Q: Why should I participate in SCREECH?
A: SCREECH is a great opportunity to develop your research communication skills. You gain experience in crafting a great elevator pitch about your research that you can use at conferences, networking events, and meetings with family and a friends, as well as the experience of delivering a pitch to a large general audience of 200+ people. You will also be provided with expert coaching on how to communicate your research effectively from the Rice Center of Engineering Leadership and the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication. In addition to professional development, participating in SCREECH will make your research known to more people within and outside the Rice community. Previous SCREECH participants have been approached by audience members from industry about their research. Winners of the competition receive award certificates and cash prizes in recognition of their great pitches!
Q: How do I sign up for SCREECH?
A: You can sign up for SCREECH using this application form.
Q: When is the deadline to sign up?
A: The deadline is Oct 6th at 11:59 pm.
Q: Am I eligible to compete in SCREECH?
A: If you are a current Rice engineering graduate student, then yes!
Q: I am a first year engineering grad student. Can I participate in SCREECH?
A: Yes.
Q: I am a professional masters student. Can I participate in SCREECH?
A: Yes.
Q: I am a visiting graduate student. Can I participate in SCREECH?
A: Yes. In the application form, please note the engineering department and academic adviser you are working with at Rice.
Q: I have already participated in a past SCREECH competition. Can I participate in SCREECH again?
A: Yes, as long as you have not won 1st place in previous competitions.
Q: I am an Applied Physics grad student working in an engineering department. Can I participate in SCREECH?
A: Yes. In the application form, please select the engineering department you are working in and check that you are an Applied Physics grad student. You will be considered a member of the engineering department you chose when it comes to prizes.
Q: The SCREECH application asks for details on my research. What if I don’t have a clear idea of what I will be presenting? Is it ok to switch research focuses after applying?
A: Yes. The application is to make sure you have thought through what is required for participating in SCREECH.
Q: Does my research need to be published for me to participate in SCREECH?
A: No, you are welcome to present research ideas and work-in-progress.
Q: I have no experience giving presentations to large groups of people. Public speaking makes me very nervous! Should I still participate in SCREECH?
A: Yes! One of the main focuses of the event is to help graduate students develop better communication skills. We will provide you two one-on-one coaching sessions to help prepare you for delivering your pitch. The community (coaches, judges, other participants, and audience) will be very supportive. We want all SCREECH participants to benefit from this experience!
Q: What can I expect from SCREECH coaching sessions?
A: All SCREECH participants are required to sign up for two one-on-one coaching sessions – one with a coach from the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) and the other with a coach from the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication (CWOVC). The first coaching session with RCEL will focus on strengthening the content of your pitch (i.e., coming up with a great opening hook to grab a large audience’s attention). The second coaching session with CWOVC will focus on the presentation and delivery of your pitch (i.e., eye contact and posture while presenting).
Q: What should I bring to the coaching sessions?
You should bring two printed copies of your SCREECH pitch.
Q: Are coaching sessions mandatory?
A: Yes, the two one-on-one coaching sessions are mandatory to participate in SCREECH.
Q: How do I sign up for coaching session slots?
A: See this page for full instructions. For the CWOVC coaches, you will sign up through CWOVC’s web form which can be found here. You must login with your Rice netID and password. Be sure to choose the SCREECH option under the “Choose a schedule” dropdown menu. For the RCEL coaches, you will be using a google calendar with the coaches’ availabilities, found here.
Q: When is the deadline to sign up for coaching session slots?
A: At least two days in advance of the coaching session. Earlier sign up is preferred so coaches know when to expect you in advance.
Q: When will coaching take place?
A: The first round of coaching will most likely start the week of Oct. 10th and continue through the week of Oct. 16th. The second round of coaching will most likely start the week of Oct. 24th and continue through the week of Oct. 31st. The times of the coaching sessions will depend on coaches availability throughout the week.
Q: May I go to more than two coaching sessions?
A: Yes, but you will have to schedule any additional coaching sessions on your own.
Q: When and where will the SCREECH competition take place?
A: The competition will take place on Wednesday, November 7th, most likely from 6:30 – 9:30 pm in McMurtry Auditorium.
Q: Will I have a chance to practice my SCREECH pitch in McMurtry Auditorium?
A: Yes, we will be holding practice sessions in the days leading up to the event.
Q: What prizes are given at SCREECH?
A: Cash prizes are given to 1st (~$600), 2nd (~$400), and 3rd (~$200) best SCREECH presenters. Cash prizes are also given to the best SCREECH presenters in each department / group of related departments (~$150). A Valhalla tab (~$150 – 200) is given to the best engineering department which has the highest sum of the top 3 SCREECH presenters scores (if there are 2 or fewer participants, only the scores of those participants are summed, so it is ideal for all departments to have at least 3 participants to be in competition for this award).
Q: What are the judging criteria?
A: Each SCREECH pitch will be judged based on three criteria — timing, content, and delivery. 1. Timing: Does the Screecher’s pitch meet the 90 sec time limit?
2. Content: Has the Screecher clearly stated the problem their research aims to solve and why their research is important? Has the Screecher clearly defined their proposed solution to the above problem? How does their solution differ from what has already been done?
3. Delivery: Was the Screecher convincing? Was the pitch exciting?
Q: Will the impact of my research be a criterion for the scoring?
A: No. Judges will be told to focus on how clearly your SCREECH pitch conveys the impact and importance of your research work, rather than the impact of the research itself. Granted some research topics are more challenging to communicate to a broad audience than others, so you may have to be creative with your pitch.