February 18, 2021
What motivated you when you were a student? Who encouraged you to pursue your goals? How did your mentors inspire you?
You can support the research careers of current high school, undergraduate, and graduate students by volunteering as a judge for the 2021 Sigma Xi Student Research Showcase. This online showcase is a unique opportunity for students to develop effective science communications skills and tailor their presentations to different audiences. Scientists who can successfully communicate the importance of their research to a broad audience are better equipped to secure financial and social support for their work. Participating students build a website containing an abstract, a slideshow, and a short video about their research.
From the comfort of their homes or offices, judges will evaluate students’ presentations and leave questions and comments on their websites, from April 26 to May 10, 2021. Judges will evaluate presentations based upon communication, scientific thought, and scientific method. Judges will then collectively select division winners, who will receive up to $1,000 in monetary awards and a nomination for associate membership in Sigma Xi.
Qualified Sigma Xi members can sign up as judges by completing the volunteer form at www.sigmaxi.org/judge21. Nonstudent members are qualified if they have experience in the research field that they are judging.
Those who can’t judge may still follow the competition and leave comments on participants’ websites at www.sigmaxi.org/srs. The more constructive feedback students receive, the more they will learn. After judging ends, the public will vote for the People’s Choice Award; that student winner will receive an additional $250.