Executive Secretariat Casa da Cuncha, Rúa da Conga, 1. P.C.: 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña (Spain) Tel.: +34 881 812
931/4/5 Fax: +34 881 812 932 E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] www.gcompostela.org
COMPOSTELA GROUP OF UNIVERSITIES
I CGU RESEARCH PITCHES CONTEST: REGULATIONS
(Academic year 2016-2017)
1.
Presentation
The Compostela Group of Universities (CGU) promotes the cooperation between its member
institutions so that, sharing experience and good practices, they can provide better service to
society.
One of the main aims of universities is research. This contest intends to contribute to the
policies of universities to boost the dissemination of research results as well as to promote the
research carried out at university members.
Researchers are invited to present their research by means of Research Pitches. A pitch is a
short presentation that aims to convince somebody of the value of something, usually with the
goal of selling a product or getting funding for a project. The idea is that researchers in the
Compostela Group of Universities have the chance to disseminate their research among the
other university members and beyond, in order to find funding, contact research groups doing
similar research, attract researchers and PhD students who wish to do that kind of research,
and to disseminate research results to the academic community and to the society, in general.
The Compostela Group will reward the research pitch presented by a researcher of one of its
member universities that best reaches a general audience and transmits the reasons why the
research project is important as well as the contribution made to society by means of that
project.
2.
Target group
All full member universities of the CGU can join the I CGU Research Pitches Contest (CGU
Research PC). Once endorsed institutionally, the contest is open to all their university
researchers: Those listed as member of their research groups and those enrolled on a doctoral
programme or a master’s degree course at the time of applying.
3.
Participation
a. University endorsement
CGU full member universities willing to offer their researchers the experience to participate in
the I CGU Research PC must endorse the edition institutionally by a Letter of Endorsement
(available on the CGU Research Pitches Contest’s website). This must be sent via e-email to the
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CGU Secretariat by a given deadline (see chronology on next pages). The university will be
endorsed to the contest once the CGU Secretariat confirms the fact by email.
Once endorsed institutionally, the University has two participation options:
a) To organize an internal research pitches competition and then send the winner (or up to the
top 3 Research Pitches) to the CGU in order to join the CGU Research Pitches Contest.
b) To promote the CGU’s contest through the university’s website and other communication
tools. Applicant researchers will be asked to send their Research Pitches to the coordinator of
the contest at their institution who would select a maximum of 3 to join the CGU contest.
Those 3 will be sent to the CGU Secretariat by a given deadline (see chronology on next pages).
b. Researcher applications
Individual researchers of universities endorsed to the edition can apply to the CGU Research
Pitches Contest. To apply they must hand in to their home university a Consent Document.
c. Pitches: Terms and conditions
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Each person may submit a maximum of one ‘research pitch’ proposal;
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The research work and pitch must be original and entrant’s own work;
-
The Research Pitch is a monologue and must be made by a single speaker, who will be
clearly in focus at any moment;
-
The research Pitches have to be recorded: Researchers must present the topic of their
research, the problem they have identified, how their research contributes to look for a
solution and the impact expected in society in general, and in the academic and research
community, in particular;
-
The video recording can be made using any kind of device (cell phones, webcams, etc.) and
can be edited afterward;
-
The background of the video will be preferably flat not to distract the viewer’s attention.
Both the quality of video and audio must be high definition;
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Maximum length: 3 minutes;
-
Audio-visual aids: Only 3 static slides can be used as elements of support for the Research
Pitch. The use of other elements (video or audio files) or physical objects is not permitted.
The slides should occupy just one corner of the image in the recording, never blocking the
image of the speaker;
-
Language for the videos: All presentations must be in correct English. In case another
European language is used, it should be subtitled in correct English;
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-
The research pitch title, author name, the university logo and the Compostela Group of
Universities logo must be shown at the beginning of the recording on a full black
background for 3-5 seconds;
-
In addition to the logo of the university, the logo of the Compostela Group should be
present in the whole recording. That can be done through a small reproduction of the logo
in one of the corners of the screen or in a different way.
The decision –making body of the competition reserves the right to exclude any works content
that is obscene, violent, sexist, racist or in breach of one of the fundamental rights enshrined
in Spanish Constitution, and particularly the articles contained in Part I: ‘Concerning
fundamental rights and duties’, and works that violate the principles set out in Article 3 of the
Statutes of the UJI.
Individuals entering the contest will be held responsible for claims for third party rights due to
the use of materials, and claims for image rights of individuals appearing, and free the
organisers of any type of responsibility.
After the contest edition has ended, the researchers who have produced the prizewinning
works will retain all intellectual property rights provided for in Law 1/1996 concerning
intellectual property. However, the CGU will have non-exclusive rights of public
communication, reproduction and distribution over the prizewinning works, in order to
promote the contest and the prizewinning entries. The CGU may not use the rights granted for
commercial purposes under any circumstances.
d. Submission
Researcher applicants must send their pitch to the coordinator of the CGU Research Contest
at their home university. They must be accompanied by the Consent Document (see point 3.b).
The participating institutions must send the CGU Secretariat:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A filled in Nomination Form (available on the CGU Research Pitches Contest’s
website) signed by a competent authority of the institution;
The recordings of the nominated Research Pitches (up to 3), by e-mail, Dropbox,
WeTransfer, other online platforms (if using Youtube, the video should not be
public), or in a CD sent via regular mail (Casa da Cuncha, Rúa da Conga, no. 1,
Santiago de Compostela, PC: E15782);
The Europass CVs of the authors in English.
Contest Evaluation Committee
The evaluation committee will act as the decision-making body and will consist of:
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The President of the Compostela Group of Universities;
The Vice-President of the Compostela Group of Universities;
Five representatives of the association’s member institutions;
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-
The Executive Secretary of the Compostela Group of Universities will act as Secretary
of the Evaluation Committee.
The names of the Evaluation Committee will be published annually together with the
provisional list of the works admitted and excluded on the CGU website:
www.gcompostela.org
5.
Prizes
Three prizes will be awarded:
1st prize: The 1st finalist will receive 900 Euro (gross amount) transferrable to his/her
home university; and, a diploma.
2nd prize: The 2nd finalist will receive 400 Euro (gross amount) transferrable to his/her
home university; and, a diploma.
The economic part of the prize may be subject to withholding taxes. The CGU reserves the
right to apply those withholding taxes, in accordance to the Spanish Law.
All prize winners will send a recording in which they can explain how they made their pitches
and thank for the prize.
The university organizing the CGU General Assembly may ask its candidates to present their
pitches live during the academic part of the event. Those may match the winners or not and, in
any case, the fact will not affect the decision of the Jury to select the winners (see criteria for
selection in next point).
6.
Evaluation procedure
The decision-making body must choose the best works in its opinion from among all those
submitted, based on the following criteria:
1. Clarity. The committee will evaluate whether the presentation helps the general public
understand the research by following a logical argument. The clarity of presentation of
the nature, objectives and relevance of the research will also be taken into account.
2. Involvement. The presenter's enthusiasm for his/her research and his/her ability to
capture and maintain the audience's attention will be assessed; this includes eye
contact and self-confidence. As a result, the audience should be eager to know more
about the subject.
3. Communication. The committee will also assess sound and image, language quality
and all the characteristics of videos, in accordance to the terms of conditions of pitches
stated in this document. The author must make sure that the research topic and its
relevance are explained using speech appropriate for a non-specialist audience,
avoiding scientific jargon and clearly explaining terminology and specific procedures
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when necessary. The presenter must use the time appropriately and the slides must
make the presentation more vivid and dynamic: must be attractive, clear, and concise.
All the participating Research Pitches will be available to the Committee on a private play list
of the Youtube channel of the Compostela Group. The jury will rate each Research Pitch from 1
to 10 and will provide a reasoned report on the punctuation awarded. The two Research
Pitches with the highest punctuation will be the two winners of the contest. In case of a tied
vote, a second ballot will be held between the equally rated candidates.
The Prize may be void if the decision making-body so decide.
7.
Publication of the winning pitches
The decision making-body will publish the list of works admitted and excluded and the
justification thereof, in accordance to section 5 of this call, on the CGU website:
gcompostela.org
The winning research pitches will be presented officially as part of the activities of the CGU
General Assembly meeting. Researchers from the host institution and other member
universities will be invited to this event. Organizers can consider the possibility to invite the
selected candidates of their institution to participate. In addition, host institutions will organize
meetings of the winner researchers with other researchers in their institutions or from other
member universities.
The selected Research Pitches will be disseminated through the different digital platforms of
the CGU, and may be promoted by any CGU member university, including the home university
of the winning researchers.
8.
Chronology
October 2016: The call 2016/2017 is open.
21st November 2016: Deadline for the universities to send to the CGU Secretariat the Letter of
Endorsement.
21st November 2016-April 2017: The endorsed universities organize specific training and
promote the Contest among their research community and, if they choose to do it, organize a
local Research Pitch contest. Researchers apply to the contest.
30th April 2017: Deadline for the universities to send to the CGU’s Secretariat the selected
Research Pitch(es) to join the CGU contest, and the Nomination Form.
May 2017: Deliberation of the Evaluation Committee.
Summer 2017: Publication of the winners.
September 2017: Presentation of the winner Research Pitches and awarding of the prize
during the CGU’s General Assembly.
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9.
Acceptance of the Prize
The winning researchers will be formally notified of the awarding of the prize by post or
electronic mail. Within 10 working days after the reception of that formal notification, the
winners must accept or reject the prize using the same notification method than the one
received (post or electronic mail).
If the prize winners do not perform the above-mentioned procedure, they will be deemed to
have rejected the prize and it will not be awarded.
10.
Acceptation of the competition rules
Participating in this contest implies the acceptation of all its rules. Participants will be the only
responsible of any copyright/image rights complaints from the people appearing in the
recordings or the materials used.
According to the Spanish Organic Law 15/1999 of Personal Data Protection, the participants,
through their signature in the nomination form, give their consent to the treatment of their
personal data, related to the procedures of the contest, to the Compostela Group.
All participating Research Pitches will become CGU’s property. The CGU will be able to use
them for promotion, for its broadcast at meetings and events of the Group and on the website
of the association, profiles/groups, social networks and other media related to its activities.
The participants will be allowed to use their videos for other purposes as long as they are
granted permission by the CGU.
11.
Disclaimer
The Compostela Group is not responsible for technical, hardware, software, or other
malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete,
inaccurate, or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any equipment or
programming associated with or utilized in this promotion, or by any human, or other error,
which may occur during this contest.
For further information or if you need some advice regarding the organization of the contest,
please do not hesitate to contact the CGU’s Secretariat at [email protected] and
[email protected]
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