Thank you to the Graduate Coordinator Network for co-sponsoring this event!
Developed in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, Empower Your Pitch is an engaging, dynamic research communication contest. Alongside a comprehensive skill-development series, EYP is designed to equip participants with the strategies needed to effectively communicate complex ideas in just three minutes. New for 2025: Postdocs are welcome to participate!
This campus-wide research communication competition is co-sponsored by the Graduate Coordinator Network and the Graduate School Office of Career and Life Design.
Cash prizes will be awarded to four competition winners.
- Overall Excellence in Research Communication – $1,000
- Outstanding Public Engagement – $1,000
- Outstanding Creativity – $1,000
- Community Choice Award for Excellence – $500
The 2025 competition concluded on April 9, 2025. Please join us in 2026!
2025 Winners
Cell and Molecular Biology Ph.D. candidate Lisa Wang won the Outstanding Public Engagement Award with the presentation, “Does Abnormal Touch Sensitivity Lead to Social Difficulty?”
Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate Cole Maguire won the Overall Excellence in Research Communication Award with the presentation, “A Dual Threat: Reactivation of Chronic Viruses in the Wake of COVID-19.”
Piano Performance Ph.D. student Ellen Sirower won the Outstanding Creativity Award with the presentation, “Strange, Beautiful Music: Teaching Musical Interpretation of Post-Tonal Piano Repertoire.”
Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Ph.D. candidate Adwait Pradhan won the Community Choice Award for Excellence with the presentation, “Downsizing pills: can we make medicines easier to swallow?”
2025 Finalist Judges
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Lindsey Derrington
Executive Director
Preservation Austin
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Nina Golder
Vice President
Emerson
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Matthew Karch
CEO and Co-Founder
Saber Interactive
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Ezinne Udezue
Principal
ProductMind
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Jim Zook
Vice President
University Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Austin
Hear from past participants
Hear from participants in our inaugural Empower Your Pitch research communication competition. They share what they learned and how it felt to participate in a cross-campus community of engaged scholars and researchers to refine their core research messages.
Competition Guidelines
Add a creative flair to your pitch
You’re invited to add a creative flair to your pitch using presentation aids, including audio/visual media, equipment, and props, in line with safety protocols.
Feel free to utilize diverse strategies in your communication—spoken word, poetry, music, rap—the stage is yours!
Timing is key
Your pitch must not exceed three minutes. The clock starts ticking once you begin speaking, interacting with your props/equipment or using any form of expression to convey your message.
Decisions are final
And finally, please note that the judge panel’s decisions in rounds 2 and 3 are final and binding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Slides
There is no limit on the number of slides that can be used. Other visual aids such as props or posters are also welcome.
Delivery method
This format encourages creativity, so forms of expression other than oration are allowed (e.g. singing, poetry, dance).
Audience
Assume a reasonably well-informed and educated audience, but non-specialists. Most judges will be current faculty and staff.
Participation for applied or creative field
All current graduate students are welcomed and encouraged, regardless of discipline.
