Research on Tap Guide
The Research on Tap series brings together groups of BU researchers around important topics. At each event, 10-12 researchers present a maximum of four slides and deliver a four-minute “elevator pitch” of their work.
If you are interested in hosting an event, please contact research@bu.edu or send us your proposal using the topic suggestion form.
To learn more, browse upcoming events or see below for resources for faculty hosts and presenters.
Information for Hosts & Presenters
For Faculty Hosts
Timeline
After you agree to serve as a faculty host, the Office of Research Project Manager will provide you with information on the event structure and request a title/description for your event. You will also be responsible for compiling a list of 12-15 potential speakers for us to contact. Specifically, you will need to provide the name of the potential speaker, their title, email address, and BU profile page URL.
Once this information has been received, we will send an email to the potential participants on behalf of both you and the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research to formally invite them. After agreeing to participate, the speakers will have to provide their slides and the title of their talk at least two weeks before the event.
Your Role:
- Naming the event: You will be responsible for naming the event and writing a description. As you write the description, consider a broad audience, and why this topic is important for research and discussion at this moment in time.
- Offering insights: You will be copied on all major correspondence with speakers. We want to make sure you are kept in the loop and can offer your insights in case a question or scheduling conflict arises with a speaker. We also ask that you help manage the speakers to the deadlines that we set for slides and titles.
- Determining speaker order: We will ask you to determine the speaking order for the event. Our team will be in touch with a compiled list of the speakers and their titles one to two weeks before the event.
- Helping to promote the event: We will market and advertise the event, but recommend that you also promote it to your network. This might include your department chair, your school’s associate dean for research, or anyone else interested in the topic. Please feel free to forward our broadcast emails and have people RSVP on our website.
- Creating an introduction: On the day of the event, the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research will briefly welcome the audience and introduce the event. You are welcome to add introductory/concluding remarks. This is a great opportunity to very briefly orient the audience to the topic, and remind attendees about the event structure and the amount of time that each speaker is allocated.
The Office of Research will:
- Invite potential speakers: We will invite the potential speakers, track RSVPs from speakers and attendees, and keep you updated. We’ve found that setting deadlines for speaker slides and titles helps streamline the planning.
- Create the final materials: We will compile the PowerPoint slides into one presentation and create an event agenda for the audience.
- Oversee logistics: We oversee the event logistics including scheduling, finding a venue, ordering catering, and taking care of A/V needs. We will also provide a computer for the event. In addition, we serve as official timekeepers so presenters do not exceed their allotted four minutes of speaking time.
- Promote the event: We will promote and market the event to BU staff, faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students.
- Introduce the event: The Vice President & Associate Provost for Research will welcome the audience and introduce the event.
For Presenters
Timeline
After you have agreed be a presenter, the Office of Research Project Manager will provide you with information on the structure of Research on Tap events. You will be responsible for providing the title of your talk and your slides by the dates provided to you. This will be at least two weeks before the event and be confirmed by the Project Manager. Once this information has been received, we will work with the faculty host to determine the order of presenters. At the event, you will receive a program agenda that lists when you will speak.
Your Role:
- Naming your presentation: You will be responsible for determining your presentation title, within the confines of the event topic.
- Creating your presentation: You will need to create your title slide and a maximum of four slides to present using the templates provided to you. The deadline to submit your slides to the Project Manager is typically two weeks before the event. The Project Manager will confirm the requested date with you.
- Being mindful of time: You must be mindful of your allotted presentation time. You will only have four minutes to speak.
- Encouraging attendance: We take care of marketing the event, but we encourage you to reach out to your peers if you believe they will be interested in the event. Please make sure that they RSVP on the event page.
The Office of Research will:
- Create the final materials: We will compile the PowerPoint slides into a single presentation and create an event agenda for the audience.
- Oversee logistics: We will take care of logistics such as ordering catering, A/V setup, and will provide a computer for the event.
- Keep track of time: We will serve as your official timekeeper at the event and track your four-minute presentation. We will set a timer that includes a “beep” noise when time is up and also display several signs for each presenter (1 minute remaining; 30 seconds left; time’s up).
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Research on Tap work?
We structure the event to give 10-12 researchers an opportunity to present a maximum of four slides and deliver a four-minute “elevator pitch” of their work. This event is meant to engage a broad audience. Prepare to talk about your work in clear and simple terms, with a clear “why” statement that will convince even someone with little insider knowledge of the topic that it’s exciting and important.
What about the 'on Tap'?
Every Research on Tap event includes appetizers as well as a beer and wine bar. We want to provide an opportunity for you to meet new people at the University – perhaps your next research collaborator! The reception is a great venue to ask presenters for more details about their work. We believe the networking element of our event is as important as the presentations and encourage both participants and attendees to ask questions and mingle.
Only four slides?
Yes, each presenter only gets four slides (this limit does not include a title slide). It may seem like a challenge but using only four slides per presenter ensures we have captured our audience’s attention throughout the event. When creating your slides, please consider the quality and size of your images and readability of text. We will post a final PDF of the presentation on our website after the event.
What is the slide format?
Please use the template provided to you by the Project Manager. Your presentation can be a maximum of four slides. We recommend that you do not use animations in your slides due to formatting issues.
Only four minutes?
Yes, each presenter only gets four minutes. The goal of Research on Tap is to have maximum impact on our audience and cover many areas under one topic. You would be amazed at the amount of information you can convey in under five minutes! We are happy to help before the event and provide feedback for presenters who would like to practice.
Will there be timekeepers?
We will serve as your official timekeeper at the event. We will set a timer that includes a “beep” noise when time is up and also display several signs for each presenter (1 minute remaining; 30 seconds left; time’s up).