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Promoting Understanding of Science
Contents
Sponsor
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is sponsored by Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
Description
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is awarded to an individual, group or organisation for an outstanding and innovative program of science outreach delivered within the past 3 years.
For the purposes of this prize, the term "science" includes engineering, new technologies, and mathematics. Nominations for this prize can include outstanding outreach activities in promoting understanding and appreciation of any of these disciplines.
prize
$10,000
Purpose
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is designed to encourage the continuing growth of science outreach in Australia, and to encourage community appreciation of the contribution of science outreach to public interest in science.
Judging Criteria
Entries must address each of the following criteria:
1. Innovation
• In what way is the science outreach program innovative?
• To what extent does it break new ground in the design and/or delivery of science outreach?
2. Impact and effectiveness
• How has the science outreach:
- increased the community's appreciation of the value of scientific knowledge; and/or
- enhanced the public's ability to assimilate information on science and scientific issues in an informed and accurate manner; and/or
- increased students' or the community's appreciation of the value of continuing with science studies in senior secondary school and beyond.
3. Communication
• How has the outreach program raised the profile of science, engineering or technology to target audiences, including through appropriate media coverage?
NOTE: In assessing entries, Judges will give preference to science outreach programs that are ongoing during the 12 months prior to the closing date for entries.
Judges will give particular consideration to efforts by individuals or teams who are performing effective science outreach above and beyond their normal occupations, and may apply a weighting to such entries if sufficiently meritorious.
Conditions of entry
The prize is open to individuals, or groups. Entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated by others.
Activities entered for this prize must have been undertaken:
• in Australia by an Australian citizen(s) or Australian resident(s). Where the entry is by a team, all members of the team must meet this criterion.
• within the three (3) years prior to the closing date for entries.
The following are not eligible for this prize:
- -books and magazines
- -CDs and DVDs (CDs, DVDs and magazine articles may be submitted if they are providing evidence of the outreach effort being entered; however, they cannot be the outreach effort)
- -television or web-based programs or documentaries
- -administrators of outreach activities who themselves are not actually performing outreach
- -activities such as peer tutoring and other in-class educational extension activities associated with teaching of curriculum
- -businesses or organisations that disseminate science news are not eligible for this prize
- -any program or activity that, at the time of entry, is receiving funding support through the Science Connections Program (SCOPE) of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
- -the agencies of the Innovation, Industry, Science and Research portfolio.
- While it is possible that groups entered for this prize may include journalists, these individuals would need to be entered for activity that goes beyond/is additional to their normal day-to-day journalistic responsibilities. The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research sponsors a separate Eureka prize - the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Science Journalism - for journalists who have successfully communicated scientific issues to the public.
Online entry forms with supporting documents must be submitted bymidnight AEST Friday 1 May 2009.
Entries with insufficient sets of documentation will not be considered. Submitted material will not be returned.
Activity entered/nominated for this prize may not be entered/nominated for another Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
The deliberations of the judging panel remain confidential. All recommendations and decisions taken are binding and final and no correspondence will be entered into on such matters.
The judges reserve the right not to award the prize in a given year if, in their view, the quality of entries is insufficiently meritorious.
In addition to considering entered nominations, the judging panel may also consider as candidates for the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science other individuals, groups or organisations whose activities come within the scope of the prize.
Information provided by the entrant(s) in relation to the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes (including photos), may be used by the Australian Museum for promotional/publicity purposes.
Personal information provided in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will be used only by the Australian Museum and only in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
How to enter
1. You must prepare and attach the following supporting documents to your online entry form. (Please clearly label your attachments as per below.)
a. Activity Summary: a brief description of the activity entered, including objectives and results to date (two page maximum)
b. Judging Criteria: a brief description of how the activity entered addresses each of the judging criteria (two page maximum)
c. Assessor Reports: a maximum of four (4) written reports addressing each of the judging criteria from assessors who are familiar with the entered program (2 page maximum per report). NOTE: Judges rely on assessor's reports to provide additional perspective and informed opinion on the entry. Assessors should not be personally or directly involved in the science outreach program entered in this prize.
Supporting documentation can be uploaded in Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls) or JPeg (.jpg). Collectively, attachments can be no larger than 5MB.
2. Submit an online entry form by midnight AEST Friday 1 May 2009.
Complete the online entry form which must include all your supporting documents and submit by midnight AEST Friday 1 May 2009.
If you require further information or help, please call the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Unit on +61 2 9320 6483 or email eureka@austmus.gov.au
