FreshScience 2018 nominations open on the 28th March 2018

Have you got some interesting research results, a discovery or invention, still early-career and curious about how publicity to get for it? Consider nominating for Fresh Science.

Fresh Science is a national competition that finds researchers with discoveries, helps them find the key, compelling ‘story’ in their research and then puts them in the spotlight, showcasing them to the public and the media.  Read about last year’s Fresh Scientists here.

Nominations for Fresh Science 2018 will open on 28 March.

• Why nominate?
• What does it involve?
• Eligibility and nomination form
• Sponsors and supporters

Why nominate?

Get some media training. Find your voice. Learn how to tell your research in a compelling way be it to a journalist, politician or philanthropist. Practice being interview by journalists and be a part of the media landscape.

Have some fun at the pub. Take the spotlight and practice your new communication skills in front of a small audience.

Get your profile online with other Fresh Scientists.

Perhaps get into the media with one story per state written up as a press release and sent out to the media. Fresh Science offers one researcher per state the potential for substantial media exposure. In previous years our Fresh Scientists have attracted national and international interest resulting in hundreds of media stories in Australia and overseas.

Inspire the next generation of scientists by getting your story out and, in some states, talking directly with school students.

What does it involve?  A short painless nomination form filled out online. We ask you to explain your research briefly and provide evidence of peer review.

If selected, you will take part in:

• a one-day media and communication training course with practice interviews
• an evening event where you get to practice presenting your results in an understandable and fun way
• In some states, we hold a schools forum where you will present for five minutes and take questions.
• As part of Fresh Science we will write and publish a short, media-ready profile on you. See previous stories.
• We will select one story per state to be written up as a press release and sent out to the media. See previous stories in the news.

Eligibility

• Early-career researchers. Age per se is not a criterion, but you must have completed your PhD (if you have one) no more than five years ago. If you’re earlier in your career, that’s fine.
• Researchers currently working in Australia and preferably for work done in Australia.
• Research which has produced peer-reviewed results i.e. you have a discovery, invention, patent etc.
• Research which is currently being undertaken, or has been published/concluded since January 2016.
• Research that is newsworthy but has not had significant media coverage.
• Researchers who can demonstrate, through the nomination form, some ability to present your research to a lay audience in a clear, interesting and informative way.

Your research must be cleared for public and media presentation. You may need to consult with your collaborators and commercial partners before nominating.

You may represent a research team if you have played a substantial role in the research and can act and be named as spokesperson. Only one member of any particular research team will be invited to participate in Fresh Science.