This year Fresh Science will be held in Melbourne from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 June. The event serves as a ‘communication boot camp’ for early-career researchers - getting their stories out to local, national and international media, and giving them essential communication skills.

We will select 16 early-career researchers and bring them to Melbourne where they will receive media training and then present their work to the media, schools and the public.

Now in its 13th year, Fresh Science is supported by the Federal Government, New Scientist and Museum Victoria.

In essence we’re looking for:

• early-career researchers (from honours students to no more than five years post-doc)
• a peer-reviewed result which has had no media coverage
• some ability to present ideas in plain English.

Nominations close at 5pm on Thursday 25 March 2010.

Below is more information on why and how to nominate.

About Fresh Science

This national event brings together scientists, the media and the public to:

•  enhance reporting of Australian science

•  highlight and encourage debate on the role of science in Australian society

•  provide role models for the next generation of Australian scientists.

Fresh Science 2010 will be held at Melbourne Museum from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 June. Stories will be released to the media during the event and in the weeks following. The Fresh Scientists need to be available to talk to the media during this time.

Nominations are now open and close Thursday 25 March 2010. More information and the online nomination form are at www.freshscience.org.au

Why nominate for Fresh Science?

Fresh Science offers the potential for wide media exposure. It helps young researchers develop expertise in presenting their ideas clearly to a general audience and to the media.

Fresh Science also assists the media to identify and publish accurate stories about Australian science, and demonstrates that science in Australia is exciting, vibrant and successful. Fresh Science encourages and provides recognition for Australia’s best young scientists and engineers.

The selected researchers are likely to gain substantial media exposure. In previous years our Fresh Scientists have attracted national and international interest resulting in hundreds of media stories in Australia and overseas.

Details of previous winners, their press releases and media coverage can be seen at www.freshscience.org.au

What will it involve?

The Fresh Scientists will:
• participate in a one-day media and communication training course
• have access to experienced science communicators to advise them on talks, media releases and interviews
• swap ideas with other participants
• present their research to the media and to public audiences
• take part in a Fresh-Science-at-the-Redback event
• attend an evening reception or dinner with representatives from business, government, research and the media
• have the opportunity to, and be expected to, participate in talks in their home state during Science Week.

Travel and accommodation will be provided for participants from outside Melbourne. Melbourne-based participants will be provided with accommodation for the key nights of the event.

We’ve included the selection criteria below. More information about Fresh Science, and the online nomination form, can be found at www.freshscience.org.au

The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday 25 March 2010.

Nominations are only accepted via our online form. We recommend you complete the Word version of the form off-line, save it, then cut and paste the information into the online form when ready to submit.

Feel free to call Tim Thwaites on 0422 817 372 or myself on (03) 9398 1416 if you have any questions.

Fresh Science selection criteria

The sixteen Fresh Scientists will be selected by the Fresh Science selection committee, which comprises scientists, journalists and science communicators. The committee is looking for people who can tell an interesting story in everyday language about their significant, peer-reviewed, scientific achievement.

The selection will be made on the basis of the nomination form submitted. This means how your application is written will be used as a guide to your ability to communicate in everyday English.

You must write your own entry.

You must have peer-reviewed results and you must be able to explain what you have found, not what you are hoping to find or discover.

The committee will select the Fresh Scientists not only on quality of their science, but also on the newsworthiness of their topics. Our selection will also include a spread of disciplines, topics, gender and states.

Selection criteria:
• Your research must have been conducted in Australia or you must be an Australian scientist.
• Your research must have reached a significant milestone and produced peer-reviewed results. You must present evidence of peer review.
• Your research must be newsworthy, but it must not have had significant media coverage.
• Your research must be current, that is, it will have been published or concluded since 1 January 2009.
• Your research must be cleared for public and media presentation. You may need to consult with your collaborators and commercial partners before nominating.
• You must demonstrate the ability to present your research to a lay audience in a clear, interesting and informative way.
• You may represent a research team if you have played a substantial role in the research and so can be named as spokesperson. If chosen, you will be the only team member invited to participate in Fresh Science.
• You must be an early-career scientist, for example an honours or PhD student or a post doc. Age per se is not a criterion but you must have completed your PhD (if you have one) no more than five years ago.
• You must not have an established media profile.

We will only receive nominations online using the Fresh Science nomination form at www.freshscience.org.au.

Fresh Science is supported by the Federal Government’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Museum Victoria and New Scientist.

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Niall Byrne
Fresh Science Chairman
www.freshscience.org.au

+61 3 9398 1416
+61 417 131 977
niall@freshscience.org