Applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied. We are crunching the spreadsheet now. We will let you know early September.

Closed: Sunday 18 August 2019 at midnight.

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

Consider nominating for Fresh Science – 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.

Fresh Science 2019 will run in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. We’ll also run it in other states and territories where we can secure local support.

How to nominate

Use the online form.

You can’t save as you go unfortunately so you may like to draft your answers offline first and then upload them into the online form. Here are the questions you will be asked: copy of the nomination form.

Have a look at the stories of last year’s Freshies to see what we are looking for.

Nominations closed 11.59pm on Sunday 18 August 2019.

Spread the word

We know most nominations from early-career researchers come because they’ve been encouraged by a their colleagues or supervisors. So make sure you give any great early-career researchers you know a tap on the shoulder.

Want to share this call-out? Here are some images you can use:

Need to know more?

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. We will work with you and your organisation to see if we can put out a press release. 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 where you will meet and chat with journalists from TV, newspaper and radio; do some practice interviews

course where you will meet and chat with journalists from TV, newspaper and radio; do some practice interviews a one day professional development program where you will meet people from business and government ; learn how to pitch and make a pitch; write a short profile and some social media posts with the guidance of two professional science communicators

; learn how to pitch and make a pitch; write a short profile and some social media posts with the guidance of two professional science communicators an evening event at the local pub where you get to practice presenting your results in an understandable and fun way

where you get to practice presenting your results in an understandable and fun way if you are in NSW, you may also have the opportunity to present to school students – present for five minutes and take questions.

As part of Fresh Science we will publish a short, media-ready profile on you and promote via social media channels. See previous stories.

We will also work with you to see if your organisation can issue a press release about your work. See previous stories in the news.

Eligibility

We are looking for:

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. This means you could be an honours student, a PhD student, or post doc.

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 2018.

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

If you’re interested in being involved and supporting Fresh Science, please contact freshscience@scienceinpublic.com.au or call Sarah Brooker on (03) 9398 1416.