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Engaging the next generation: An IYCN outreach competition is a competition that seeks to recognize exemplary contributions to chemistry outreach.

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Applicants are invited to submit chemistry experiments that can be used for outreach and public engagement under a specific theme. The 2022 theme is Affordable and Clean Energy, related to the UN Sustainable Development Goal "Affordable and Clean Energy". The competition will open on March 26, 2022 in conjunction with the Earth Hour. The deadline has been extended to June 25, 2022. Experiments will be assessed according to their accessibility, repeatability, and suitability for the suggested audience. The winning submissions have the opportunity to publish their experiments in the IYCN experiment database.

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The competition is coordinated and managed by the Public Outreach Committee of the International Younger Chemists’ Network (IYCN).

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Deadlines

Competition Deadlines

  • Competition Opens: March 26, 2022

  • Competition deadline: Extended till June 25, 2022 at 11:59 PM GMT

Competition Conditions

Conditions

The theme for the 2022 competition is Affordable and Clean Energy; all experiments should reflect this. The competition seeks to recognize those partaking in chemistry outreach. Applicants are encouraged to submit their favourite experiments, projects and demonstrations using the template provided. The final experiment must include:

  • The target audience for the experiment

  • A complete list of equipment and materials needed for the experiment

  • Safety and risk assessment for the experiment (including waste disposal)

  • Learning objectives for the audience and a clear and concise description of the background chemistry knowledge needed to successfully explain the experiment to the audience

  • Instructions for conducting the experiment, project, or demonstration

 

Applications will be assessed according to the scoring criteria. All applications should be in English. The quality of the English will not be judged during the adjudication process; we will only assess the science. The winning experiment will receive a full English language editing service, if necessary. Applicants are encouraged to provide images and/or videos of their experiment. Any images and/or video provided must have the relevant copyright permissions and consent to use (if necessary).

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The winning experiment will be translated into multiple languages. The experiment will be published in the IYCN Public Outreach Committee experiment Database for use in chemistry outreach by chemistry volunteers around the globe. In the event of a tie, the IYCN Public Outreach Committee will adjudicate and their decision will be final.

 

Depending on the overall quality and number of submissions, a list of semi-finalists might be created. These applicants will be awarded Honourable Mention certificates and contacted for permission to publish their experiments in the IYCN Public Outreach Committee experiment Database. English language editing services will be offered to all semi-finalists, if necessary.

Rules

Competition Rules

  • The 2022 theme for the IYCN Outreach Experiment award is Affordable and Clean Energy. All experiments should pertain to chemistry that relates to the topic of energy.

  • Applications must be submitted in English using the experiment template. The quality of the written English will not be judged, however the science must be clear.

  • Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM GMT June 25, 2022 via the online portal. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

  • Submissions should clearly state which audience the experiment is targeting, i.e. the general public or an audience with a science background, and submissions will be judged on appropriateness of content for the suggested audience, according to the criteria described below.

  • Decisions will be communicated to applicants within eight weeks of the close of the competition.

  • English language editing and translation costs for the winning experiment to be placed in the online database will be paid for by the IYCN Public Outreach Committee.

Data Protection

Data protection

IYCN will collect the personal information of applicants (name, email address) for the purpose of managing the award. If necessary, additional details may be collected from the winning applicant(s). Personal information will be stored on a password protected cloud platform for the duration of the competition cycle. Applications will be anonymised by the IYCN Public Outreach Committee before being sent to the judges; judges will delete applications after assessment.

 

The personal information (name, institution, country, and photo) of any semi-finalists and winning authors will be announced and used for promotion through the IYCN social media channels. Names of all the contributing authors will be affiliated with experiments published in the IYCN Public Outreach Committee experiment Database.

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The personal information of unsuccessful applicants will be deleted after the competition cycle. These applicants can choose to deposit their experiment in the IYCN Public Outreach Committee experiment Database; submission to the Database will require the applicant to agree to the terms of use for the Database.

 

IYCN will not sell your information but may use third party service providers to support the provision of the award, including (without limitation) hosting data on cloud platforms, legal, accounting, audit, consulting and other professional service providers, and providers of other services related to IYCN activities.

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