The organisers of the Midlands Science Festival have announced a brand new science competition, FameLab, which will take place in Athlone Institute of Technology on February 26, 2015.
A FameLab showcase event, held at AIT on Monday as part of the festival, included a workshop for 8-12 year olds and a careers workshop involving FameLab alumni.
FameLab started in 2005 in the UK and has become established as a model for successfully identifying and training scientists and engineers to share their enthusiasm for their subjects with the public.
Director of the Midlands Science Festival, Jackie Gorman said the search is now on to find the top science communicators in the Midlands region.
“If you are currently working in science, technology, engineering, or maths and feel you can rise to the challenge of communicating a technical concept in an engaging manner to non-scientists in just three minutes, this just might be the competition for you. Just remember to talk about something that excites you, and you are not permitted to use Powerpoint, only small props that you can carry easily.”
Head of science at AIT, Don Faller, commented, “AIT is delighted to host the new FameLab Midlands Heat for 2015. We are really looking forward to seeing what new talent this competition brings and hope that it will be the start of something very fresh and innovative for AIT and the Midlands as a whole.”
The FameLab competition has already seen more than 5,000 young scientists and engineers participating in over 23 different countries. In the USA, NASA is the FameLab delivery partner.
The idea is that competitors will pitch complex scientific ideas or concepts to a panel of judges who will give contestants honest and constructive feedback. This is a wonderful opportunity for scientists, researchers, technology speakers, and others to really showcase their science communication talent while at the same time entertaining and educating an excited audience.
The judging of the competition is based on the 3Cs - content, clarity, and charisma. All finalists in this new and innovative Midlands FameLab competition will become part of a global network of science communicators.
If you think you have what it takes please visit www.britishcouncil.ie/famelab to register for a heat.
