URCA Slam: Elevate Your Ideas, Ignite Your Passion
Event Details
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: UCSB Library
The suspense. The lights. The crowd. The drama. The Undergraduate Research Slam is a competition where participants have just three minutes and three slides to give a dynamic presentation of their research project. Come cheer on your favorite presenter as they compete!
All UCSB undergraduates participating in research during the preceding academic year are eligible. The top 3 students will earn prizes!
The Slam is a public speaking competition, not a slideshow competition. While the qualifying round will be judged by UCSB academic personnel, the final round will be judged by community members with a range of educational and professional backgrounds. Effective presentations can communicate student work to a general audience.
Competition Schedule
Qualifying Round
Auditioning is required at reservations are first come first served, with a minimum 48 hour advance registration required. Auditions will take place in the UCSB Library Conference Room 1582, Oceanside, down the ramp and to the right.
Auditions will take place in the conference room and be video recorded by the URCA Director for judges to review. The day before your scheduled audition, you will receive a reminder email. If you want to use a slide in your presentation, reply to that email with a JPG or PNG of the slide you want to use or a public link to find it online.
Students may use scripts for auditions but are expected to memorize for the competition.
- Thursday April 23, 4-6 PM
- Friday April 24, 12-2 PM
- Monday April 27, 9-11 AM
Practice Session
Finalists will be invited to an open practice session in the space where the final will be to get used to the microphone, lighting, etc. You may bring friends to provide feedback, and we will have staff on hand to answer any questions.
Finals
Slides: Finalists are required to submit their slides as PNG or JPEG files in widescreen 16:9 ratio by 12 noon on Tuesday, May 12.
Final contest: Finalists are asked to arrive by 4:15 PM on Thursday, May 14. The event begins at 4:30 PM and usually wraps up by 6 PM. Competitors are encouraged to invite guests to cheer them on at the event.
Rules
Presentation must be between 2:30 minutes minimum and 3:00 minutes maximum.
- Students may create one slide for their presentation. The URCA office will produce title slides for all students.
- Animations and transitions in the slide is NOT allowed; pages must be static images.
- Embedding audio and/or video clips is not allowed.
- Students may not use props or scripts.
- All Slam events will be open to the public and may be recorded.
- Only individuals may enter the slam. Participants from a research group should focus their individual presentations on their particular contribution to the group project.
- Top 3 students will earn prizes ($500, $250, $100)
Scoring Guide
Clarity
Did the speaker provide enough background knowledge and context to make the talk understandable and compelling to a general audience?
Organization
Were you able to understand the speaker’s motivations and progression of the work?
Delivery
Did the speaker engage the audience with their delivery? If visual a aid was used, did this enhance the presentation and help to emphasize the primary points of the talk? Was the slide well designed?
Intellectual Significance
Did the speaker explain why the project matters (for example, its significance to the academic discipline)? If the student presents on collaborative work, was the significance of the student’s unique contribution clear?
Engagement
To what extent did the talk speak to your intellectual curiosity? Did it make you want to learn more about the topic?
Each category is scored on a 10 point scale.
Points will be deducted for time violations.
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2 point deduction per ballot for every extra 10 seconds (-2 pts at 3:10, -4 pts at 3:20, etc)
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2 point deduction per ballot for videos under 2:30 minutes
Resources
The UCSB Grad Slam serves as a model for the impact a 3-minute presentation can have. Take advantage of their incredible resource page to think more about these key points the Graduate Division identifies:
Images and Visuals
If your presentation includes visuals, make sure to select them carefully. You’ll want to find images or tables that are visually appealing and that emphasize key aspects of your work. Most importantly: strive for simplicity! Cluttering your slides with images and text can overwhelm your audience.
Performance
Giving a speech can be a nerve-racking experience, but it is important to practice this skill in order to become more confident and comfortable in front of others.
Disciplinary Resources & Example Talks
There are a number of discipline-specific resources that may help you as you prepare to communicate both inside and outside of your discipline.