TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge Guidelines
The TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge will recognize research and technology that could have significant impact on scientific understanding and society. This opportunity provides protégés a chance to showcase their research and innovation to research and industry leaders. Attendees include National Academy members, CEOs and business leaders, federal agency leaders and the greater scientific research community in Texas.
A maximum of fifty posters will be invited to participate in the poster session on a first-come, first-served basis. Posters will be self-organized into one of four categories: Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology. Please note: posters do not need to connect with the overall theme of the meeting (Transformational Breakthroughs).
Judging will begin when abstracts are submitted through a pre-screening process. Out of the 50 abstracts submitted, 20 will be selected and visited by judges at the conference (five per category). However, any protégé that submits an abstract is still invited to display their poster and share their research with the conference attendees, but they will not be judged.
All proteges showcasing a poster should print out and bring their posters to the conference. Posters will be available for viewing the afternoon of Tuesday February 4, and all day Wednesday, February 5. Dedicated visiting hours for the posters will be 4:30-6:30 p.m. the afternoon of Wednesday, February 5.
After review by judges the afternoon of February 5, four protégé poster challenge participants (one for each category) will be selected to become finalists. Finalists will be invited to an exclusive VIP breakfast session the morning of Thursday, February 6 and present their poster on the main stage to the TAMEST conference audience later that morning (five-minute presentation). There will be one Grand Prize Winner selected and announced after the finalists have presented their posters on stage. (View the full timeline below.)
Recognition and Prizes
The four Protégé Poster Challenge finalists will receive:
- Invitation to an exclusive VIP breakfast session with TAMEST Board Presidency and Nobel Laureates.
- Opportunity to present poster on the main stage of the TAMEST conference (5-minute presentation)
- Post-event publicity and certificate of recognition
- Complimentary registration to the TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference
- Note: All poster challenge participants selected for the judges’ round must be available to attend the protégé finalist breakfast and give their poster presentation on stage on February 6, 2025
All poster display participants will receive:
- Networking opportunities with National Academy members and distinguished leaders and scientists
- Protégé networking reception on Tuesday, February 4th from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
- Opportunity to present their research to a wide audience of the Texas research and business community
- Special networking breakfast on Wednesday, February 5 for protégés to learn more about career advancement and nomination to the National Academies from elected members.
- Name and photo listed in annual conference printed program
Judging at Conference
Those who submit a poster abstract will be notified by the end of January whether or not they have been selected to be judged in-person at the conference. On February 5th, judges will visit the 20 posters that were selected in the abstract review round. Participants will be asked to share a 5-minute overview of their research to the judges, followed by questions from the judges.
Each poster in the challenge will be evaluated by the panel of judges consisting of TAMEST Executive Committee and Conference Program Committee members. The judges are scientists and researchers from different disciplines, so we encourage you to begin your poster presentation with a general overview of your research and its potential impact on science and society. This introduction should be accessible to scientists from various backgrounds. It is crucial to adhere to the 5-minute time limit for your presentation, as the judges need enough time to review all the posters. If you exceed this limit, points will be deducted from your score.
Posters will be judged on the following criteria:
- Statement of challenge or problem addressed by research (accessible to scientists from various backgrounds)
- Potential to have significant impact on scientific understanding and society
- Summary of key elements and findings of research
- Effectiveness and engagement of presentation
- Ability to share research summary in a five-minute presentation
Timeline
Poster Size
Displays can be prepared as a single poster or multiple posters but must fit within the size of the board provided, including space for the assigned board number to be visible. Your assigned board number will be provided at conference check-in. The working surface of the display board is 6’W x 4’H. The total height of the display board is 6’9”. Additional support elements (tables, additional easels, etc.) are not allowed.
Instructions to Submit Poster Abstract
The challenge is open to all protégés that have been nominated by a TAMEST member and approved by TAMEST. Protégés wishing to participate in the poster challenge must sign up by December 12, 2024, provide the information outlined below and submit your information to TAMEST.
- Name, title, institutional affiliation, email address and office and cell phone number of participant
- Headshot for Conference Program
- Title of the poster, 50-word summary statement and an abstract with a description of the research (250-word limit) for each participant
