Innovation in Citizen Science
The Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science is presented by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources through the Inspiring Australia - Science Engagement Programme.
On this page...
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science is awarded for demonstrated excellence in citizen science practice, through an innovative research and community engagement project.
Prize
$10,000
Assessment criteria
Entries must specifically address how the work entered meets the following assessment criteria.
Project summary (20%)
Describe details of the citizen science project including:
a) Design and objectives of the project
b) Size and scope of the project
This could include, but is not limited to, budget, staffing, volunteer numbers and geographic reach.
b) Role of citizen scientists
c) Guidelines for ethical research
This could include, but is not limited to, attribution, participant safety and training, stakeholder consultation and the environmental impact of activities.
d) Results to date
e) Future plans for the project
Innovation (40%)
Describe how the citizen science project is innovative
This could include but is not limited to, innovative approaches to citizen scientists’ participation and engagement in the project, innovative use of funding and available resources, approaches to project design and the collection and presentation of research.
Impact (40%)
a) Describe the benefits of the research and demonstrate how the project has increased the body of knowledge in the researched scientific area.
b) Describe and provide evidence of how the project has had direct benefits for citizen scientists and the community, including how it has:
- Empowered individuals or groups to participate in the project, and/or science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) more broadly
- Engaged wider audiences, and built STEM knowledge and skills
- Changed attitudes toward STEM
- Communicated the progress and outcomes of the project to the community
Prize specific conditions of entry
For the purposes of this prize, ‘citizen science’ refers to a project where members of the public (citizen scientists) are engaged in authentic research in partnership with professional scientists. The citizen scientists make hands-on and/or intellectual contributions to the research process, usually including data collection and/or analysis, with benefit for the research and the citizen scientists.
Entries for initiatives of all sizes are encouraged, including those that have a local community focus or have been implemented in a local context.
Entries may vary in size and scope and judges will take the relative size of the project into account during judging.
The prize is open to individuals and teams.
For team entries;
- For entries comprised of between two and six individuals, you will need to decide upon one team leader to administer the entry, however you must describe the contribution of each individual to the project and explain why the Eureka Prize should be jointly awarded. This explanation should be included in the ‘Project Summary.’
- For entries involving more than six individuals, you will need to decide upon one team leader to administer the entry and enter using a team name. You will not have the opportunity to formally list all individuals involved in the entry.
For an individual entry, the entrant must be a) an Australian citizen, b) an Australian permanent resident or c) a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia or its territories, at the time the activity entered was undertaken.
For a team entry of up to six individuals, the team leader must be either a) an Australian citizen, b) an Australian permanent resident, or c) a New Zealand citizen who was resident in Australia or its territories, at the time the research entered was undertaken. Members of the team do not have to fulfil these requirements; however, they must have resided predominantly in Australia or its territories at the time the activity entered was undertaken.
For a team entry involving more than six individuals, you will need to decide upon a team name and one team leader. The team leader must be either a) an Australian citizen, b) an Australian permanent resident, or c) a New Zealand citizen who was resident in Australia or its territories, at the time the research entered was undertaken. Members of the team do not have to fulfil these requirements; however, they must have resided predominantly in Australia or its territories at the time the activity entered was undertaken.
Activity entered for a Eureka Prize must have been undertaken in Australia or its territories, as defined by the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Terms and Conditions.
Activity entered for this prize must have been undertaken no more than five (5) years prior to the Entry Deadline. The initiative can have commenced more than five years (5) years ago, but the scope of work covered in the entry should focus on what has been delivered/achieved in the last five (5) years.
Category specific conditions of entry – all Science Engagement Eureka Prizes
Entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated by others. If an entrant is nominated it is important that they provide input to the documentation in support of their nomination.
The activity entered or nominated for this prize may not be entered or nominated for another Australian Museum Eureka Prize in the same year.
A project that has been awarded an Australian Museum Eureka Prize in the past cannot be entered again. Non-winning finalist activity is eligible for re-entry, so long as it meets all other conditions of entry.
In addition to the prize and category specific conditions of entry all entrants need to comply with the General Terms and Conditions of Entry.
Entry materials
Each entry must include the following information. All information provided will be used by the judging panel to assess the activity against the assessment criteria.
Response to assessment criteria
A statement by the nominator or entrant on how the activity addresses each of the assessment criterion. Where applicable, please include key dates to demonstrate that the activity entered has been undertaken no more than five (5) years prior to the Entry Deadline, per the conditions of entry.
- Project Summary: [1 page (maximum); 2cm margins (minimum); Size 11 font (minimum)]. Teams comprising of 2-6 individuals must also describe the contribution of each individual to the project and explain why the Eureka Prize should be jointly awarded.
- Innovation Criteria: [1.5 pages (maximum); 2cm margins (minimum); Size 11 font (minimum)]
- Impact Criteria: [1.5 pages (maximum); 2cm margins (minimum); Size 11 font (minimum)]
Assessor Reports
[Reports must be prepared using the template provided]
Two (2) reports from assessors on how the activity addresses each of the assessment criterion. Judges rely on assessor reports to provide an additional perspective and informed opinion on the activity entered, therefore assessors should not be personally or directly involved in it. Assessors should be selected from a variety of different organisations.
Testimonial
[Testimonial must be prepared using the template provided]
One (1) personal testimonial from a citizen scientist involved in the project, describing their experiences and engagement with the project. Unless the beneficiary is under 18 years of age, testimonial must be prepared by a direct beneficiary, not an individual who has observed the impact on the target audience. Testimonial must be prepared using the template provided.
How to Enter
Entries to the 2023 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes closed at 7pm AEST Friday 14 April.
