Research in Four Minutes (Rin4min) 2026

1. Purpose of the call

Rin4min is a competition in which UPF doctoral students present their research to a non-specialist audience, orally and in maximum of 4 minutes.

The Rin4min project pursues the following objectives:

  • To encourage UPF doctoral students to incorporate effective scientific communication and  outreach skills and techniques into their training.

  • To raise awareness of the importance of transferring scientific knowledge to a non-specialist audience, in line with the public service vocation of universities.

  • To bring the science, knowledge and research conducted at the University closer to a non-specialist audience.

Participants may use audiovisual support materials, although the spoken word must be the central element of the communication.
 

2. Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to participate, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be enrolled as a PhD student at UPF for the 2025-2026 academic year, or have submitted your doctoral thesis during this same academic year.

  • Not have defended the doctoral thesis before the application deadline. 

  • Be, at least, a second-year student.

  • To commit to participating on the competition dates and, if selected as a winner, to attend the final of the «Presenta la teva tesi en 4 minuts» competition, organised by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI).

  • Not to have been the first prize winner in previous editions.
     

3. Competition development

The competition takes place in two phases:

  • Qualifying round, which will be held in person with a limited audience, to select the finalists. Depending on the number of participants or for organisational reasons, this phase may be held virtually.

  • Final, which will be held in person, with a limited audience, to determine the winners of the competition.​

The competition is scheduled to be held in person. For reasons of exceptional relevance, it may be held entirely or partially online. The management of the Doctoral School reserves the right to resolve any issues arising from these circumstances.
 

4. 2026 Call Schedule

The main dates and deadlines for the competition are as follows:

Activity Date
Publication of the call and the rules February 19
Registrations From March 2 to 23
Deadline for submitting presentations to the competition organisation From March 9 to 31
Distribution of participants into qualifying groups (if applicable) April 9
Semifinals April 21 and 22
Draw for the order of appearance of the participants April 27
Final May 14, at 4:00 PM

 

5. Application for participation

The application for participation must be submitted via the online form available on the Rin4min website (https://www.upf.edu/web/rin4), within the deadlines set out in the call.
 

6. Presentation guidelines

Presentations must comply with the following guidelines:

  • Duration: a maximum of 4 minutes.

  • Content: the presentation must relate exclusively to the research carried out as a part of the doctoral thesis.

  • Language: Catalan, Spanish or English.
     

6.1 Materials and audiovisual support

  • Presentation files must be sent to the organisation in PPT or PDF format, by the specified deadline. Modifications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

  • Slides must contain clear and legible images or diagrams and must serve only as a visual aid for the oral presentation.

  • The use of videos, audio, music, sound effects and stage or character props is discouraged.

  • The use of some accompanying material is permitted, provided it is minimal and does not interfere with the normal delivery of the presentation.

  • The use of notes or handwritten notes during the presentation is not recommended.


7. Distribution of participants

The registered students will be divided into different groups that make up the qualifying round. The groups will be composed of participants from different doctoral programs, distributed at random. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the event organisers reserve the right to modify the initial distribution of participants, with prior notice  and with the agreement of those affected.


8. Order of presentations

The running order for the final will be determined by a draw.


9. Qualification for the final

A maximum of 12 PhD candidates will take part in the final, selected from the winners of the different sessions of the qualifying round. The number of qualifiers from each session will be determined based on the number of participants in the competition and the number of sessions scheduled. The number of qualifiers will be the same for each session and will be announced at the start of these. In the event that, for unforeseen reasons, any of the doctoral candidates selected for the final are unable to attend, their place will be taken by the contestant with the highest score in the qualifying round who has not been selected for the final.


10. Membership of the jury

The jury for each session is composed of three members, who may be researchers, teachers, post-doctoral researchers, alumni, or technical, management, and administrative staff. The jury members will be appointed by the management of the PhD School.


11. Assessment criteria

Presentations will be assessed on their academic significance, clarity of exposition, and their ability and skill in communicating and engaging with a general audience, in accordance with the following criteria:

  Score
I.  CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND DELIVERY 60%
1. Clarity and understanding of the research  
2. Relevance and impact  
3. Coherence and structure of the presentation  
4. Time management and balance of content  
5. Suitability for a non-specialist audience  
II.  ORAL EXPRESSION AND COMMUNICATION 40%
6. Fluency and quality of oral expression  
7. Stage presence  
8. Connection with the audience  
9. Synthesis and expressive clarity  
10. Use of materials and support (if applicable)  
TOTAL 100%

 

12. Prizes

The prizes for the 2026 Rin4min edition are as follows: 

  • First place: €900 and the right to participate in the «Presenta la teva tesi en 4 minuts» competition.

  • Second place: €600.

  • Third place: €300.

  • Margalida Comas prize for best presentations in Catalan: €200.

  • Special audience prize: €200. This prize is awarded by a vote of the audience present at all the final presentations, and may be given to one of the four winners. 

The above amounts are subject to the appropriate tax withholding in accordance with current regulations. 


13. «Presenta la teva tesi en 4 minuts» competition

The winner of Rin4min will be the representative of Pompeu Fabra University at the «Presenta la teva tesi en 4 minuts» competition, organised by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and in which the twelve Catalan universities will participate. If the event that the first-place winner is unable to participate, the next available runner-up from among the winners of the Rin4min final will be proposed. To participate in the «Presenta la teva tesi en 4 minuts» competition, the Pompeu Fabra University representative must comply with the rules approved by FCRI.


14. Acceptance of the rules

Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of these rules. The jury authorised to interpret them and to resolve any unforeseen incidents.


15. Participant's responsibility

Participants are responsible for their audiovisual presentations and must guarantee that the works are their own or that they have the necessary rights to use them. Likewise, participants must omit any confidential data or information regarding the research during the presentation. UPF accepts no liability whatsoever for any failure by participants to comply with these points and will not assume any third-party claims.


16. Personal data protection

The Pompeu Fabra University will process personal data in accordance with the 2016/679 EU Regulation; General Regulation on Data Protection, and all other regulations in force in this area. The treatment of data and its incorporation into a file will be solely for the purpose of managing the Rin4min contest, the "Read your thesis in 4 minutes" contest and the payment of prizes. Data will be kept while these needs are maintained and legal responsibilities may be derived. The identifying data of the beneficiaries may be published on the Internet.

Participants can contact Pompeu Fabra´s data protection delegate through the email address [email protected]. They may also exercise their rights of access, rectification, abolition, portability, restriction or opposition to the treatment of their data by means of a written document addressed to the Doctorate School of Pompeu Fabra University (c / Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27. 08005 Barcelona).

Requesting to participate in the contest implies candidate consent for the treatment of their personal data as described in this document. Revocation of consent will mean the impossibility of their continued participation in the competition.


For more detailed information, take a look at the full competition rules.