Nominations are now open for Fresh Science 2009.

Organisers are keen to identify the best under-publicised research produced in the past year or so by early-career scientists.

This year Fresh Science will be held either in the last week of May (25-28) or the first week of June (1-4); the date will be confirmed shortly. 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.

Organisers 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 12th year, Fresh Science is supported by the Federal and Victorian governments, New Scientist and Museum Victoria.

In essence organisers are looking for:

• early-career researchers with an upper limit of 5 years post-doc and no lower limit
• a peer-reviewed result which has had no media coverage
• some ability to present ideas in plain English.

Nominations close on Thursday 19 March 2009. 

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 2009 will be held in Melbourne either in the last week of May (25-28) or the first week of June (1-4), the date will be confirmed shortly. 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 19 March 2009. More information at http://www.freshscience.org/

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 http://www.freshscience.org/.

What will it involve?

The successful nominees 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 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.

The Fresh Scientists will also have the chance to win a one-year subscription to New Scientist; and a one-week internship with The Australian newspaper.

We've included the selection criteria below. More information about Fresh Science, including the online nomination form, can be found at http://www.freshscience.org/

The closing date for nominations is 5pm Thursday 19 March 2009.

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.

Fresh Science selection criteria

The nominees and prize winner will be selected by the Fresh Science selection committee, which comprises scientists, journalists and science communicators.

The committee is looking for Fresh Scientists who can tell an interesting story in everyday language about their significant, peer-reviewed, scientific achievement.

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

The nominee must write their own entry.

The nominee must have peer-reviewed results; and be able to explain what they have found, not what they are planning to find or discover.

Please note that 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.

Criteria:

• The research must have been conducted in Australia or by an Australian scientist.
• The research must have reached a significant milestone and produced peer-reviewed results. Evidence of peer review must be presented.
• The research must not have had significant media coverage.
• The research must be current or have been published or concluded since 1 January 2008.
• The research must be cleared for public and media presentation i.e. nominees may need to consult with their collaborators and commercial partners.
• The nominees must demonstrate the ability to present their research to a lay audience in a clear, interesting and informative way.
• Research teams may nominate, but a single person who has played a substantial role in the research must be named as spokesperson. Only that individual will be invited to participate in Fresh Science and present the work.
• We are looking for early-career scientists. Researchers must be in the early stages of their career, e.g. honour students, PhD students and post docs. Age per se is not a barrier but nominees must be no more than five years past the completion of their PhD (if they have one).
• Researchers must not have an established media profile.
• Nominations must be made online using the Fresh Science nomination form at http://www.freshscience.org/

Fresh Science is supported by the Federal government's Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Victorian government's Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development, Museum Victoria and New Scientist.