2025 Energy Week Lightning Talks Presenters

Apply here to be a speaker by December 5, 2024.

Finalists will present on Monday, February 10, from 12-1:30 PM in the Kleinman Energy Forum.

What Is It? 

During the Energy Week Lightning Talks, Penn undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs share their work in energy research and policy to the broader Penn community! All Penn students and postdocs are invited to apply. Finalists will be selected to present 8-minute talks in front of a judge’s panel and a live audience. All finalists will receive a $200 award for being selected. The recipients of the Judge’s Choice Award and Audience Choice Award will receive an additional $200.

What Topics Will Be Considered?

We are searching for talks that make a meaningful contribution to the fields of energy research or policy. Talks from all disciplines are encouraged and should center on your original academic work (research, writing, etc.) Some example topics are:

  • Scientific studies with implications for energy systems
  • The contextualization of energy in society, history, policy, or thought
  • Strategies to meet decarbonization
  • The role of society, culture and cities in the future of energy
  • Community initiatives, pilot projects, or demonstrations related to energy generation or use

Research talks should be accessible to a general audience, should provide context within the wider energy transition conversation, and should avoid all unnecessary jargon.

Why Would I Do This?

  • Practice describing your work to general audiences
  • Receive valuable feedback from our judges and public audience
  • And of course there are the cash prizes…

How Do I Apply?

To apply to present a Lighting Talk, fill out the application form here. Applicants who are under consideration as finalists will be invited to provide a short sample video of their talk.

Final Presentation Format

Finalists will be notified of their selection in February. If selected, finalists should prepare a presentation consisting of an 8-minute talk using three (3) or fewer slides. Finalists will present their talks to a live audience on Monday, February 10, 2025. Each presentation will also have 2 minutes for Q/A.

How Will Finalists Be Selected?

A panel of scientific and policy researchers will score each application on the below merit criteria with a 1-5 scale. The abstracts with the highest scores will be selected as finalists.

Merit Criteria 

  • Presentation accessibility and clarity
  • Original scholarship’s contribution to energy technology and policy
  • Slide design and professionalism (including adherence to presentation length and slide guidelines)
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