Brock students have a chance to share their research on a national scale through three upcoming competitions.

Two of Brock’s major funders — the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) — are hosting video and photo contests to highlight student work.

NSERC’s Science, Action! offers graduate students working with a professor who holds, or has held, an NSERC grant to film or animate short, creative videos that tell a simple story about fascinating science. The video must show the benefits of research in the natural sciences and engineering fields and make the connection between basic sciences and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

There are six prizes of $4,000 available. Contestants must submit their video entries between Monday, Jan. 16, and Friday, Feb. 10.

SSHRC’s The Storytellers asks undergrad and grad students to show Canadians, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how social sciences and humanities research is affecting lives, the world and the future for the better.

Students can feature their SSHRC-funded research or, with permission, research conducted by a faculty member. There are 25 prizes each valued at $3,000, with additional prizes offered for those entries making the top five. The deadline to submit is Monday, Jan. 30.

“These competitions are a fantastic way for students to showcase their research excellence,” says Suzanne Curtin, Brock’s Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.

“In the past, our students have done an excellent job in knowledge mobilization and showcasing their research creatively,” she says. “Effective knowledge mobilization is a critical research skill, and these competitions provide our graduate students with an opportunity to demonstrate their impactful work at a national level.”

Students interested in submitting work to these contests can get support from two Faculty of Graduate Studies training sessions in January.

Creating a Research Video takes place Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Brock Makerspace, followed by Creatively Communicating Your Research happening Thursday, Jan. 12 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Brock LINC. For more information, email graduatestudies@brocku.ca

NSERC is offering a photo competition that both students and faculty can enter.

Science Exposed showcases images of scientific research in all fields of study directly related to contestants’ research, with a written description of the image submitted.

There are three prizes of $2,000 each, plus a People’s Choice Award of $2,000. Photos can be submitted through the Science Exposed website until Monday, Jan. 30.