The clock is ticking relentlessly: Three minutes to put the own research topic across in an understandable, concise, and fascinating manner. Technical gimmicks, computer animations? Forbidden. At FameLab, the international competition for science communication, students, PhD students, and young scientists will meet this challenge in front of a jury and an audience. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Stadtmarketing Karlsruhe will organize one of the five regional preliminary decisions of the Science Slam at Karlsruhe on February 25: The FameLab Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The candidates wishing to enthuse their audience by their presentations on a scientific or technical subject within a few minutes have to be 21 years old at least. The only aids they are allowed to use are those that may be carried on the body, for example, a cooked egg, a balloon or a Petri dish. Participants from all disciplines, all research institutions, and universities in South Germany are invited to register for the FameLab Baden-Wuerttemberg. The registration form is available online.
The final of the FameLab Baden-Wuerttemberg will take place on February 25, 18 hrs, at the Kulturzentrum Tollhaus, Karlsruhe. It will be moderated by SWR reporter Sarah Renner. The two best participants will then qualify for the national competition. Prior to this, they will be given the opportunity to take part in a master class, an intensive presentation and media training at Berlin. The national final will take place on April 9 at the Ringlokschuppen, Bielefeld. The winners will qualify for the big international final at the Cheltenham Science Festival in June.
The preliminary competition at Karlsruhe will comprise two rounds: In a first round, the jury of KIT scientists, communication experts, and representatives of the city of Karlsruhe will choose the twelve best participants after having listened to their presentations of three minutes. This dozen will then give another three-minutes presentation in the second round. The winners of the FameLab Baden-Wuerttemberg will be chosen not only by the jury, but also by the audience. This means that an audience will be needed at the Tollhaus! Admission to this evening event will be free!
In 2005, the FameLab competition took place for the first time at the Cheltenham Science Festival, the objective being to give young scientists a forum in the public and to network young talents. In the meantime, the competition has been established in 16 countries worldwide. In 2011, it will come to Germany for the first time. FameLab Germany will be organized by the British Council Germany together with GEO and Bielefeld Marketing GmbH. “The science city of Karlsruhe with its broad spectrum of universities and research institutions is the ideal location for FameLab,” says Margret Mergen, first mayor of the city of Karlsruhe. KIT sees itself as the “driver of public science,” emphasizes Thomas Windmann, Head of the KIT Public Relations and Marketing Service Unit: “That is why KIT that aims at an innovative dialog on research and science with the population will organize the FameLab as a creative format of public science together with the Stadtmarketing.”
Further information can be found at http://www.pkm.kit.edu/famelab.php . From there, the online registration form can be accessed.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.