RSECon is a conference organised by the community, for the community. We want to give as many community members as possible the opportunity to present their work. At RSECon26, we are therefore introducing a new dedicated lightning talks session on Thursday afternoon.
Lightning talks are 3 minutes long. Not a replacement for a full talk, but enough time to get your project or idea in front of the RSECon audience—an opportunity to get feedback, raise the visibility of a project or find new collaborators.
The sign-up form will go live two weeks before the conference starts and close on day 1 of RSECon26 or after all slots are filled.
Lightning talks are for you, if …
- … you are early career and didn’t yet feel ready to submit a longer talk to RSECon26, e.g., because you were struggling with imposter syndrome.
- … you want to present brand-new results or ideas that weren’t ready in time for the early May submission deadline.
- … you want to hold an informal meet-up or gauge interest in a potential new SIG—present your idea and close the lightning talk with a “let’s meet at $location during the coffee break” call to action.
- … your submission didn’t fit into the programme due to the record number of submissions this year.
- … you are presenting a poster and would like a chance to speak more formally to a captive audience about your work.
- … or if you simply have a topic you’d like to present to the RSECon audience!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my lightning talk need to be about research software?
Not necessarily. Sure, you can present a research software project you’re working on, an RSE community project you’re starting, or a brand new feature in your favourite programming language. You can just as well talk about the algorithmic side of crocheting, or about what you learned from being a white water rafting instructor. If you’re excited about it, then other RSECon attendees will be, too!
(No religious proselytising or spam, though, please.)
What do I need to prepare to submit a lightning talk?
You will need the author(s), title and a short description (maybe 2–3 sentences, enough to give attendees a rough idea of what your talk is about).
Can I submit more than one lightning talk?
Yes, though if there are more submissions than we have time for, we might just accept one lightning talk per person.
Is there a review process, like for regular talk submissions to RSECon?
No. We will filter out submissions that are obvious spam or violate the code of conduct. After that, talk slots are handed out on a first come, first served basis; with preference given to those who do not already present a submission at RSECon26.
When will I learn whether my lightning talk is accepted?
We will close the sign-up form on day 1 of RSECon or after all slots are filled and will send out acceptance emails that evening (at the latest). For early submissions, we may send out acceptance emails a few days before the conference. If you need more advance notice, please leave a comment in the sign-up form.
If my lightning talk is accepted, what do I need to do?
Prepare your slides and submit them to us before noon on day 2. Please submit a PDF file if at all possible; we may not have time to check any formatting or embeds in Powerpoint files. To keep handover time between speakers as short as possible, speakers should not present from their own laptop. If you absolutely require that, please let us know in the sign-up form.
What if I need to withdraw a submitted lightning talk or have a different question?
Please contact Jost Migenda on the conference Slack or email the Programme Team.