Speed Science Contest
A science communication training program to help AI scientists better explain their research to non-specialists.
The rapid growth of AI affects all facets of society, but the inner workings of this technology and the community of experts who shape it remain relatively misunderstood.
Scientists can benefit from popularization skills to share their knowledge with society at large, yet traditional academic careers offer limited opportunities to hone these skills. To bridge this gap, Mila has created a science communication contest to help Master's and PhD students in AI be better science communicators, inspired by the Ma thèse en 180 secondes / Three Minute Thesis initiatives.
The Concept
Over the course of several weeks, Mila researchers develop their science communication and storytelling skills in a professional training and mentorship program. Through workshops and feedback sessions, participants learn to craft compelling three-minute presentations about their research. The program culminates in a public grand finale where a jury of non-specialists selects the top three presentations, and the audience gets the chance to choose a crowd favourite.
In an era of misinformation, the role of scientists is to provide the real facts and present them to the public. The competition was a wonderful opportunity to learn how to make a good presentation and how to tell a great story.
Dounia Shaaban-Kabakibo - first prize and audience choice award, Speed Science 2024
Goals
- Raise awareness among researchers about the importance of science communication and scientists’ role within society.
- Train participants through scientific communication workshops and personalized coaching, helping them explain their research in a clear and concise manner.
- Help them develop an engaging, concise presentation of their research topic, which is useful in the academic and professional world, as well as in their daily lives.
- Increase visibility of Mila projects for the research community and a non-specialist audience.
Dates
The contest is held every year in the spring and in the fall.
The next edition will take place in the spring of 2025 at Mila.
For any questions about the program, contact communications@mila.quebec.
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The event ended with a networking cocktail with participants and members of the public.
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The first edition of Mila's Speed Science competition, which brought together nine of Mila's talented researchers who took to the stage to present their work in three minutes to a jury and an audience of peers, industry professionals, media members, and the general public, was a resounding success.
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The grand finale of the competition was held on November 14th, 2024 at Mila and 4 prizes were awarded, including a public choice award.
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The event ended with a networking cocktail with participants and members of the public.
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The first edition of Mila's Speed Science competition, which brought together nine of Mila's talented researchers who took to the stage to present their work in three minutes to a jury and an audience of peers, industry professionals, media members, and the general public, was a resounding success.
This program highlighted the importance of clear and responsible communication, particularly when engaging with the public about AI advancements. It also encouraged me to prioritize accuracy and avoid contributing to unnecessary hype, while also presenting complex ideas in an accessible way.
Arna Ghosh - second prize, Speed Science 2024
Watch the 2024 Edition
Discover the full presentation of each participant of the inaugural Speed Science contest.
Dounia Shaaban Kabakibo, a PhD student in Physics at Université de Montréal, won the first prize and the audience choice award for her presentation "A "solid"' approach to batteries".
Arna Ghosh, a PhD student in Computer Science at McGill University, won the second prize for his presentation "Bridging the Conceptual Gap Between Brains and AI".
Abdelrahman Zayed, a PhD student in Computer Science at Polytechnique Montréal, won the third prize for his presentation "AI Fairness Surgery".
Prakhar Ganesh, a PhD student at McGill University, showcased his presentation "The Curious Case of Arbitrariness in Machine Learning".
Mélisande Teng, a PhD student at Université de Montréal, showcased her presentation "Mapping Bird Distributions".
Raymond Chua, a PhD student at McGill University, showcased his presentation "Learning About Learning".
Thomas Dagonneau, a PhD student at Polytechnique Montréal, showcased his presentation "Un super-radiologue pour votre grand-père".
Nathan Molinier, a PhD student at Polytechnique Montréal, showcased his presentation "Traffic Interruption on Your Spinal Cord".
“What I liked most about the program is the cooperation among the students during the preparation stage, where my colleagues provided me with feedback to improve my presentation, and vice versa. It brought me more confidence in my public speaking and communication skills.”
Abdelrahman Zayed - third prize, Speed Science 2024
