woman pointing and explaining poster to audience

How to participate in OSPA

Participating as a student

Students who wish to participate in OSPA may sign up for the program after receiving their abstract acceptance email in early October. In that email, students will find detailed instructions.

If you are an OSPA presenter, please read on.

This year, all student presenters must log in to the online OSPA platform and complete the following requirements before the deadline: 1 December. In the online platform, you will be asked to:

  • Confirm if you are presenting in-person or virtually,

  • Complete your participation agreements, and

  • Confirm your abstract description (and make changes, if needed.)

Please note: As part of AGU organizational efforts to track, measure and assure proper outreach and effective programming service to all sectors of our membership, and in line with our strategic goals and plans for an Inclusive scientific community, student presenters may be asked to provide some demographic information about themselves. This information is critical to help us improve the state of our science. Any demographic information will only be used in an aggregate form and will never be used in a fashion that allows individual identification.

AGU student members pursuing an undergraduate, masters, or doctorate degree are eligible to participate. You must be the lead author of the abstract presented. Postdoctoral researchers are not eligible.

During the abstract acceptance process, students must click Accept on the OSPA confirmation question to participate.. Students will then receive additional instructions in late October on next steps for OSPA. You must confirm your participation by 18 October in the Participant's Corner by completing your Fall Meeting abstract acceptance process.

AGU recognizes that scores and judges’ comments are important for students to better their presentation skills for future sessions. Students will be contacted in February to sign back into the online system to view scores and to find out if you have won an OSPA.

  • Judges’ scores combine both presentation skills and the scientific content. The presentation visuals will also be evaluated.
  • The presentation itself is not judged without student commentary.

Presentations will be evaluated by up to three judges. Judges will be able to submit questions via a chat function in the OSPA online platform. You must submit answers to your judges’ questions via the chat function to be considered eligible for an OSPA.

This award is focused on recognizing presentation skills. Judges will assess you in the following areas on a scale of 1–5.

  • Presentation: Visuals, effective use of allotted time or space, diction (enunciation, volume, and clarity), general style, liveliness, and stage presence.
  • Content: Organization and logic, appropriate comprehension/knowledge of field, clear explanation/ability to answer questions, and significance and originality.
  • Overall Impression: Compared to other students’ presentations
  • Comments: Comments from judges are also encouraged in order to distinguish papers with similar scores.

OSPA reviewer information

Volunteer reviewers are an integral part of the Outstanding Student Presentation Awards. Many AGU students will remember their first OSPA experience fondly thanks to the help and generosity of the reviewers.

Volunteer to review at AGU2023

AGU needs volunteers like you to provide feedback to student presenters at AGU23! Reviewers are not allowed to evaluate students from their institution or students they are acquainted with. AGU student members can volunteer as reviewers if they opted out of participating in OSPA as a student presenter. 

If you are interested in volunteering, please indicate your interest when submitting your AGU23 abstract. Or, check this website again closer to AGU23! Reviewers may sign up for presentations two to four weeks before AGU23. 

Reviewing process

Whether reviewing an oral, poster, or iPoster session, the reviewer must adhere to the following requirements.

  • Do not review a presentation without student commentary. Q&A between reviewers and student presenters can occur in-person at Fall Meeting or through a chat feature within the online platform.
  • If you cannot review one of your assigned presentations, please still complete an evaluation form and designate on the form why you were not able to assess the presentation.
  • Presentations will be reviewed by up to three reviewers in an effort to ensure impartiality.
  • Reviewers are encouraged to remain anonymous.

If you cannot review one of the presentations you signed up for, you are responsible for finding a substitute. Ask a colleague or friend.

woman explaining to woman her poster

Reviewing criteria

This award is focused on recognizing presentation skills. Reviewers will provide feedback on the following areas:
  • Presentation: Visuals, effective use of allotted time or space, diction (enunciation, volume, and clarity), general style, liveliness, and stage presence.
  • Content: Organization and logic, appropriate comprehension/knowledge of field, clear explanation/ability to answer questions, and significance and originality.
  • Overall Impression: Compared to other student’s presentations.
  • Comments: Comments from reviewers are also greatly encouraged in order to provide students in-depth feedback and to distinguish papers with similar scores.
Woman explains poster to another woman attendee

Reviewer evaluation forms

All evaluations must be entered online by January 2024. Reviewers can access the feedback form online beginning 11 December and can edit scores until the evaluation submission deadline.

Colorful laptop open

OSPA Liaison Information

Liaisons are designated by the primary session convener. Liaisons are responsible for helping fill three judging slots for each confirmed OSPA student in their session and should leverage their professional network in order to recruit reviewers.

Liaison Responsibilities 

  • Secure volunteer reviewers for every student presentation within your session(s), by leveraging your network. AGU assists in recruiting, but your professional connections are integral in securing volunteers. 
    • Each presentation should be evaluated by three reviewers.
    • The deadline for reviewers to be assigned a presentation is 15 December.  
    • The deadline for reviewers to submit their evaluations is January 2024.  
    • You can find the full reviewer requirements on the above reviewer tab. 
  • You may choose to review students in your session yourself. This is acceptable if there is no conflict of interest.  

 

  • Eligibility: Only AGU members are eligible to serve as liaisons. It is not required to attend Fall Meeting, but attendance will be helpful. Student members are eligible to serve as liaisons if they are not participating in OSPA as a student presenter.

  • Responsibilities: Recruit three volunteer reviewers for every OSPA presentation in your Fall Meeting session(s) by leveraging your professional network, November – December. Then, make sure the reviewers submit their evaluations before the January deadline. 

    We assist in recruiting as well, but your professional connections are integral in recruiting volunteers.

section of Poster Hall

OSPA Coordinator Information

Section leaders designate at least two OSPA coordinators each year to encourage volunteers to participate as OSPA reviewers during Fall Meeting. In order to be eligible for this role, volunteers must be AGU non-student members, but they do not have to attend Fall Meeting. The coordinator role requires a minimal time commitment (about one to two hours per week through mid-January).

Responsibilities:

  • Manage the effort to secure volunteer reviewers for students within section
  • Encourage reviewers to sign up via direct email, section newsletters, websites, or other communications
  • Assist OSPA liaisons in recruiting reviewers 
  • Encourage reviewers to enter their scores by the deadline
  • Participate in the selection of OSPA winners within section
  • Commit about one to two hours per week, starting in November through mid-January

Eligibility: Only non-student AGU members are eligible to serve as coordinators. It is not required to attend Fall Meeting, but attendance will be helpful. If you are interested in participating as an OSPA coordinator, contact your Section leadership.