STUDENT PROGRAMS
Outstanding Student Presentation Awards
Congratulations to the OSPA 2024 Winners
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Career Stage
Student
Award Type
OSPA
Of Note
Application process

Supporting Student Research and Communications

The Outstanding Student Presentation Awards (OSPA) program provides student presenters (poster, oral and iPoster) at AGU meetings the opportunity to receive valuable feedback about their research and presentation skills with the goal of  helping them advance their careers. Presentations are reviewed and scored entirely by volunteer reviewers.

OSPAs are awarded to promote, recognize, and reward undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD students for quality research in Earth and space science and the ability to effectively communicate it. AGU Sections recruit reviewers to provide feedback and evaluate the presentations of students who have opted to participate in the program.

Honor Benefits
Recipients receive the following:

  • Recognition certificate
  • Prizes may be awarded, in some cases, if funding exists 

Criteria for a Successful Presentation

Students are evaluated on the following:
PRESENTATION

Judges will assess you on a scale of 1-5. Visuals, effective use of allotted time or space, diction (enunciation, volume, and clarity), general style, liveliness, and stage presence.

CONTENT

Judges will assess you on a scale of 1-5. Organization and logic, appropriate comprehension/knowledge of field, clear explanation/ability to answer questions, and significance and originality.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Judges will assess you on a scale of 1-5. Compared to other students’ presentations.

COMMENTS

Comments from judges are also used to distinguish papers with similar scores.

Eligibility

Nominee
The student must:
  • be an active student member of AGU
  • be pursuing an undergraduate, masters, or doctorate degree
  • be presenting their research at a meeting hosting an OSPA
  • be the lead author of the abstract presented
  • register to present in OSPA after receiving their abstract acceptance email
  • confirm participation about six weeks prior to the meeting (the abstract acceptance email with contain the direct link for student presenters)
  • not be a postdoctoral researcher