AN ANNUAL science competition is now on the lookout for Northern Ireland’s next science star.
FameLab, described as a cross between the X Factor and TED talks, aims to find scientists or engineers who can entertain audiences by breaking down science, technology or engineering concepts into just three minutes.
Organised by the British Council in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Science Festival and Cheltenham Festival, the global communication competition is held annually in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States with more than 4,000 individuals studying or working in STEM taking part.
To enter FameLab 2016 participants must choose a topic, record a three-minute piece and upload the video to YouTube. Presentations will then be judged according to FameLab’s golden rule, the 3 Cs: Content, Clarity and Charisma. These submissions will then be whittled down to just 10 who will compete to be crowned the winner of FameLab Northern Ireland at the Black Box, Belfast on February 24, 2016, with the winner qualifying for the UK final.
2015 was the first year of the competition in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Science Festival and was won by Emer Maguire, a Clinical Anatomy Masters student at Queen’s University, Belfast. She went on to win FameLab UK and reached the International finals, with talks based on the science of f lirting and why we kiss. Emer now hopes to carve out a career in science communication and would encourage anyone even remotely interested in science to enter.
She said: “FameLab has helped me see that a career in science communication is actually a viable option and something I would love to pursue. I’ve met some really wonderful and inspirational people through the competition, and have taken part in numerous science festivals — with a talk coming up at the first ever TEDxOmagh event in November. Life’s incredibly busy at the moment, and it’s all thanks to FameLab.”
Speaking about the merits of the competition, deputy director of British Council Northern Ireland Jonathan Stewart said: “By entering FameLab, budding science communicators not only have the chance of progressing through to the international finals but will also have the opportunity to take part in a range of professional development opportunities.”
Entry closes on December 14. For more information, visit http://nireland.britishcouncil. org.