Awards
The AI and Cities: An International Forum for Innovation and Collaboration is pleased to offer three levels of awards to recognize outstanding presentations by postdoc and graduate student presenters at the conference, held virtually on May 9–10, 2025. All registered postdoc and graduate students who present at the conference are eligible to compete for these awards, which celebrate excellence in research and innovation at the intersection of AI and urban studies.
Award Levels
• Best Presentation/Research Award: One award
Recognizes the most outstanding presentation demonstrating exceptional research, clarity, and impact.
• Excellent presentation/research Awards: Two awards
Honors two presentations for their high-quality research and compelling delivery.
• Outstanding presentation/research Awards: Three awards
Acknowledges three additional presentations for their notable contributions to AI and urban studies.
Cash prizes for these awards will be granted, but the amounts are contingent on registration fee revenue.
Eligibility and Selection
Eligibility is open to all postdoc and graduate students who have registered and delivered a presentation at the AI and Cities conference. The selection process involves two stages:
• Nomination by Session Moderators: Each session moderator will nominate the best postdoc or graduate student presenter in their session based on criteria including research quality, presentation clarity, and relevance to AI and urban planning.
• Final Selection by Organizing Committee: The conference organizing committee will meet after the conference to review all nominations and select the final awardees, ensuring a fair and rigorous evaluation.
Winners will be announced within one week after the conference.
Award Evaluation Rubrics
The postdoc and students’ presentation will be evaluated based on the following rubrics:
AI and Cities: An International Forum for Innovation and Collaboration
Presentation Assessment Sheet for Student and Postdoc Awards
Instructions: Please evaluate each graduate student or postdoc presentation in your session using the appropriate rubric below. Assign scores for each criterion based on the presenter’s performance, considering their career stage. The total score should not exceed 100 points. The weighting is the same for both groups, but expectations differ based on career stage. Submit your completed assessment to aiandcities@gmail.com right after your session is over.
Presenter Name: ___________________________
Presentation Title: ___________________________
Session Name: ___________________________
Presenter Status (circle one): Graduate Student / Postdoc
Rubric for Graduate Students:
1. Research Question and Significance (20 points)
- Does the presenter clearly define a research question appropriate for their level?
- Is the significance of the research articulated, even if preliminary?
Score: ___ / 20
2. Identification of Research Gaps (15 points)
- Does the presenter identify relevant research gaps, even if the literature review is not exhaustive?
- Are the gaps supported by some references?
Score: ___ / 15
3. Research Methods (25 points)
- Are the methods appropriate for a graduate-level project and clearly explained?
- Does the presenter show an understanding of the methodology, even if not cutting-edge?
Score: ___ / 25
4. Articulation of Findings (20 points)
- Are the findings presented clearly and logically, even if preliminary?
- Does the presenter use evidence to support their conclusions?
Score: ___ / 20
5. Theoretical and Practical Contributions and Innovations (20 points)
- Does the presentation offer some theoretical contributions, even if modest?
- Does the presentation offer some practical contributions, even if modest?
Score: ___ / 20
Total Score: ___ / 100
Additional Comments (optional):
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Moderator Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________