HOW TO ENTER
TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP
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The BIOTech Futures Challenge supports budding design engineers at the start of their careers. If you're a current high school student with an idea that solves a problem, we want to hear about it. Don't worry the entry process is simple.
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Registrations open 11th June 2024 and will be found on the Home Page
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
WHO CAN ENTER?
The BIOTech Futures challenge is open to high school students in years 9-12 with an interest in science, engineering, and innovation. Students from around Australia can participate in the challenge as well as international students. To enter, all you need is access to an internet connection and a device in order to communicate with your assigned mentor. Students can enter in groups of 2 to 5 people. Each participant is only able to enter one project. Participants also need to have an adult supervisor which may be a teacher or parent.
STEP-BY-STEP
HOW JUDGING WORKS
Sep
Sep
Oct
Stage 1
Every group must submit a poster showing their challenge, research and proposed innovation and reflective short answer questions. The first stage of the marking will be based on these answers and posters and will be conducted by a panel of judges.
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Stage 2
Each submission will be double marked and from this, the top 25 entries will be selected and announced and included in the final round.
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Stage 3
The final round will take place in October 2024 in a live symposium where finalists will be invited to present their project in person or on zoom. This will be judged by a second panel of judges. Presenters will also be asked two questions on the day by markers.
A rubric will be provided to outline the qualities that the markers are looking for in the posters, short answer questions and presentations. There will be winners in multiple categories, including an international winner, regional winner and an overall winner.
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As well as the main competition, there will also be the option for teams to enter a report and/or prototype for their project. These will be judged in a separate category from the presentations and a winning report and prototype will be chosen.
WHAT TOPICS YOU CAN INVESTIGATE
AREAS OF INTEREST
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Agricultural biotechnologies
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Big Data in Biotech
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Bioethics
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Biomanufacturing/Bio Materials
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Biomedical Assistive Technology
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Biotech in Space Exploration
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Computer Science
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Cost/ benefit analyses of Biotech Innovations
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Economics/Financial Challenges
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Environmental biotechnologies
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Genetic Editing
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Medical Biotechnology including Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
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Nanotechnology
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Neurotechnology
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Personalized Medicine
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Regulations to facilitate advances in biotechnologies
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Technologies to reduce negative ecological impacts
STRUCTURING YOUR ENTRY
WHAT WE NEED TO SEE
To enter, you'll first need to register and upload proof that you're a high school student.
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Once registered, you should reach out to your mentor. They will be an important point of contact who can offer advice and point you in the right direction if needed. It will also be helpful to take a look at the rubric and guidebook in order to understand what is expected in the challenge.
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First step in beginning your project is to do some preliminary research on the topic to develop an understanding about the challenge and what work is currently being done in the field of interest.
Second step is to formulate a research question by identifying a challenge in the field of interest.
Then it’s time to get creative and start brainstorming possible solutions to your challenge.
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Once you have your solution and done the research to support it, you need to work on your poster and SAQs. These both need to present the findings of your research and the innovation you have developed and how it is able to address your chosen challenge and questions.
Short Answer Questions
You'll need to complete our online form. We'd like you to tell us:
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What your invention does
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Where you got your inspiration
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How it works
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How you developed your design
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What sets it apart
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What the future holds for it
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This information is what we'll present, word for word, in our Project Gallery. So treat it as seriously as you would a school assignment. As with any essay, you should make a plan, get feedback from others, and proofread it before submitting.
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Poster
The poster should be presented in a science fair style and showcase your solution and how it addresses a problem in your field. It should also reflect the research you have done into the problem including your design process for your solution. It is important you can convey how your solutions meets the necessary requirements to solve your problem and why your chosen design is the best for solving this problem.
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Take a look at our gallery of past winners for examples of successful entries.
