For the first time, Malta will be joining FameLab, an international competition spanning 20 countries in Europe, Asia and North Africain search of the next top science communicator.
FameLab offers young researchers and early career scientists an opportunity to showcase their skills. Science students, educators and researchers, especially those who are passionate about science and want to communicate their enthusiasm, are being invited to register by e-mailing famelabmalta@gmail.com.
FameLab strives to push forward charismatic individuals to inject enthusiasm into science-related subjects and communicate science to wider audiences. It aims to discover and launch enthusiastic, promising scientists and engineers who can inspire people to see the scientific world from a new, fresh and friendly perspective.
The competition is the brain-child of The Times Cheltenham Science Festival. Last year’s over-all winner can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/famelab .
Contestants should prepare two talks of three minutes each about their favourite scientific concepts and present these talks in an entertaining way. Science-related subjects can refer to engineering, medicine, dentistry, health science, computer science and other similar scientific fields. One can also send an e-mail to the organisers to make sure that they are on the right track.
Auditions will be held at the Music Room at St James Cavalier on April 6 between 10am and 3pm. People aged over 18 can either register in advance or turn up on the day. The panel of judges includes ecologist Sandro Lanfranco, writer Malcolm Galea and engineer John Betts. Each judge will assess the finalists’ presentations on three main qualities: scientific content and accuracy, clarity of delivery and charisma.
The Malta finalists will get the chance to take part in a weekend master class on April 27 and 28 with Malcolm Love, a media and communications professional who has worked with the BBC flown in from FameLab UK.
He will spend time with the finalists, mentoring them and ensuring that they will get the best possible chance to battle it out in the FameLab Malta final in May.
The winner of the Malta final will win a fully-covered trip to compete and represent Malta at the Cheltenham Science Festival from June 4 to 9.
For more information on how to take part, visit www.britishcouncil.org/malta-science-famelab or http://www.facebook.com/FameLabMalta .