
      1. Resources on how to prepare your 3MT slides are available on the internet.  For example, see http://www.sussex.ac.uk/internal/doctoralschool/researcherdev/threeminth… and https://www.mcgill.ca/skillsets/files/skillsets/mcgill_3mt_presenter_gui…
      2. Ensure that all text, figures, tables, etc. are visible in a large conference room (keep font size > 24 pt).
      3. Projectors are 16:9 aspect ratio. Native panel resolution is 1920 x 1080
      4. Timing will be strictly enforced to ensure a smooth handover between speakers. Please ensure that you have rehearsed the timing of your pitch beforehand. The session chair will introduce each speaker and the title of the pitch.
    • For your poster, please prepare a printed poster and also submit an electronic version (in PDF) in advance for judging.  
      • Your poster will be set up on one of the two days this year. Your poster should be on display for the full duration of the poster session you’re assigned. Pitch 1, 2, 3 and 4 presenters will display their posters on Wednesday, and Pitch 5, 6, 7 and 8 presenters will display their posters on Thursday. The Symposium staff will provide Velcro to mount your poster.  Posters should be self-contained; there will be no access to electrical outlets. 
      • Posters being presented on Wednesday, March 5 between 11:45-12:45 or 15:30-16:30 should be set up on Wednesday morning between 8am-9am.  Your poster must be set up no later than 10:45 and be removed between 16:30 and 19:30 that evening. 
      • Posters being presented on Thursday, March 6 between 10:30-11:30 or 15:15-16:15 should be set up Thursday morning between 8am-9am.  Your poster must be set up no later than 10:00 and be removed between 16:15 and 17:30 that evening. 
      • Any poster not removed on time will be destroyed.
      • An electronic version of your poster (in PDF) must be submitted by uploading your file to this Dropbox folder no later than Wednesday, February 26, 5 p.m. ET for judging.
    • Guidelines for poster presentation
      1. Prepare a poster no more than 3′ 5″ (w) by 4′ (h).
      2. Ensure that all components (text, figures, tables, etc.) are clearly legible at a distance of approximately 2 m; a font size > 30 pt is required to achieve this.
      3. Images should be high contrast and appropriate brightness.
      4. Write just enough to tell your story.
    • Poster awards will be handed out at the closing and awards session on Thursday afternoon.