Nominations for Fresh Science now open

Fresh Science

Do you know any early-career researchers who have peer-reviewed results, a discovery, or an invention that has received little or no media attention?

Please nominate them for Fresh Science, our national competition that helps early-career researchers find, and then share, their stories of discovery. Scientists get a day of media training and the chance to share their work with the media, general public and school students.

Fresh Science is looking for:

  • early-career researchers (from honours students to no more than five years post-PhD)
  • a peer-reviewed discovery that has had little or no media coverage
  • some ability to present ideas in everyday English.

Fresh Science 2018 will run in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and NSW. We’ll also run it in other states and territories where we can secure local support.

I’d appreciate it if you could circulate this to early-career researchers in your organisation.

If you’d like to share our flyer calling for nominations, you can download it as a PDF or a jpeg or share the call on social media using #FreshSci

How to nominate

Check out the selection criteria, read ahead and see what questions will be asked, then go online and nominate via the short, easy, online application form.

Nominations close midnight on Tuesday 24 April.

The training and events will be held in June and July– we’ll post the dates on the website.

What’s involved in Fresh Science?

In each state, we will select the top ten applicants. If selected, you will get:

  • A day of media training where you will: hear from working journalists about what makes science news for them; find the story in your research with guidance from two experienced science communicators; and practice being interviewed in front of camera and on radio.
  • A short profile about your work written in a media-friendly way, published online and via social media.
  • The chance to step on stage and present your science to a friendly audience down at the pub. In some states, you will also present to school students or a “shark-tank” style panel of leaders from industry and government.

One story per state will be written up as a press release and issued to the media.

Fresh Science is an initiative of Science in Public.

Fresh Science South Australia is supported by the South Australian Museum, Flinders University, the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.

Fresh Science Western Australia is supported by the Western Australian Museum, Edith Cowan University, the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Murdoch University.

Fresh Science Victoria is supported by the Royal Society of Victoria, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, Deakin University, RMIT University, CSIRO, and La Trobe University.

Fresh Science NSW is supported by the Australian Museum.

Fresh Science Queensland is delivered in partnership with Econnect Communication and is supported by the Queensland Government, QUT, Griffith University, and the University of Queensland.

Now in its 21st year, Fresh Science has trained over 500 scientists to share their science, and generated hundreds of news stories via TV, print, radio and online. You can read past Fresh Scientists’ stories online at freshscience.org.au.

We’re looking for partners around the country for Fresh Science 2018 to help us celebrate our 21st birthday in style. If you’d like to support Fresh Science, please get in touch.

Read more online at www.freshscience.org.au or contact either myself or Toni Stevens (toni@scienceinpublic.com.au) on (03) 9398 1416.