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The Science Coalition (TSC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of more than 50 research universities, is hosting a video challenge for students like you to tell us your stories! The power of a great story can change the world. We need your help to spread the word about why science matters. Help us remind Congress that now is the time to invest in science, that now is the time to Fund it Forward!

First place winners will receive $1,000, second place winners will receive $750, and third place winners will receive $500. Graduate and undergraduate submissions will be judged separately. The winner of the People’s Choice Award, which is open to both graduates and undergraduates, will receive $500.

Cast Your Vote for the People's Choice Award!

Please vote below for People's Choice. Only one vote allowed per person.

Sirena Pearl, Virginia Commonwealth University

Jacob Klein, Wayne State University

Jay Elias, Wayne State University

Mohamed Chakkour and team, Wayne State University

Vivian Li, Penn State University

Claire Radtke, Marquette University

Video Specifications

Tips for making good videos

Videos can be recorded on something as simple as a phone camera or with other digital video equipment and edited with freely available software, such as those listed here. Tips for making good videos can be found herehere, and here.

Judging Criteria

Participants will be evaluated based on their messaging and communication, creativity, and video and editing quality. Below is a sample rubric judges will use to evaluate each submission.

Judges

Judges will consist of students, university government relations professionals, and university communications professionals.

How to Enter

 

The Challenge:

Click Here to Enter

Create a 60 – 90 second video responding to this challenge.

Group entries must have a designated team leader for communications about technical and administrative issues and, where applicable, for finalist and winner notification.

There are no restrictions about how you make your video – you can talk to the camera, use props, incorporate animations, etc. The goal is to get creative.

Be sure to include the following elements in your video:

1. Who you are, and the institution/university at which you study/work.

2. Insert your example of interesting research and how it benefits the world now and/or could benefit the world in the future. The example can be from your own research or others’ research.

3. Explain why continued federal support for fundamental research is critical to our nation’s future. In other words, why should Congress “Fund it Forward?”

 

Rules & Regulations

All contestants are required to review these rules and guidelines before entering the competition. Your submission will be deemed as your acknowledgment and acceptance of these rules and guidelines. Submissions that do not comply with the following rules and guidelines will be disqualified. TSC is not under any obligation to respond to any claims or inquiries regarding contest results. TSC has the final say on any point not outlined in the entry rules.

  • Video entries should be no shorter than 60 seconds and no longer than 90 seconds in length.
  • TSC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process, the operation of the contest, People’s Choice Award voting, or the TSC website.
  • One submission per individual/team. If you submit as an individual, you cannot also submit as part of another team and vice versa.
  • Submissions must be original work of the team or individual, must not infringe on third parties’ rights, must be suitable for public screening, and cannot be obscene. Submissions may not contain defamatory statements about any person, organization, or entity and may not invade privacy or other rights of any person, organization, or entity. Entries containing prohibited or inappropriate content as determined by the judging panel, at its sole discretion, will be disqualified and removed by TSC.
  • Do not include information in your video about research that is pre-publication or otherwise confidential. Follow your institution’s research ethics rules at all times.
  • Only one vote per person is allowed for People’s Choice Voting. Public voting on the finalist videos will be open from November 18th through November 22nd, 2024.

 

General Terms and Conditions

Participants retain rights to their videos, but by submitting an entry, the entrant grants to TSC a nonexclusive, irrevocable license to copy, reproduce, display, or distribute the entry, and to make derivative works based upon the entry or a substantial portion of the entry without attribution or prior permission.

 

If an insufficient number of qualified entries are received, TSC reserves the right to modify or cancel the contest prior to announcing the winners.

 

Judges’ decisions will be deemed final and no appeal or reconsideration will be permitted.

 

All contestants agree that they, their heirs and estates, shall hold harmless all employees of TSC and Forbes Tate Partners for any and all injuries and/or claims arising from participation in this contest. By submitting an entry, all entrants warrant that they have obtained consent from each person who appears, whose likeness appears, or whose voice is heard in their video entries.

 

Finalists will be notified by email or phone on or about November 15, 2024, and shall be required to complete an affidavit or declaration of eligibility/liability release, except where prohibited, and such other documents as may be required by TSC to protect its right to air and use the finalist videos in part or in whole.

 

Winners will be notified by email or phone on or about December 12, 2024, and shall be required to complete an affidavit or declaration of eligibility/liability release and, except where prohibited, a publicity release and such other documents as may be required by TSC to protect its right to air and use the winning entry. Required documents must be signed and received within seven (7) days of the date printed on the winner notification. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of extended recognition and national distribution and selection of the next highest rated entrant as the focus. If a winner cannot be contacted within five (5) calendar days of the first notification attempt, if notification is returned as undeliverable, if winner rejects notification, or, in the event of noncompliance with these contest rules and guidelines, winner status will be forfeited and selection of the next highest score entrant as the winner will occur.

 

Do not include other videos or music in your video without permission. By submitting an entry, each entrant warrants he or she is the sole author and copyright owner of the entry or has permission (via license or otherwise) to use or incorporate those entry portions authored or owned by third parties. While the use of images, music, and other works in the public domain may be incorporated into entries, materials that infringe on the rights of any third party may not be used.

 

Winners are responsible for all taxes or other fees connected with the prize received.

 

Privacy Policy: TSC will not share your contact information with third parties without your permission.

Past Winners

Graduate

1st Place – Mohamed Chakkour and team, Wayne State University (2023)

2nd Place – Vivian Li, Penn State University (2023)

3rd Place – Claire Radtke, Marquette University (2023)

Mea O. Songco-Casey, University of Oregon (2022)

1st Place – Molly McIlquham, Washington State University (2021)

2nd Place – Maria Isabel da Silva, Penn State University (2021)

3rd Place – Adam Knier, Marquette University (2021)

1st Place – Amanpreet Bhogal, Aneesh Hehr, and Team, Wayne State University (2020)

2nd Place – Julia Mouat, UC Davis (2020)

3rd Place – Eliza Oldach, UC Davis (2020)

1st Place – Sumit Kar, University of Nebraska Medical Center (2019)

2nd Place – Max Levy, University of Colorado Boulder (2019)

3rd Place and People’s Choice Award Winner – Bryan Keller, Florida State University (2019)

Undergraduate

Frequently Asked Questions