The mission
Science POP is a Quebec-wide initiative in scientific communication that aims to promote the dialogue between science and society, while encouraging the personal and professional accomplishment of graduate students in health sciences beyond their research work or academic curriculum.
More than a mere competition, Science POP aims to become a platform that showcases the great talents in communication of our student body and to inspire them to find their passions.
2 challenges to be met as part of the Cirris internal competition
The Science POP competition, in its national format, offers 3 distinct challenges, each testing a different skill in science communication: Knowing how to learn. Know how to convince. Know how to inspire.
As part of the internal competition of Cirris, however, only 2 challenges are proposed: Popularization & Valorization
These are briefly described below. Anyone eligible to participate in the competition and interested in taking on a challenge is invited to consult the Challenge Information (in French) for further details, including:
- Science POP competition rules
- Specific guidelines for each challenge
- Evaluation criteria
- Examples
- A few ressources
Popularization challenge
OBJECTIVE: Explain a central element of your research project
Candidates taking on this challenge will have to show creativity and teaching skills to explain a key concept of their research project in a clear, simple and accessible manner.
For example:
- A biological process (ex: apoptosis)
- A laboratory technique (e.g. electron microscopy)
- An experimental model (e.g. Drosophila)
- A clinical symptom (e.g. anaphylactic shock)
- A therapeutic treatment (e.g. pancreatic islet transplantation)
Valorization challenge
OBJECTIVE: Highlight the benefits of your research project
For this challenge, candidates will need to delve into the world of journalism and produce a news release of no more than 400 words, showcasing their research project by highlighting :
- The societal needs or issues addressed by their work
- The innovativeness of the research
- The short-, medium- and/or long-term outcomes
- The partnerships that may be generated
Candidates will then have 1 to 2 minutes, during the competition, to capture the audience's attention and convince them to read the news release.
