MTTG Elevator Pitch Contest 

This year we will have something different on our program – an ‘elevator pitch’ competition – and we need you to participate. We would like to give all the postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates in our community the opportunity to deliver a 30 seconds pitch on their work, similar to what you see in this YouTube video or this one from Jon Hoggatt.This can be an excellent way for trainees to practice communicating their scientific goals clearly and succinctly to many different audiences, whether they be fellow scientists, investors, journalists, or family members. As another resource, view a video tutorial of “how to make a video from PowerPoint presentation”.

Submit your video link now

To participate:

  1. We invite all trainees to work on a script for a 30 seconds pitch about your research, make a video of your pitch, and submit it to the SLB using a YouTube link
  2. We will select 3 candidates
  3. At the annual meeting, selected participants will have the opportunity to present a 3 minute elevator pitch.
  4. The audience will vote for the best pitch.
  5. The winner will receive a price.

Elevator pitch format:

30 seconds is not a lot of time, so putting together a script for an elevator pitch can be daunting. The following framing might be helpful to your trainees:

My research tackles [insert your focus/general problem], which [impact of problem]. I will [summary of your work] to clarify [name/explain the specific problem]. These findings will help [target beneficiary] overcome [primary difficulty]. My research is different from [competition/current therapy] in that it [unique differentiator].

 

Videos do not have to be studio quality – they can be recorded on a smartphone. We ask only that you ensure the audio is clear. Infuse it with your personality to make it captivating for the audience.