The CAP hosts The Best Student Oral and Student Poster competitions at the 2025 CAP Congress. Cash prizes will be awarded by the CAP for the top three oral presentations by a student and for the top three overall poster presentations by a student. In addition, various CAP subject divisions and other sponsors will host more focused competitions by subject areas.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING?
The intent of these competitions is to encourage both undergraduate and graduate students to present their research work to and interact with the Canadian physics community at an early stage in their careers. Students should present the work and take primary responsibility for the content of the presentation as well as the written abstract.
ELIGIBILITY
In order to be considered for this competition, a student must be a member (graduate) or affiliate (undergraduate) of the CAP. Undergraduate affiliateship is free throughout their BSc program. The first year of membership is free e for graduate students; significantly reduced fees apply for subsequent years. Membership applications and renewals can be submitted online here.
Please note that it can take up to 10 business days in total to activate your membership/affiliateship, which includes processing payment, if applicable. Therefore, you should submit your membership application at the same time as you submit your abstract.
HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION
Students who wish to enter the CAP Best Student Oral or Best Student Poster competitions must specifically indicate their intention to compete by selecting the appropriate option for either the oral or the poster competition at the time of submission of the congress abstract. A student entering either the CAP Best Student Oral or Best Student Poster competitions will automatically be entered into the appropriate CAP divisional competition if one exists and if they are a member of that division. Note that while a student may give more than one presentation (e.g. a talk and a poster, provided they are on different subjects), the student cannot enter more than one CAP competition (oral or poster).
JUDGING OF ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Student oral presentations and judging will take place in the students’ assigned scientific session throughout the Congress from the afternoon of Monday, June 9 – end of day Tuesday, June 10. Finalists for the CAP Best Student Oral competition will give a second oral presentation on Thursday, June 12.
Student poster presentations and judging will take place at the Congress Poster Session Tuesday, June 10. Finalists for the CAP Best Student Poster competition will give a second poster presentation on Wednesday, June 11.
Judging will be based on the following rubric:
| Exceeding | Demonstrating | Developing | Emerging | |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Context, motivation | Problem is defined and put into context in a compelling way (precisely stated and strongly supported). | Problem is clear and consistent with the supporting material. | Problem is basically understandable but supporting material is insufficient. | Problem can be deduced but is not explicitly explained in the presentation. |
| Scientific content, quality, originality | Research methods and data are clearly explained. Impact of results are coherently compared to previous work. Contribution of the student is clear. | Research methods, data and impact are presented. Contribution of the student is clear. | Research methods and data are presented. Impact of results is insufficiently supported or contribution of the student is not clear. | Research methods and data are presented. Impact and contribution of the student are not clear. |
| Supporting materials (diagrams, data, graphs, statistical analysis, uncertainties) | A variety of supporting materials appropriately refer to information or analysis that significantly supports the presentation. | Supporting materials appropriately refer to information or analysis that generally supports the presentation. | Supporting materials appropriately refer to information or analysis that partially supports the presentation. | Insufficient supporting materials refer to information or analysis that minimally supports the presentation. |
| Organizational pattern (specific introduction and conclusion, sequenced material within the body, and transitions) | Organizational pattern is clearly and consistently observable and is skillful and makes the content of the presentation cohesive. | Organizational pattern is clearly and consistently observable. | Organizational pattern is intermittently observable. | Organizational pattern is not observable. |
| Delivery techniques (clarity, vocal expressiveness, enthusiasm, posture, gesture, eye contact, pace, terminology) | Delivery techniques make the presentation compelling, and speaker appears polished and confident. Terminology and pacing are appropriate to audience. | Delivery techniques make the presentation interesting, and speaker appears comfortable. Terminology and pacing are appropriate to audience. | Delivery techniques make the presentation understandable, and speaker appears tentative. Terminology and/or pacing are appropriate to audience. | Delivery techniques detract from the understandability of the presentation, and speaker appears uncomfortable. Terminology and/or pacing are not appropriate to audience. |
| Responses to questions and understanding of research topic | Responses to questions include further information and mastery of research topic is clear. | Responses to questions include basic information and understanding of research topic is clear. | Responses to questions reflect basic understanding but mastery of research topic is not clear. | Responses to questions are insufficient and understanding of research topic is not evident. |
| Overtime penalty (oral presentations only) | -3 for > 45 seconds overtime | |||
| Total Score (out of 24) |
WHAT IF I WIN?
Winners of the CAP Best Student Oral and Best Student Poster competitions, as well as winners of Division competitions will be announced at the Student Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 12, and the results published in Physics in Canada.
Division and Sponsored Competitions
A student entering either the CAP Best Student Oral or Best Student Poster competitions will automatically be entered into the appropriate CAP divisional competition if one exists and if they are a member of that division. Any student who has questions or concerns about competing for all prizes for which they are eligible should email programs@cap.ca. Membership in a CAP subject division is free for students and can be activated upon applying or renewing a CAP membership. Current members of the CAP can join a CAP subject division by sending an email request to membership@cap.ca.
The list of CAP divisional competitions and prizes to be awarded at the 2025 CAP Congress can be found on this page (link coming soon).