The science competition, FameLab Cyprus, which has in the past revealed the ‘gecko’s guide to climbing’ and ‘how the mess left in a freezer by a forgotten soft drink is connected to the survival of fish in frozen lakes’, is looking for its next bout of talent.
The competition, which is being organised for the fourth year by the British Council, Cheltenham Festivals and the European Commission office in Cyprus in collaboration with the Research Promotion Foundation, aims ‘to encourage young people with a passion for science and technology to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with the general public’.
Participants have three minutes to impress the judges and the public by giving an entertaining and original oral presentation that is scientifically accurate and also engaging to a non-scientific audience.
Eligible to enter are those over the age of 18 studying or working in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics or medicine. They can be students, academics or researchers, and compete in Greek or English.
The top three winners will receive first, second and third prize awards, and the top ten finalists will win a two-day ‘MasterClass’ in science communication led by a qualified UK trainer, where they will learn media and presentation skills.
The Cyprus winner will represent the island in the Competition for Communication of Science final held annually in June in Cheltenham in the UK.
Last year’s national winner, school teacher Christodoulos Santziakki, presented ‘a life-saving anomaly’, on how water saves the lives of fish in frozen lakes.
The deadline for submission of applications is February 28. For more information visit www.famelabcyprus.com or contact the European Office of Cyprus at eoc@ucy.ac.cy