Graduate student Malisa Kurtz gives her presentation in the 2016 3MT competition. She was runner-up in the Brock contest.The work student researchers do can be groundbreaking and life-changing for the general public. To help students spread the word about their own work, there are four national competitions coming up from January to April where students can learn new skills, meet people and possibly win cash prizes.
Science! Action!
Organizer: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Deadline: Jan. 18
To enter the Science, Action! contest, students submit a maximum 60-second video and a 100-word written description of a research project or initiative at Brock University that is funded by NSERC.
“Your video should explain cool research using everyday language,” says the website. “It should be creative, informative and look and sound great.” Cash prizes range from $2,500 to $3,500.
See Brock’s entries last year.
Science Exposed
Organizer: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Deadline: Jan. 31
This is a photographic competition devoted exclusively to images of scientific research. The competition is also open to faculty. There are three jury prizes of $2,000 and a People’s Choice prize of $1,000.
“Showcase your work and creativity to provide Canadians with a whole new perspective on science,” says the website.
A Brock University team was a finalist last year.
For more information on these three competitions, visit the VITAE Essential Skills site.
The Storytellers
Organizer: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Deadline: Jan. 31
In a maximum of three minutes on video or in a 300-word document, student researchers tell Canadians about a SSHRC-funded project they are pursuing at Brock University.
“Grab our attention, be creative, push the boundaries: use a podcast, video, infographic—or surprise us with something new,” says the website. The top 25 submissions will receive a cash prize of $3,000 in the first round of judging and the final five winners will receive an expense-paid trip for their presentations to be featured at the 2017 SSHRC Impact Awards event in Toronto.
Three Minute Thesis (3MT)
Brock’s 3MT Challenge preliminary round, Feb. 16
Deadline for presentation abstracts: Jan. 31
This annual competition gives grad students three minutes to explain their research in a way that captivates judges and others from outside their discipline. The winner of Brock’s challenge is awarded $500 and runner-up $250. See complete details in The Brock News.
