Outstanding Student Presentation Awards (OSPA)

Competition Overview

The primary goal of OSPA is to provide student presenters at AGU meetings valuable feedback about their research and presentation skills to help them advance their careers. AGU sections recruit volunteer reviewers to offer written feedback to OSPA presenters.

In addition, sections may grant awards to the OSPA winners in their section to recognize and reward students for quality research in Earth and space science and the ability to effectively communicate it.

AGU24 Student Presenters: Students must sign up to participate in OSPA when submitting their abstracts for AGU24.

Student Information

Reviewer Information

Liaison Information

Coordinator Information

How it works

If a meeting is hosting an OSPA program, students (undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD) presenting their research (poster and oral) may sign up to participate. Specific deadlines will vary by meeting. The general timeline and steps are:

1

New for AGU24: Students sign up to participate in OSPA when submitting their abstracts for AGU24.
2

OSPA coordinators and liaisons work together to find reviewers for their OSPA students.
3

Before and during the meeting, registered attendees may sign up to review student presentations.
4

At the meeting, OSPA students give presentations.
5

During and after the meeting, reviewers submit their feedback via the OSPA portal. Students presenting virtually are eligible to participate in OSPA, and virtual attendees are eligible to participate as reviewers.
6

About six weeks after the meeting, participating students are provided feedback and winners are announced. Recognition certificates and, in some cases, prizes are awarded.
7

Recognition certificates and, in some cases, prizes are awarded.

Information on OSPA participation

Students – Student presenters may sign up to receive feedback from volunteer evaluators at the AGU meeting.
Reviewers – AGU meeting participants volunteer to provide feedback and evaluate student presentations.
Liaisons – Liaisons ensure all OSPA students in their session(s) are evaluated.
Coordinators – Coordinators are the OSPA managers for their section. They encourage volunteers to review presentations and work with liaisons to confirm all students in their section are evaluated.