FameLab International Host Organisation Handbook 2023

FameLab® International Host Organisation Handbook

Welcome from FameLab® and Cheltenham Festivals

Cheltenham Festivals is excited that you have decided to Host FameLab in your country. We see our role as equipping and supporting you to run a successful project and implement the competition, using the insights drawn from our experience to develop the next generation of science communicators around the world. With our successful track record in facilitating FameLab around the world, you can be confident that your partnership with Cheltenham Festivals’ FameLab will provide you with a proven resource as well as a valued reputation.

Whilst there are non negotiables in ensuring the quality of FameLab is consistent around the world, it is important to us that every country gets the benefits they are looking for. That is why we want to work in collaboration with you to create a model that works for you and your country within the guidance set out in this handbook.

The elements that are essential – quality, networking, training, the importance of follow-up, and the judging criteria of content, clarity and charisma – are outlined within this document. Other elements may need to vary in different settings.

What we ask is that you work with us to find the best way to achieve the same goals – building a network of confident, skilled, inspiring communicators who can bring quality science and engineering to the public. Consult us early, involve us in your planning and talk to us about your progress so that we can work together to achieve these goals.

Cheltenham Festivals’ FameLab wants to be associated with the best, so we’re confident that together we can make FameLab® International a great success within your country and throughout the world.

We look forward to working with you.

Marieke Navin, Cheltenham Science Festival Head of Programming

Sarah Cooksley, Head of Learning and Participation

Khazana Rasool-McLaughlin, FameLab Co-ordinator

About Cheltenham Festivals

Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity based in Cheltenham, England. Bringing joy, sparking curiosity, connecting communities, and inspiring change year-round with four world-class Festivals in Jazz, Science, Music and Literature, and charitable programmes for education, community, and talent development.

With programming that features the very best international artists, performers and speakers; unique experiences; and showcases up and coming talent, Cheltenham Festivals is at the centre of the UK’s cultural scene and boasts an enviable international reputation as leaders in our field.

Our Vision

A world in which everyone can explore and create culture

Experiencing and producing culture enables individuals, communities and society to thrive. We actively invite the participation and contribution of all people by producing world-class Festivals and innovative Learning and Participation programmes which are inclusive by design and which promote cultural equity so that everyone can access the same opportunities without disadvantage. We work in partnership to address specific societal concerns in order to maximise the relevance, scale and impact of what we do.

Our Mission

We collaborate to create experiences which bring joy, spark curiosity, connect communities and inspire change

We want everyone to feel invited to engage with the best of music, science and the written and spoken word through our Festivals and programmes in order to increase wellbeing and belonging, to inspire the art of the possible, and to effect positive change. We do this by building trust with stakeholders over time; engaging in dialogue with audiences, participants and partners, and thinking creatively with others to innovate for the future.

Our Values Collaboration, Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity, Sustainability

About FameLab®

Brief History

FameLab is the largest, public-facing, science communication competition and training programme in the world. FameLab is a registered trademark of Cheltenham Festivals, who created the programme in 2005 in partnership with NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and with sponsorship and in-kind support from Pfizer, Silicon 19, Channel 4 and The Daily Telegraph. They were joined by the Research Councils of the UK, and in 2006 by the British Council.

Thanks to a 14-year partnership with the British Council, FameLab has run in over 30 countries across the world together with more than 200 local partner organisations. This vibrant global network brought together over 40,000 scientists and engineers who were able to engage with international audiences.

Although our partnership with the British Council has come to an end, Cheltenham Festivals is delighted to continue FameLab with several international partners. FameLab continues as an online experience across the world each year with several countries.

Cheltenham Science Festival, since its inception in 2001, has a track record of finding and developing new talent in communicating science and engineering to a wider public. FameLab builds on that informal work, using a high-profile national event to attract those with the potential to share their enthusiasm for science and technology.

We have refined FameLab over the years, with a more focused vision of how it can encourage, reward and promote science communication throughout the world. We have defined the target audience of lay adults. We have narrowed the entry criteria to concentrate on those studying or working in science including social sciences, engineering, technology and mathematics, to help them find outlets for communication without abandoning their own work. This has allowed us to deliver a better-quality experience to those entrants, more detailed and constructive feedback, and more help after the events in pursuing opportunities in public engagement with science and technology.

Cheltenham Festivals realises that in another setting, FameLab might be quite different. Without the well-established science communication infrastructure that exists in the UK, there might be no value in restricting entry to practicing scientists and engineers. In a geographically scattered population, it might make more sense to invite applications by video as well as live performances. Where science education resources are limited, it might make no sense to limit the intended audience to adults. Variations to the FameLab competition format are always evolving to make this competition the most important science communication competition in the world. Whilst these variations are valued all must be approved by Cheltenham Festivals prior to commencement.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of FameLab is to encourage scientists including social scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians to find their voices and inspire and excite the public imagination.

To do this, FameLab aims to achieve the following objectives:

■ Encourage and enable science-related researchers to communicate their work with the public in an engaging and exciting way.

■ Create an active, international community of science-related researchers who are confident and skilled in communicating their research with the public.

■ Facilitate an international network of trainers and institutions sharing resources, best practice and opportunities to support science communication.

■ Support each Host organisation’s vision and objectives.

FameLab also meets higher societal requirements to:

■ Generate public science appreciation and develop a wider audience that enjoys science and advocate science as a beneficial societal endeavour.

■ Break down the perceived barriers between scientists and the public.

■ Provide a recognised and highly sought after source of quality science presenters for media, schools and other science communication networks.

The most important thing about FameLab was, that I met so many great people. Some of them I can now call my friends and it is always inspiring talking to them.

Christian Scharun, FameLab International Finalist 2022 (Germany)

FameLab International Conditions

Cheltenham Festivals is working in partnership with Host Organisations in individual countries to expand FameLab International across the globe. Each country will sign a licence agreement outlining the conditions under which FameLab International is conducted in their country. Please ensure that you read, sign and return the license agreement before you proceed with running FameLab International.

Each licensed Host Organisation will have exclusive permission to run their own National FameLab competitions in partnership with Cheltenham Festivals and UK FameLab under the following conditions:

1. The Competition

■ Each host organisation will assure that FameLab International will run under the quality assurance guidelines of Cheltenham Festivals.

■ The competition title shall be FameLab plus the name of the host country (e.g. “FameLab Bulgaria”), with addition of a local title in the local language, as approved by Cheltenham Festivals.

■ The competitions shall be run according to the same key values of maintaining quality, providing training and offering follow up for the participants.

■ The competition shall be open to contestants regardless of any discriminatory factors related to protected characteristics such as race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender.

■ Criteria of entrance, based on age or occupation shall be agreed with Cheltenham Festivals.

■ Each contestant shall have three minutes to present any scientific, engineering, mathematical or medical topic of their choice, with no PowerPoint or other electronic presentation and limited use of props.

■ Judging panels shall apply the same criteria of quality of content, clarity of presentation and charisma in assessing the contestants’ presentations.

■ Each judging panel shall include respected experts in each of these fields:

– science including social sciences, engineering, mathematics, or medicine

– live communication

communication through the media

■ One judge may be an expert in more than one field. The number of judges shall not be less than three or more than five on one panel.

2. Branding

FameLab is a registered Trade Mark of Cheltenham Festivals (TM 2373186, Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom). Therefore, use of the FameLab brand will only be with explicit approval of Cheltenham Festivals, as per branding guidelines in your Licence Agreement.

All branding and information is to be kept up-to-date on the host country’s website – in alignment with any FameLab changes which will be communicated to you by Cheltenham Festivals.

The logos, fonts, backgrounds and guidelines for their appropriate use are located in the branding toolkit found in an exclusive FameLab International Dropbox

This link is not to be disclosed to any other party outside of those immediately involved in the design of your promotional material. Cheltenham Festivals reserve the administrative rights to this site.

Reciprocal virtual content and links will be established between the organisation’s websites.

If Cheltenham Festivals deem any use of the FameLab or Cheltenham Festivals branding to be used inappropriately, the offending material must be removed immediately upon notification from Cheltenham Festivals.

For more information refer to “Note on Branding” in your Licence Agreement.

3. Support for Host Organisations

Initial training and guidance will be provided by Cheltenham Festivals via Zoom along with digital resources, advice and support to assist Host Organizations set up and run FameLab. Ongoing support will be provided through access to the live FameLab International Dropbox and through email communication with FameLab Co-ordinator.

4. FameLab Masterclass

The finalists for each national competition shall receive, in their country, two days of training in communicating science to a live audience and through the media, before their national final. This training for the participants shall be overseen and delivered by an approved FameLab trainer, a list of recommended FameLab Masterclass trainers can be found in the FameLab International Dropbox folder.

The training session shall be called “FameLab Masterclass” and last for two days and be of no cost to the finalists.

Booking and hiring a masterclass trainer is at the cost of each country.

Local trainers may be engaged to deliver the training. These trainers must be approved by Cheltenham Festivals prior to engagement and have undergone FameLab Masterclass delivery training from a FameLab UK trainer. The local trainer(s) must have competency in communications skills training e.g. public speaking, theatre/live performance skills, media skills for example interview training, media production (radio or TV), presenting to microphone and/or to camera. It is preferred that the local trainer has some training or teaching experience. Approved trainers from each country can be added to the International FameLab Masterclass trainers directory.

The costs for Masterclass trainers should be at £500 per day paid on the completion of the Masterclass weekend. The accommodation and travel costs of all Cheltenham Festivals approved trainers will be borne by the host country.

5. Reporting and Evaluation

Timelines outlining the regional heats and finals for each country will be summarised and sent to Cheltenham Festivals in advance.

Each country running FameLab must provide regular email updates on the progress of their competition. Evaluation of the FameLab competition in each country will be carried out at the cost of the host country, outlining such items as the number and location of regional heats, numbers of competition participants, judges’ names and areas of expertise, profiles of contestants (including age and discipline of science), details of finalists, feedback from the contestants on the value of the training and competition, audience numbers at the country’s finals, and a media report. This will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the FameLab competition implementation in each country. This evaluation will be forwarded to Cheltenham Festivals by the agreed date following the international final. See Appendix 1: Annual Report Template

Some countries may also incorporate their own evaluation methodology, particularly if they need to report to funders and partners. Feel free to also include, photo evidence and quotes from participants, attendees, partners, etc.

6. Support Materials

Each Host Organisation adhering to these conditions will be provided with a copy of the following materials:

■ The FameLab International Host Organisation Handbook

■ The FameLab International Masterclass training guide

■ FameLab design logos, branding, templates and branding guidelines

■ Examples of forms and templates which are used for the implementation of the competition

■ FameLab promotional footage and archive videos on our YouTube Channel.

These materials are for use ONLY in connection with organising, promoting and running a FameLab competition in association with FameLab UK and Cheltenham Festivals. This permission includes license to broadcast or to make copies of this material ONLY for use in connection with organising, promoting and running a FameLab competition in the country to whom the material was supplied.

Copyright in all such material remains with Cheltenham Festivals.

7. Collaboration and Opportunities

Cheltenham Festivals will offer International winners the chance to take part in FameLab digital International Final and offer speaking spots at the Cheltenham Science Festival. Costs of travel and accommodation to be met by the Host Organisation if they choose to accept this opportunity, with the exception of the International Final winner whose UK travel cost and accommodation will be met by Cheltenham Festivals.

8. Innovations and Variations

Any innovations or variations from the prescribed FameLab International format will be discussed and approved by Cheltenham Festivals prior to implementation. The use of the FameLab brand and timeline of new innovation or variation will be defined by representatives of Cheltenham Festivals to the best implementation of the new innovation or variation.

9. Partnerships

All partnerships should ensure the goodwill and quality assurance of all brands are protected. All external partners running FameLab in their country are responsible for upholding the quality of the competition outlined in this “The FameLab International Host Organisation Handbook”.

All training for FameLab International competitions to new countries and new partners is to be provided by Cheltenham Festivals.

10. Governance

Bi-annual meetings in March and October, between Cheltenham Festivals and the Host Organisations will be arranged to ensure the maintenance of the FameLab International integrity.

Ensuring Quality

It is vital that the quality of the FameLab competition is maintained so that there is continued attraction of a high standard of entries, professional judges and positive high level media attention. FameLab prides itself on producing high quality finalists who will continue to apply themselves to their science and to their public engagement, no matter what forms that will take.

The quality of the competition is ensured through clear entry criteria, recruitment of articulate expert judges and a high standard of Masterclass training and delivery (see associated sections).

Although FameLab is a competition, it doesn’t feel like one. The atmosphere of both the national and the international final is amazing and friendly. I’ve learned a lot about research I had no idea existed, made friends all over the world and experienced one of the biggest science festivals in Europe.

Katarina Cisarova, National Winner 2017 (Switzerland)

The Contestants

From the outset, it is important to be clear about what contestants your competition is looking for. If your aim is to attract anybody and everybody to have a go, your image and publicity material need to reflect that. If you want to refine your criteria and are unlikely to choose, for example, a school teacher as your winner, it is fairer to disqualify them from entering. If candidates feel that they are being ruled out, they will quickly feel misled and cheated, and this will sour the event. Try to publicise the competition in a way that will appeal to your target entrants. Please note that full time science communicators are not eligible.

Marketing

Possible routes of advertisement for contestants can directly come through universities, related specialist industries, science festivals or through museums, government and research councils and funders. You should also use website advertisement, articles in the general and specialist media and direct email to anybody working in science, including social sciences, engineering or mathematics who might be able to encourage their students or colleagues to take part. Never underestimate the value of word-of-mouth as many entrants arise out of peer or supervisor recommendation.

Entry Routes

There are two entry routes possible for FameLab: drop-in auditions or video entry.

Recruitment

You may recruit through your contacts, or by using a booking form. See Appendix 2: Registration Form Template. This can be any information gathering format that suits you. e.g printed or digital – Word, Wufoo, Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, etc. A booking form may help you determine how many drop-in or video applicants you have.

Drop-In Auditions

Letting people “just turn up” has worked for countries in the past and some strong candidates admitted that they had only heard about the competition the day before and entered on a whim. Obviously, it creates organisational challenges, especially when entrants are travelling long distances and are unable to come at the beginning of the day. If this will be an issue, the timetable of the day may need to be planned to allow for later arrivals. You can ask contestants to notify you if they know they are going to be late, and this gives you an indication of contestant numbers for later in the day. If resources allow, you will offer science communication training to all entrants, ideally before the heats but otherwise on the same day.

FameLab for me was a way how to let the world know that we as a scientists are there and that we do great things that help shape our world. With a little bit of love and understanding our science can be accessible for all of us.

Eliška Jandová, FameLab International Runner up 2022 (Czech Republic)

Video Entry

Entering FameLab by video entry has become more popular in recent years. The increased use of technology has allowed videos to be shared easily over the internet. YouTube allows set up of a designated ‘Channel’ where you can upload your videos for everyone to view. This can be helpful to allow for remote judges to view the videos. This entry route enables outreach to other areas where a local competition heat cannot be held. It removes geographical limitations.

As well as outlining how to enter by video, the guidelines for the actual video entry need to be clearly defined and should include:

■ Up to three-minutes long (content will not be judged after this time limit)

■ No editing or special effects

■ No other people or excessive props

■ No background music (unless this is what you are talking about).

Recording quality will not be assessed but obviously the clearer it is the better it can be judged.

Screening the content is paramount. Before any video is uploaded to your FameLab YouTube Channel it must be viewed to assess its appropriateness. From time-totime FameLab does get entrants who are trying to get their extreme views exposure and this requires close management.

Unsuccessful video entrants should be encouraged to also attend any live auditions as they may get through via this route. Some entrants are much better performers in front of a live audience, and some are better on camera. You have to decide whether or not you will allow them to present the same presentation live as on their video entry.

Some video entrants will ask to view their feedback. Therefore, similar judging forms have to be filled out by the video judges as by the live audition judges, which mark for the 3 C’s (content, clarity and charisma). Judges’ names are given at your discretion. For consistency, video judges will have to be briefed the same as the live audition judges. The judging panel does not have to be the same, but it is still vital that expertise is spread among the judges.

Benefits for the Contestants

Contestants enter the FameLab competition for a number of reasons, and most enter to see if they can perform in front of a live audience. FameLab should offer an hourlong mini-Masterclass at each regional heat, open to all the contestants, which gives advice on live performances, some enter FameLab to get more skills in performing. Judges’ comments and individual feedback has proved to be the most beneficial to participants.

Despite being in competition with each other, entrants tend to form spontaneous networks during the regional heats and between the finalists. For some, sharing experiences and information with other early- and mid-career scientists has been one of the most inspiring aspects of FameLab. Providing space, time and the opportunity for this networking to happen, and the right supportive atmosphere, is a crucial part of the FameLab experience.

Managing Expectations

Few contestants enter FameLab for fame and TV opportunities. But some people have been disappointed when after completing the FameLab process, they have not immediately become the next TV personality. Therefore, clear aims at the onset of the competition should make these unrealistic expectations manageable.

FameLab has been a great chance to meet inspiring people who are doing and communicating wonderful research around the world. Learning from each other, encouraging each other and building networks that will last into the future has been a brilliant experience, and one that I’ve been very lucky to be a part of.

Tim Gordon, FameLab International Winner 2019 (UK)

Judging the Competition

Judging Panel

An expert balanced judging panel will ensure that all aspects of science communication are assessed. Experts in the fields of live presentation, television, science journalism or science are recruited with the underlying traits of being passionate about science and its communication to the public, and supportive of young talent. Each panel combines different areas of expertise, maximising not only the ability of the judges to weigh up different strengths and weaknesses, but also to give useful feedback even to candidates who don’t get beyond the first round.

The quality of the judging panels is crucial not only to the quality of the winner, but also to how rewarding the experience is for all the contestants. Being critiqued by top science communicators, scientists and TV personalities and getting constructive feedback has been picked out by many FameLab entrants as the most highly appreciated and valued aspect of the competition.

Three is enough for a judging panel, but if you have four judges you have the option of splitting into two panels for early rounds if the numbers of contestants are high, and you can run two parallel heats if required.

Ideal Judging Panel

The ideal judging panel has a range of both expertise and personality types. A prominent and respected scientist or engineer reinforces both the rigour of the panel’s judgment and the message that the content must be reliable. Somebody with experience of live presentation to an audience can give invaluable tips on simple techniques like taking a deep breath before going on stage, making eye contact with the audience, and not hiding behind enormous props. A television producer and/or presenter adds the prospect of being discovered for a television career (but try not to raise unrealistic expectations for contestants) as well as the perspective of what makes a good story and an engaging style. A journalist can also comment on the structure of the presentation.

Judges’ Chair

The role of Chair of the judges is crucial to ensure the smooth running of the competition. The ideal Chair has, as well as some of the qualities above, the ability to lead a difficult decision-making process and keep the rest of the panel to time. They also have the confidence to speak on behalf of the panel to contestants and audience. If you can gather the chairs of each panel for a meeting well ahead of the first heat, you can create some consensus over what the judges are looking for and help maintain a common standard across the heats.

Participating in FameLab International has come with so many opportunities, such as connecting with global and local publics on my research and the importance of African indigenous knowledge as solutions for our societal ills.

Dr. Nehemiah Latolla, FameLab International Winner 2022 (South Africa)

Payment

Judging is a demanding role that will probably require a long day, hard decisions, and possibly some travel and an overnight stay. FameLab pays the judges an honorarium, as well as paying their travel and accommodation expenses. Many of them have commented later that they found it exciting and rewarding to be in the presence of so much talent, and all of them expressed their willingness to play the same role again and are now among our most loyal and helpful supporters.

Judging Criteria

The judging criteria are strict across all of the FameLab competitions. We believe that Content, Clarity and Charisma are central for the identification of effective science communicators to an adult lay audience.

Content

The content of the presentations MUST be scientifically accurate. If the topic chosen has controversy or uncertainty around it, then the presentation must acknowledge the opposing views. The scientific topic presented should be well chosen to suit the audience.

Clarity

Clarity is critical for effective science communication. The structure of the talk is important, as well as making sure the audience and judges can follow the talk and are left with an understanding of the scientific concept chosen.

Charisma

The audience and judges should be left inspired and enthused about science. The presenter must have that hard-to-describe but unmistakable quality of charisma. The winner will clearly be the one who makes the science easy to listen to, entertaining, exciting, who is not only able to communicate the science but who can share their passion for it.

Feedback

Allow sufficient time for constructive judges’ feedback. Remember this is one of the most valuable parts of the experience, especially for candidates who don’t make it through to the next round. A couple of minutes to enable more than one judge to say something to each person is adequate, and the Chair of the judges should control the length of comments and keep the timing in check.

For stages of the competition conducted online, feedback can be given in written form.

Comments could include:

■ the contestant’s subject strengths and choice of topics

■ what audiences they would be good at presenting to (e.g. school children or adults)

■ suggestions for improvement e.g. smile more, eye contact, prop use.

Always get judges to give positive encouragement and mention the good points of the talk e.g. “great start, you had me hooked from here” or “I liked how you interacted with the audience”. Honest comments are always appreciated by the contestants rather than false good comments.

Scoring

A judging scoresheet with the contestant names and numbers already written on them (completed when the contestant is registering) should be given to each judge ahead of the competition. See Appendix 3: Judging Brief and Scoresheet Template. Judges write comments for content and mark each person out of five for the three C’s (content, clarity and charisma). A decision is usually not based on the scoring – the judges discuss, argue and finally reach a consensus on the session winners. Scoring and writing comments helps the judges to remember the individual contestants and their presentations.

Heats

Initial heats can be conducted either via digital video submissions, live online heats e.g Zoom, or live in person events. If conducting events online please refer to Appendix

4: Guideline for Online FameLab Events

If conducting a live in-person event, please refer to the following guidelines.

Venues

The requirements of the venue are large, but compromises can be made depending on the size of competition.

Each venue will need:

■ Two rooms are often required (this is in case the judging panel might need to be split up for larger turnouts), but one room can be sufficient for smaller heats.

■ Registration area – a large area. This is the first port of call for the contestants, here they will register, fill out the required forms (seating will be required) and gather to wait for the audition sessions. The all important networking will mostly occur here as well, so make this space comfortable and allow for interactions. At certain times of the event, especially at the start, this area will be very busy and therefore needs to hold large amounts of people. If a café is available nearby that is an added bonus, or if budget allows tea and coffee can be served here to make it all a more pleasant atmosphere.

■ Judges’ room – this is the area that is designated for the judges, here they will be briefed before the event, get some quiet time away from everything, take their breaks and have may even have refreshments. If this room is not too far away from the Audition room the judges may adjourn here to make their decisions.

■ Catering room – this can be combined with the judges’ room, but this is where food or refreshments can be served for the volunteers and staff helping to run the event. If this room is combined with the judges’ room make sure it is big enough for them all to fit into at break time, and allow the judges’ time away from everyone to deliberate and take a break. The volunteers enjoy talking to the judges while in this shared space, do ask the judges first though.

Volunteers

The day can be long and arduous, so it is vital to have good staff around you that are helpful and know the rules of the competition. Volunteers are sometimes people that don’t have enough courage to enter FameLab this year but may enter in following years, so a good experience for them will ensure they come back the next year to either help or enter.

The roles that the volunteers play are varied during the day. They will control the registration process for the contestants, assist the contestants to their sessions (a great help if the venue is large and not easily navigated), time the presentations, and help set up the venue. They can also record judges’ comments to use later on the website, giving tips on what type of thing the judges are looking for. Volunteers will need to be briefed on the rules and regulations of the competition and will be the ones who bring to your attention those contestants that are not eligible (e.g. out of the age group), and those that may have dangerous props. An appreciated reward for the volunteers is to interact with the expert judges and this can happen over lunch. If your event is a full day you may want to rota volunteers for breaks.

Compère

It helps the contestants relax if the stage manager or designated compère briefs the contestants and introduces each contestant to the stage area. This role defuses tensions and covers the time when the judges are making notes. The compère is also useful in keeping the session rolling and if the judges get too caught up with comments the compère can interject.

Registration

The day begins with registration. This is to collect name and contact details, a useful opportunity to gather information that may help you work with the entrants in future (e.g. area of specialty) and also an opportunity to gather evaluation information. Pre-registration can also be a n option. Each person is allocated to a group of around ten, and told which round they will be in. If refreshments and seating are available, entrants are usually quick to network with each other at this stage. Initial audition rounds can be opened to the public. Contestants have reported that watching other groups was a useful learning experience, and that facing a panel of judges was more intimidating without any other audience. Not dealing with members of the public does let the event run more smoothly, however, and means there can be some quality control of presentations before the public sees them. Your partner venue may have a preference.

Timings

FameLab gives each contestant exactly three minutes, and the group should be briefed on what time signals they will receive. It is common to use a hand signal 30 seconds before the end, and a hooter / bell noise at three minutes. One hour is just long enough to run a session with 10 contestants. This will include contestants’ presentations (three minutes each person), feedback (up to two minutes total for each contestant), the judges’ decision at the end of the session, and changeover times.

The judges will need to withdraw from the room to a quiet and private space (which can be just outside the room) to decide who goes forward from each group. How many contestants go forward from each group depends both on quality and on how many contestants have turned up to the heats. It is a good idea to allow a number of reserves to go through to compensate for stronger and weaker sessions, i.e. one session winner and two reserves. This system will allow reserves to be compared against each other after all the sessions have been seen. As many places as are available in the final can then be allocated to the best of the reserves. The downside is that a reserve from the first session will have to wait several hours to know the outcome.

In order to help with the timing of the day, it is ideal for a member of staff to be in the judges’ deliberation. Judges tend to deliberate for longer than timings allow, so having a staff member in the room will considerably speed up the process and keep the judges on track. Additionally, if the judges have questions about the procedure, these can be answered directly. This staff member must remain neutral throughout this time.

Props

How much you encourage, discourage or disallow props is a matter of judgment. Although inexperienced presenters can hamper themselves with too many props, others can use them to great effect and make for a more visually interesting show. Be careful to specify the safety regulations in accordance to your venue e.g. no flames or flammable substances. Some of the most impressive entrants have been the ones who could walk on with nothing and get across a difficult technical subject with nothing but their voice and some simple gestures. But one UK heat was won by an entrant whose props included a bowl of iced water, an ECG machine and one of his own Ph.D. students.

Remember that no PowerPoint presentations may be used, and writing or drawing on paper is to be discouraged.

Filming

Filming each presentation adds an edge of professionalism and excitement for the contestants, even if you have no plans to televise the competition. It also provides useful archive and promotional material. However, it does add extra pressure in terms of lighting and sound recording e.g. contestants and judges might have to be connected to microphones. If you do plan to film the rounds, liaise early with the film crew about their technical and venue needs.

Regional Finals / National Semi-Final

The ideal number of finalists for a Regional Final / National Semi-Final is eight to 12. More than 12 makes the day’s final too long, and less than eight could mean a feeling of anti-climax. The time of the day’s final round needs to be decided with the host venue months in advance so it can be publicised and attract an audience. An audience adds to the sense of occasion, and is of course a key part of FameLab in bringing science communicators together with the public.

In the Regional Final / National Semi-Final the entrants have to give a different three minute presentation. Encourage all contestants to prepare two presentations in all the advertising of the competition. It has been found a number of times that many strong contestants are surprised to get past the first session and disappoint the judges with an ill-prepared presentation for the Regional Final / National Semi-Final.

After the presentation, the judges ask questions of each entrant. They may want to probe the content, testing whether a candidate really has a good understanding and can respond clearly to follow-on questions, or whether they are putting a topic in its true context: is it new research? Controversial? Of importance to the public? Other questions might relate to the participant themselves: how do they see science communication fitting into their career? Would they feel confident talking about different subjects? What science presenters do they admire?

Including time for questions and changeovers, each candidate will take up to eight minutes, so it may be nearly two hours before the judge’s return with their decision. The judges could easily take twenty minutes or more to reach a decision, so it’s important to plan for that time.

When the judges have returned, the chair of judges will announce once winners and two runners up. Encourage the judges to include specific words of encouragement for other contestants. Obtaining photographs (or film footage) of the winners will help with publicity later.

There are a number of adaptations which can be used if there are multiple Regional Final / National Semi-Final and excessive numbers of contestants to make sure that the best contestants from throughout the whole country are selected. A system with ‘wildcards’ can be used where a certain number of wildcards are announced along with the regional winners. These wildcards can be considered with other region’s wildcards and the strongest selected from across the country to form the finalist line up.

The FameLab Masterclass

Science Communication training is a significant part of FameLab. Opportunities for training should be built in throughout from initial application to the national finals. Countries have autonomy over the plan for this until the national masterclass, at which point the following guidelines should be applied.

For a suggested training plan please Appendix 5: FameLab International Australia Training Plan

National Masterclass

An intensive two-day training must be held for the country finalists. This two-day training gives the finalists a chance to bond and network together, and helps create an atmosphere of trust that makes it easier to take risks. Breaking through personal boundaries is a vital part of becoming a more confident presenter. This shared experience encourages the finalists to form a network of mutual support, and encourages future collaborations. The FameLab International Masterclass Handbook is available in the FameLab International Dropbox which gives the background to the Masterclass and a possible timetable for the two days. This should be shared with any non FameLab UK masterclass trainers.

A FameLab Masterclass trainers directory can be found on FameLab International Dropbox

The National Masterclass will be a mixture of talks, exercises and activities (both group and individual) on communicating through different forms and media.

Included in the two-day training will be sessions on preparing and delivering a live talk, interviewing and being interviewed, having “stage presence” and experience on camera. Alongside this, frank advice about the reality of media work helps develop a realistic perspective among the finalists.

Although FameLab is not primarily about finding future TV and radio presenters, most participants see media work as one appealing possible outlet. Providing them with a short showreel of themselves presenting to camera and being interviewed on radio is one very useful way FameLab can help them pursue future opportunities.

In the past, FameLab UK commissioned a production team to attend the Masterclass, including two camera crews and radio expertise to help give each finalist experience in production. Showreels for the finalists are edited together from their live performances and recorded segments from the Masterclass including their ‘Walk and Talk’ to camera, radio interview and interview piece to camera. This gives the finalists a tangible asset from their training with FameLab.

Make it clear on the website and on any information given to the participants that if they become one of the finalists they are required to attend the Masterclass in its entirety in order to be allowed a place in the National Final. Therefore, the dates of the Masterclass have to be determined early enough to allow for contestant planning.

Masterclass Venue

The Masterclass is an active two days of training, therefore the appropriate space is required for the contestants to get maximum benefit. A venue needs to have at least two rooms and at least one of these should be large enough for the number of contestants, two trainers and FameLab staff to move around in. There should be no fixed seating in this venue as it is too restrictive for the activities. The typical timings of the day run from about 9am till 5pm on the first day, possibly shorter on the second day, and may be over a weekend, therefore the venue must have access at these times. Access to an auditorium would be beneficial but not essential.

It is not necessary to have the contestants stay at the venue but for FameLab UK we have found that the whole experience is enhanced by holding a residential weekend for the finalists with the whole Masterclass taking place at a hotel using their accommodation and conference centre.

The National Final

Although the National Final aims to find one winner, it is a showcase for all the finalists and should be treated as such. If they all perform well it reflects well not only on them but on the competition as a whole. It must be an event that works for the audience and lets everyone perform at their best.

Venue

Make sure the venue and event are up to the occasion. Everybody must be able to see and hear the judges as well as the contestants. Banners, screens with logos or a backdrop all add to a sense of professionalism and drama. Stage lighting and a good quality sound system are important for the same reasons.

Compère

A compère or host is vital at the finals to keep the whole event running smoothly. They will introduce the judges, contestants, let the audience know the outline for the event and let them know what happens next. The compère can also help fill the gap when the judges are out of the room and help the finalists to relax and enjoy the occasion as much as possible!

Judges

Please refer to previously mentioned judging criteria to help you choose the right judges for the National final. As done during the heats, a judging scoresheet with the contestant names and numbers already written on them should be given to each judge ahead of the competition.

See Appendix 3: Judging Brief and Scoresheet Template Judges write comments for content and mark each person out of 5 for the three C’s (content, clarity and charisma). A decision is usually not based on the scoring – the judges discuss, argue and finally reach a consensus on the session winners. Scoring and writing comments helps the judges to remember the individual contestants and their presentations.

Timings

Twelve finalists are sufficient for a two hour event. Any more will confuse the audience and draw out the event for too long. The exact number will be determined by the number of regional heats, video entrants and reserves selected. The finalists perform another three-minute presentation which should be different from all previous presentations. It can be on the same topic (e.g. particle physics) but not the same presentation. Remember these finalists have attended the Masterclass and received multiple feedback from judges, therefore their National Final presentations should be more polished.

Allow more time for feedback and questions from the judges than at regional finals, as the judges and audience want to know more about the contestants. Two minutes is time for questions. Questions to the finalists at this stage are more preferable as feedback is less useful at this stage of the process.

For each contestant, 7-8 minutes will include introductions, their presentation, feedback, applause and changeover. This means over an hour to get through all the contestants, and the judges will then retire to deliberate. Again it is vital to have that FameLab staff member with the judges to help them stay on task and on time. Twenty minutes is a good time to allow for the judges to reach a decision. Give them stern warning to stick to times, remember you have an audience who are waiting for them.

Meanwhile the audience would appreciate a stretch of their legs and/or a toilet break. It is plausible to include an interval act, a showcase or film of the heats or some footage of the Masterclass. A good compère may also be able to help fill this time. Don’t feel you have to keep them entertained for the whole time they are at the National Finals.

Audience Vote

An audience vote at the National Final is always great to involve the audience in the competition. This has to be thought through properly, so it fits into the timings of the event. A decision has to be made whether it counts towards the final vote of the evening because if it does then the result must be told to the judges while they are deliberating so they can include it. If this is the case, then the audience would still like to know who won their vote. If the vote does not contribute to the grand winner then it can be announced after the judges have made their decision and a separate prize needs to be considered. Time needs to be allowed for counting the votes and announcing the audience vote winner.

Another way to involve the public is with some kind of national vote before the final. Visiting a website to vote on audio podcasts or filmed material has worked for FameLab UK in previous years. This not only provided wider public involvement, it was also a good way to publicise the competition and showcase the finalists. Using a TV or radio programme and inviting votes by phone, text or online poll would be another option.

Announcing the National Winners

Upon the return of the judges, make the most of the suspense and drama around the announcement. Before announcing the winners, judges should give some general positive feedback about all the participants, (e.g. perhaps say what you were most impressed by) so that everyone leaves feeling positive!

Build up by starting with then the runners-up and then the winner of the audience vote and lastly the first-place winner, who should be allowed to make a few comments. Let a celebrity or important sponsor or partner present the prizes, even if they are token envelopes. Let the winner and audience enjoy the moment.

Prizes

The prize will depend largely on the country, the partners and the budget. Opportunities to appear on television can be a big draw to attract entrants, but can raise false expectations. If a winner is promised a TV presenting role which fails to materialise within a few months, disillusionment can set in not only for the disappointed individual, but among next year’s potential entrants. Radio is usually easier to deliver, and a more realistic target for a new science communicator, where they can hone their skills in a lower-risk setting. The offer of money, computers, books, tech, etc is always attractive. Live appearances at science centres, festivals, museums or other public venues should be relatively easy to deliver. If you can specify a spot at a specific event, that is even more concrete. Keep in mind the winner may not be up to delivering an hour-long event immediately. Keep the offer flexible, or make it a long way in the future but make sure the prize is delivered and it’s not too flexible and too far in the future to make it intangible. All National winners are asked to complete Country Winners’ Form. This information will be used by Cheltenham Festivals to produce a digital programme. This programme will appear on our webpage and shared with all finalists as a keepsake. It will include a bit about each country winner: their name, country, likes, dislikes, what they are working on and their social media contact.

A place in the digital International FameLab Final, hosted by Cheltenham Science Festival should be on your prize list for the winner. You might wish to also include travel to the UK and accommodation in Cheltenham to attend the Science Festival in June if your National Winner is not crowned International champion.

International Masterclass and Final

Each country winner will qualify for the International Masterclass hosted online by Cheltenham Festivals in the October of each year and entry to the International final hosted online by Cheltenham Festivals in the November. The winner of this final will be crowned the International winner and will be hosted at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the following June as agreed with the Host Organisations.

A primary aim of FameLab is to find, train and support talented science communicators to engage the public with research. To this end, we wish to create a supportive network between all the International finalists before, during and beyond the competition. We would love for them all to meet; we understand that this is tricky given the many different time zones. We encourage the cohort to set up their own chat, what’s app or email group to stay connected as they embark on this journey together. Hopefully as well as attend the Masterclass they will also be able to join an ‘informal’ session, which we suggest takes place at the optimum time for all – this is an optional session led by the finalist themselves.

International Masterclass

This session will include an interactive workshop to further build each International finalist’s science communication skills, opportunities to meet the fellow competitors from around the globe, socialise, and a brief technical support. The aim is to continue to equip them in their public engagement initiatives going forward as well as prepare them for the FameLab International Finals.

In this session they will polish their performance and get ready to take to the virtual stage with this short interactive workshop. The session will be led by a FameLab Masterclass Trainer who has helped scientists around the world increase the reach, profile and impact of their work. Through the session, International finalists will explore how to give a professional talk on camera as well as discover the next steps in their SciComm journey.

Run through / Dress rehearsal

Cheltenham Festivals will host a technical run through with our production team as guidance on the format for the final. This is to check connection stability and speed; we recommend each International finalists do this test in the location they will be for the live online final. See Appendix 6: Technical Guidelines and Set-up Instructions for more information.

International Final

Depending on the number of countries taking part there will be a live semi-final and final or just a live online final which will be streamed live. Cheltenham Festivals will be responsible for hosting, streaming and producing this final and details will be share each host organisation prior to the final.

There will also be a live chat available during the streaming, as well as an audience vote. Finalists will be required to log in 45 minutes before start time to ensure everyone is in the room.

Country video postcard

In order to ensure each country and Host Organisation is represented and platformed during the final, we ask each Host Organisation to produce a country video postcard to be played during the live online final. This video should include information about the country, the competition the National Winner and the Host Organisation. Templates and assets for inclusion in the country video can be found in the FameLab International Dropbox. See Appendix 7: County Video Guidelines

Follow Up and Alumni Networks

It is important to not only deliver on promises but to keep good relationships with all those involved in FameLab. Not only are they the networks to aid the next year’s competition, but they are the developing individuals that you can point to as the success of FameLab.

Encourage the finalists, winners and anyone who took the time to enter FameLab to be pro-active in their public engagement activities. Enable them to network within their new-found grouping “FameLabbers” to think of new ways to communicate and become active in their environments.

As you plan live or media appearances for the winner and finalists, think about using them to promote the competition. Can they take a banner with them to public events, that promotes the website and future competitions? Can you time the launch of the following year’s competition to coincide with a TV slot or a talk at a major science event?

The follow up is just as important as the actual event. You can start a database of FameLabbers to recommend for public engagement activities. Winning FameLab or getting to the National Final is not the end but a beginning. Cheltenham Science Festival is obviously well placed to help finalists with further opportunities and contacts, and is invaluable in giving the openings available to finalists in an international dimension. Involving winners or finalists from FameLab competitions overseas would of course add still another dimension to this work. It is important to maintain a relationship with promising communicators identified through FameLab, and to nurture their talent and enthusiasm.

Alumni Network

As well as encouraging Host Organisations to maintain their own Alumni Networks, Cheltenham Festivals will host an International FameLab Alumni Network where we will aim to create further opportunities for FameLab participants including but not limited to becoming FameLab Masterclass Trainers and judges and using our networks and platforming potential to help develop next generation of Science Communicators.

Timeline

The following is an outline guide for FameLab, with regional heats followed by a digital grand final organised by the Cheltenham Festival in November. Timelines can be modified to fit individual country requirements.

Month Tasks

Start of your cycle:

January - March

■ Start arranging dates with regional partner venues for heats.

■ Begin working with science and engineering organisations, universities, associations and industry bodies, to involve them in recruiting participants.

■ ACM (Annual Central Meeting) for International Host Organisations

■ Open the competition for registrations for drop-in auditions and video entries (closing dates for video entries are set before specific regional heats). Participants are invited to register their interest via the website, but this is not compulsory and they can – and do – just turn up on the day.

■ Publicise regional heats through media, universities, professional bodies, learned societies, formal and informal networks and individual contacts.

■ Weekly email updates to those who have registered on the website, to answer queries, give more detailed information as regional heats approach, and encourage a feeling of being part of a supportive network.

March - April

■ Start distributing publicity material through partner bodies.

■ Dates and venues of the regional heats are publicised, but potential entrants are directed to the website for more details and invited to register there for regular email updates.

■ Identify and recruit judging panel members.

■ Convene meeting of the chairs of judging panels to agree and refine the judging criteria, the judging process, and how each heat will run.

■ Regional heats

■ Publicity for regional finalists

May - October

■ Run weekend masterclass for country finalists

■ Publicity for the finalists and the International Final

■ Engage PR company

■ Marketing plan established

Sept - October

■ Host Country finals completed

■ Deadline for winner information to be sent to CF

■ Online Masterclass and tech check

■ Country film / video to be submitted

■ ACM (Annual Central Meeting) pre final check in

November

■ Online FameLab International Final hosted by CF

■ Country promotion of winner

December ■ Send a brief report / review from FameLab in your country from the current year

■ Templates can be found in the FameLab International Dropbox

June and beyond

■ Cheltenham Science Festival

■ International winner invited to Science Festival (CF to cover UK travel and accommodation)

■ Other previous year finalist invited at Host Organisations expenses

Appendix 1

FameLab International Annual Report Template

Annual Report should include the following information, please share any information you see fit along with images, quotes and links from FameLab in your country this year, due early December.

Country Host Organisation Name: Date:

Participation Numbers Summary

■ Number of Regions

■ Number of Participants in Heats

■ Number of Participants in Regional Finals

■ Number of Participants in Semi Finals

■ Number of Participants in National Finals

■ Any other data including EDI (gender, ethnicity, age, etc)

Reflections on the Year:

■ Launch and Training

■ About your partnerships (Regional and National)

■ Events – Heats, regionals, semis and finals

■ Masterclass and Trainers

■ Overall year of FameLab

■ Media and coverage

■ Surveys and other feedback including summarised results from participant surveys.

Recommendations for the next year

Quotes which reflect impact (Host Organisation, participants, partners, etc)

Appendix 2

Registration Form Template

These are suggested questions for your applicants; you may add or amend as appropriate.

Please take a few moments to complete this form.

About you

Your personal details will not be shared without your prior consent.

■ First name and Last name

■ Email Address

■ Contact Number

■ Twitter

■ University / Organisation / Employer

■ University Department / College (if applicable)

■ Position / Job Title

Undergraduate Technician

Masters’ student Teacher

PhD candidate Other (please specify)

Postgraduate researcher

■ Highest scientific or technical qualification

MA Other (please specify)

MBBS

MChem

■ Field or Area of research or study

Biology Economics

Chemistry

Computer Science

Earth Sciences

Engineering

Geography

History

Law

Linguistics

Mathematics Politics

Medicine / Health and Disease

Neuroscience

Psychology

Sociology

Physics Humanities

Anthropology

Archaeology

■ Why did you decide to enter FameLab?

Promote science generally

Gain experience / practise public engagement

Obtain advice / feedback

For enjoyment / fun

Learn new skills

Attend masterclass

■ How did you hear about FameLab?

Cheltenham Festivals website

University website

Email from Cheltenham Festivals

Email from my university / employer

Science communication networks

Word of mouth

Other (please specify)

Make new contacts / networking

Enhance my career

To win the competition

Other (please specify)

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Poster

Other (please specify)

Your Public Engagement Experience

This information is for our use only and will not be shared with third parties.

■ How would you describe your level of experience of engaging non-specialist audiences?

Very experienced

Somewhat experienced

A little experienced

Not at all experienced

■ If you DO have experience in public engagement, which of the following activities aimed at non-specialist audiences have you undertaken in the last two years?

Public lectures / presentations

Television

Activities at museums or science centres

National Science and Engineering weeks

Radio School visits

Science writing

University open days

Activities at a science festival

Other (please specify)

■ If you have NOT previously undertaken any public engagement activities, indicate the most dominant reason

Lack of support from university / employer

Lack of knowledge of ways to get involved

Lack of time to get involved

Lack of funding

Other (please specify)

■ Have you received any training in public engagement?

Yes No

Please describe the training and name the provider

■ Are you a member of any public engagement networks or associations?

Yes No

Please name the network(s) or association(s)

Permissions

Your permission for us to contact you or to pass on information to relevant organisations

■ Would you like to be added to the FameLab email mailing list to receive news about the competition and information about public engagement activities and events?

Yes No

■ We will pass on your contact details to the organiser in the region you selected, who will then contact you with details of the training, heats and final. Please confirm that you are happy for us to do so.

Yes No

■ May we use your image and/or personal details (such as name and job title) in FameLab publicity material (including print, video, website and press)?

Yes No

■ GDPR

By completing this form you are agreeing to us retaining your personal data for the purposes set out, and for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

For more information please refer to Cheltenham Festivals’ privacy policy here: https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/site/privacy/ I agree to my details being retained as set out above

Opt out – Do not add me to your database

Demographic information

For monitoring purposes only – this information is only used to monitor and evaluate the extent and nature of the diversity within the programme, and will not be shared outside the organisation.

■ How do you define your gender?

■ Your age

21 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65+

Prefer not to answer

■ Your ethnicity (Please choose the option that best describes your ethnic group or background)

White

Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups

Black/African/Caribbean

Other ethnic group

Asian Prefer not to answer

Appendix 3

Judging Brief and Scoresheet Template

FameLab is a communication competition designed to engage and entertain by breaking down science including social sciences, technology, engineering and maths concepts into three-minute presentations. Participants from around the world take part armed only with their wits and (if they wish) a few simple props – the result is an unpredictable, enlightening and exciting way to encourage curiosity and expand people’s understanding of scientific topics and research.

It is as much about the importance of scientists/researchers developing their communication skills, as it is about reaching public audiences. As judges, you are considering how participants talk about their own chosen topic or research, and not specifically the uniqueness of their own actual research (if working in research). Please bear in mind that, as a judge, you represent an audience of mostly adults with an interest in watching scientific presentations, but who may have no specialist knowledge or expertise.

Rules of the competition

Each participant will give a three minute presentation on a science, technology, engineering or maths subject of their choice. They are not permitted to use PowerPoint or any other AV, but they are allowed to use whatever props they can carry ‘on stage’ with them. Although the competition will be online, we aim to keep to the structure of FameLab as closely as possible:

■ Their talk will be presented in one take – just as if they were on stage, they will not be able to restart unless in exceptional circumstances. Only if they have technical issues (their internet freezes or camera falls, for example) will they be allowed to restart their talk.

■ The usual rule of ‘no notes’ still stands. The judges will be able to tell if you are reading from notes or a script!

■ They are not allowed to use background animations, slides, graphics or green screen effects since these are not within the spirit and rules of FameLab.

■ Their talk must be no longer than three minutes. We can arrange for them to see a timer countdown on screen if this is helpful or do the usual ‘wave’ with 30 seconds remaining and a loud horn sound at three minutes, or if they would find this distracting, they can choose not to see the timer. The host will stop them if they go far beyond three minutes.

■ Any props they use must be able to carry themselves.

■ They may participate standing up or sitting down.

■ We suggest they wear whatever they would usually wear to the stage version of FameLab. As they would for the stage version, they have been instructed to avoid branded clothing and clothes or accessories that may be distracting or create unwanted sound that may be picked up by the microphone.

Judging criteria

You will be asked to score each participant - the scores are purely to help you in deciding the winners and should not be revealed to the participants or audience. You have been allocated a deliberation break near the end of the event to tally/discuss scores.

Remember we are looking for somebody who can shine in content, clarity and charisma:

■ Content: needs to be factually correct, but also well-chosen for a lay audience (not too obscure nor patronisingly simplified) and well structured as a “story”.

■ Clarity: as well as being understood, the subject should be put in context. Is this well-established knowledge, an exciting new piece of research, or a controversial theory?

■ Charisma: do they make you want to watch and listen to them? Try not to be too influenced by superficial things like choice of clothes that are easy to change. Were you sorry when they had to stop?

Please keep in mind that you are judging the participants’ ability to communicate science, not the worthiness of their research topic. You should balance all three areas (content, clarity and charisma) and not unfairly favour those who may be working in areas that immediately appeal from a social, humanistic perspective. Choosing to communicate a difficult concept can be more challenging and should also be considered!

The cultural value of bringing countries together through FameLab is powerful and celebrated; try to focus on whether the participant shines in content, clarity and charisma, and is engaging and entertaining, rather than being swayed by their English-speaking ability.

For FameLab competitions online, please consider how the participants have chosen to use this digital medium of communication to connect with their online audience. Rather than performing as if they were on a stage in front of a physical audience (as they would usually have done), we hope participants have adjusted their talks in response to this shift online but should not be judged on video or connection quality.

Questions

After each participant has performed their talk, the judging panel will have two/three minutes to ask questions. Although judges’ responses should be encouraging, resist giving compliments or criticism during the limited time for questions. There will be an opportunity for feedback later when revealing the winners.

We will explain in advance which judge will ask the first question to each of the participants (ensuring all judges get the chance to lead). This avoids some participants getting lots of questions, while others are met by judges all looking at each other hoping someone has something to ask!

Please relate questions to the talk you have just experienced, and do not be afraid to ask the obvious questions if you have misunderstood something or there was a gap in their explanation: pick up on content wherever possible, ask about details relating to the subject.

Please avoid questions that go beyond the presentation, such as why they chose their particular field of study, why is science communication important, what they hope to do next, why they became a scientist etc.

If nothing specific comes to mind, here are some examples of broader questions you might like to ask:

■ Where do you see this area of research going in the future? What applications will it have?

■ What impact do you think your work/what you’ve talked about has, or will have, on society?

■ What is the key takeaway message from your talk, and why do you think this is important?

■ Why do you think this topic/style of approach would appeal to a public audience?

■ You chose to use X prop to explain this – why do you think this is the best way to explain the science?

■ What inspires you about this subject?

Phases of the Competition

The Beginning

■ Host Organisations will discuss with all the judges beforehand and decide which one of you will each describe one of Content, Clarity and Charisma in your own words.

■ At the beginning of the event, the compere will ask you to introduce yourself, and give a very brief explanation of what you are looking for as a judge.

Competition Phase

■ The Compere will begin the event and introduce each judge.

■ Before welcoming each to the stage, the compere may say a few words about each finalist to introduce them to the audience.

■ When they have finished their three minute talk, they will need to stay in the same position while the compere invites questions from the judges for them to answer.

■ When they have finished answering the judges’ questions, the host will thank them and they will leave the stage.

■ The process is repeated until all the finalists have present their talks.

Judging Phase

■ After all the finalists have presented judges will leave the stage to deliberate in a Judges Room, where a member of the FameLab Team should l be on hand to help keep time.

■ While judges deliberate, the compere will entertain the audience and remind about the Prizes and the Audience vote (if there is one).

■ Judges will have 10-15 minutes to decide, please select one winner and two runners-up.

■ After you have decided, all the judges will return to the stage.

Results

PhaseAnnouncing the Winners

■ Upon the return of the judges, make the most of the suspense and drama around the announcement. Before announcing the winners, judges should give some general positive feedback about all the participants, (e.g. perhaps say what you were most impressed by) so that everyone leaves feeling positive!

■ Build up by starting with then the runners-up and then the winner of the audience vote and lastly the first-place winner, who should be allowed to make a few comments. Judges may wish to take it in turn to give general feedback.

■ The compere or a specially invited guest may be selected to announce the Audience Winner and present the prizes.

■ The head judge will announce the results, two runners up and one winner

– At the Host Organisation Regional Finals / National Semi Finals: These winners will go on to represent their region and take part in the National Finals.

– At the National Final: The winner will be crowned the FameLab Country National Champion and will go on to represent their country at the FameLab International Final online in November.

Judging Score Sheet

Finalist Name (with pronouns and pronunciation)

Country / Region Talk Topic Talk Title

Question from Judge

Comments: Charisma

Comments: Summary

Finalist Number

Total/15

FameLab International Final The Results

Appendix 4

Guideline for Online FameLab Events

As FameLab events move online, we aim to continue to prioritise the supportive and collaborative atmosphere as participants take the opportunity to develop and practice their science communication skills, and for audiences to enjoy learning about exciting current research. Here are a few ideas to help you host your online event. We look forward to developing FameLab online with your ideas too!

Hosting platform

Ultimately, please use whatever platform you are comfortable with. Here are some thoughts on the options:

■ Meeting on Zoom/ Teams: In a meeting there is equality between participants, which may be good for the participants but can feel weird for the audience. Everyone present is able to interact in the same way, which you may not want if you are inviting an audience. This is a good option for training or a private heat, but less good for a public heat or final.

■ Webinar on Zoom/ Teams: These are more controlled than meetings, and it can be comforting for the audience as they know they won’t be on display. This is a good option for a public heat or final if you are new to the platform.

From the audience perspective, webinars and meetings can have a formal feel to them as many people use them throughout their working day. One less formal way to connect with people is to livestream your event to YouTube: Speakers are in the Zoom/ Teams webinar, and the audience watch on YouTube.

There are a few options for streaming live events on YouTube (more guidance on pages 3 and 4):

■ Beginner: Connect a Zoom meeting/webinar to YouTube and stream straight from Zoom. Read how to do this here

■ Experienced: Use streaming software such as Streamyard (very popular and simple to use, see an example here), or you may prefer Restream (example here).

■ Advanced: Use your own broadcast software like OBS (example here). This allows complete control over what appears on screen, but it is the most complex to set up and the most demanding on both computer and Wi-Fi.

Roles in online events

You will need more people behind the scenes than you expect! Individual roles may include:

■ Technical host: monitors the waiting room, mutes/ unmutes people as needed, etc. This person could join the call with another separate log-in too (muted and with camera off), to be able to check what the audience/ participants can see.

■ Breakout room host: arranges the separate online space for the judges to deliberate together, is present while the judges discuss and make their decisions to ensure they have everything they need.

■ Zoom/Teams chat moderator: welcomes all to the chat, encourages discussion and questions, and moderates.

■ YouTube chat moderators: one person to welcome all to the chat and encourage discussion and questions, and another person to moderate others as required.

■ Social media manager: live tweets the event e.g. summarises each talk and links to the event to get more people to watch.

Top tips

■ Test internet connections: Ask all participants, including judges, compere and behind-the-scenes crew, to test their internet speed in the location where they will be participating:

SPEED TEST HERE – Click ‘start test’ and wait for the test to finish

– You should have a minimum of 5 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload for a stable and consistent stream of video and audio.

– If your speeds are below this, then we advise that you source an ethernet cable to stabilise your connection, or use mobile phone signal instead, or (government rules allowing) find an alternative location to take part. If none of these options are possible, then prioritise taking part with audio only. Also, ask the people you live with to avoid streaming while you participate, to ensure the best connection for you.

■ Practise with your team: For many people hosting online events is still quite new, so do take the time to practise with your chosen platform. You may wish to bring the compere and judges together beforehand to clarify how it’s going to run and do final checks.

■ Create a supportive atmosphere for participants: We hope FameLab continues to be a supportive and collaborative way to improve science communication skills, even online. You may wish to ask participants to join the call ~1 hour before the event to lead a warmup, boost their confidence, give them a chance to chat together, as well as do final technical checks.

■ Check the audience view: If it’s a public event, ensure everyone on the call knows when they are live and viewable/audible. If using a webinar, check the view for the presenters and the audience so you are clear on who can see what. If you are sharing videos at any point, check that these work for the audience (see Jamie Gallagher’s video here for how to optimise video sharing).

■ Include a break: To keep the audience occupied while the judges deliberate, you may choose to host a short quiz, a discussion with someone, a Q&A with participants, have a tea break, or a combination of these. You may wish to use the branded card here too, with a countdown and music to add to the fun.

■ Have a backup plan: Things may go wrong despite all your preparation, and that’s completely fine and understandable! Gather everyone’s mobile numbers so you have an alternative method of communication in case of internet issues.

Branding

■ Start/end cards: We have created a basic card for you, feel free to add your logo if you wish, and use as the start/end card for your event. For example, when the audience first join your event, they will see the logos and know they are in the right place. It can be nice to also add a count down timer to the start of the event, and add some music (see Jamie Gallagher’s video here on how to do this).

■ Virtual background: We have created a virtual background card for your event host, in case their setup enables them to use one. Virtual backgrounds can be distracting if they don’t work well, so please feel free to only use it if it works well for your setup (see here how to set a virtual background on Zoom).

■ Use the FameLab logo in meeting invites etc. as you wish.

Streaming to YouTube

If you choose to stream your event to YouTube (you don’t have to, hosting your public event on a webinar is fine!), here are some suggestions:

YouTube video description

Welcome to the [region] heat of FameLab hosted by [name of host]. Each contestant has three minutes to dazzle you with their charisma, wit and knowledge of their chosen science subject. Prepare to get your mind blown while learning some new quick-fire science. FameLab is the world’s only international science communication competition. It aims to get everyone talking science and is dedicated to sharing science with people across the world. Cheltenham Science Festival is the home of this competition, delivered globally in partnership with the British Council. For more information visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/famelab and check out @FameLab on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Keywords:

Science

Science shorts

Science communication

Science talks

YouTube chat moderation

Welcoming viewers

Log in to the chat 10-15 minutes before the event starts to welcome people and reassure them they are in the right place. You can use this time to set out what FameLab is. For example:

Welcome to FameLab [region] – we are so glad you can join us

FameLab is the world’s only international science communication competition and aims to get everyone talking science.

FameLab is created by Cheltenham Science Festival and delivered globally in partnership with the British Council. Armed only with their wits and a few props, our contestants are about to amaze you with three minutes of mind-blowing science. So if you’re curious to find out about the latest research, you’re in the right place!

Let us know where you are watching from and we’ll give you a shout-out.

Introducing the participants

It’s a good idea to have your posts ready prepared in advance with:

■ Names of participants

■ Names of judges

■ Twitter handles (if they are happy for you to share)

■ Where they are from and what they are studying e.g. “Next up is Jane Bloggs, a PhD student at Anytown University researching the rheology of blobfish. Follow her on @blobfishscience.”

Encouraging the chat

Mention if any of the FameLab participants have joined the chat, encourage questions about the presentations, ask them what they’ve enjoyed most about the competition…

Voting and other information

Have your voting links ready, any links for quizzes or books that are referenced so you can easily copy and paste them into the chat.

Wrapping up

Thank the judges, the participants and the viewers. Let them know when the FameLab UK Final will be held (at Cheltenham Science Festival in June!).

Dealing with inappropriate comments

Generally, FameLab audiences are supportive and respectful, but you might want to set some ground rules in advance e.g.

Please be kind to other people in the chat. We want everyone to feel welcome and included in today’s event. We will remove any posts that include offensive language or inappropriate comments.

Please only use this chat to comment on the presentations by the contestants and the FameLab competition itself. Any messages that are not to do with FameLab will be removed.

In the unlikely event that anyone does post any offensive comments, as a moderator you can either Time Out (silence them for five minutes) or hide them altogether (see how to video here). It’s a good idea if you can assign another moderator to look out for and block inappropriate chat, leaving you to post encouraging messages and interact with viewers. When the chat gets busy it can be difficult to do both!

Appendix 5

FameLab International Australia Training Plan

This suggested training plan was kindly developed and shared by our the FameLab International partner in Australia – The Museum of Western Australia. You may use this or use it as an example to develop a plan that best works for you and your organisation.

Training for FameLab participants

Applicants, semi-finalists and finalists will receive free, specialist science communication training at various points through the FameLab competition:

■ All qualified applicants will be invited to a 90-minute online science communication workshop.

■ Tailored science communication training will be delivered to all semi-finalists.

■ Masterclasses in science communication will be delivered to the 12 finalists.

■ The 12 finalists will be invited to Perth to participate an immersive 3-day science communication program, culminating in the live FameLab Finals event. A 1.5day workshop will cover a range of advanced science communication topics, delivered by various speakers and trainers. The Perth program will also include networking and social opportunities with the finalists, guests, and the broader Perth science community.

1. Qualified applicants will receive a 90-minute workshop, covering general information about science communication and FameLab e.g.

– Introduction to FameLab

– Importance of science communication

History of science communication

– Presentation basics

– Dealing with nerves

Science capital

– Being strategic – knowing your purpose, audience, and message

– Writing (scripting) a presentation – structure, storytelling

2. Semi-finalists will receive tailored communication training prior to their semi-finals. Training will focus on key areas relevant to early career scientists and their participation in FameLab e.g.

– A strategic approach to SciComm: Understanding the audience, crafting the key message, striving for a specific outcome

– The importance of FameLab’s judging criteria – the three Cs: content, clarity, charisma

– History and importance of science communication

– Presenting to an unspecialised audience

– Specific presentation skills – voice control, body language, tech checks, and using props – focussed primarily on online presentations

– Media training and interview skills

Dealing with nerves

3. The 12 finalists will receive additional Masterclass science communication training. e.g.

– In-depth communication strategies, from purposedriven, in-person presentations to social media

Structure of content and storytelling

– History of science scepticism

– Misinformation and disinformation: a post-truth era?

Additional media training and interview skills – TV, radio, press, social media and podcasts

– Finding your global advocacy – what’s your cause?

– Adding interest, colour and energy

Presentation skills – primarily focused on live presenting

4. The Perth workshops for finalists could include:

– Science scepticism and communicating with modern audiences

Leveraging SciComm exposure for research projects and personal profile-building

– The role of SciComm in activist science

– You’re a FameLab finalist – what’s next? Insights from a past winner.

ChatGPT and SciComm – how will AI impact science communication?

– The importance of listening in communication

– Being put on the spot: dealing

Appendix 6

Technical Guidelines and Set-up Instructions

To help prepare participants to take part in an online version of the competition we have put together some technical guidance and set up instructions to help prepare online participants.

This is to check connection stability and speed; we recommend each participant do this test in the location they will be for any live online event. This information should be shared with all online participants.

Before the live online FameLab International Final, Cheltenham Festivals will host a technical run through with our production team as guidance on the format for the final.

Internet

We recommend a minimum of 5 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload for a stable and consistent stream of video and audio. We will have to drop down to audio-only mode if connection is weak. If you can, try plugging in directly to your internet rather than connecting over wifi. Please click here to test your connection stability and speed

If your results are below the minimum requirements stated above, please let your Host Organisation know as soon as possible so that they can support you.

Please keep in mind whether anyone else may be planning to use your internet at the same time as the live final. If possible, please ensure that only you and your device use the internet for the duration the live final.

FameLab Online

Remember that the judges will be focusing on you and your presentation skills. The following are suggestions for you to help the judges see and hear you as clearly as possible, and to create a great event for audiences to enjoy.

Lighting

■ All cameras capture the best quality video when there is a good light source.

■ Extremes of light or dark make filming difficult, so avoid a location with very bright direct sunlight or a very dark area.

■ Side or front lighting is best: if you are sitting on a clock looking towards 12 then the light should be between 10 and 2 for a neutral, well-lit look.

■ Soft natural window light is ideal. If this is not possible, place a warm lamp in front of you in the position described above.

Sound

■ Please record inside to help to avoid background noise being picked up through your microphone. Please minimise other sounds in the room as much as you can (turn off any machines or fans that may create excess white noise).

■ We recommend using a USB microphone and headphones that will better minimise background noise. If you don’t have access to a USB microphone, then a built-in microphone on a set of headphones will work fine.

■ If you are not wearing headphones, please stay close to the camera/microphone for the best audio.

Camera tips

■ Please use the best camera you have access to for the live final: you may use your phone, but keep in mind you would need to log onto the online platform from it.

■ If using your phone, ensure that it:

– is set it up in a stable position and landscape at all times

– is fully charged

– is in airplane mode with do not disturb switched on

■ If you own a dedicated camera with mic and are confident to use this:

– The highest quality – 1080p will be ideal

– Avoid high frame rates, aim for 24fps, 25fps or 30fps (higher is not necessary and impacts the amount of light required).

Eye-line

■ Whatever device you are using please make sure that the camera lens sits at or above eye level, no higher than your hairline.

■ Once your camera is in place, remember not to sit too close to the camera. Position yourself far enough away to capture your shoulders and your entire face with some room to spare.

■ Be careful to look directly at the camera filming you throughout (your phone camera for example). It is more important to have eye contact on your recording device than on the Restream call! We recommend placing a small, brightly coloured dot sticker directly above your camera lens to help draw your eye to the correct lens.

■ It is a good idea to practise the set-up described above and test the recording on your phone and review what the recorded shot looks like.

■ Here is a test set-up example:

Background

■ Avoid having bright windows or lamps in the background – lighting should come from in front of you.

■ Please avoid messy or distracting backgrounds if possible. Aim for a simple clean background.

■ Do not use a virtual background, or background animations, slides, graphics or green screen effects since these are not within the spirit and rules of FameLab.

■ We will discuss backgrounds further in the masterclass, but in the meantime, have a look at other science communicators online and consider what you like about their backgrounds, setups, lighting etc. For example, a simple house plant or bookshelf gives the shot some depth and colour.

phone is landscape

Appendix 7

County Video Guidelines

About Country Video

In order to ensure each country and Host Organisation is represented and platformed during the final, we ask each Host Organisation to produce a country video postcard to be played during the live online final. This video should include information about the country, the competition the National Winner and the Host Organisation. Templates and assets for inclusion in the country video can be found in the FameLab International Dropbox

Your video

Each video content should be unique to each country as we would like to ensure your diversities are captured.

■ Your video should be approximately one minute in length.

■ Format 16:9 – Broadcast quality.

■ Voiceovers can be at each country’s discretion, however, if used please include English subtitles in your video.

■ Videos should showcase country/region.

■ You may wish to showcase images from the heats, semis and finals in your country.

■ Please ensure you have permission to use any included images and footage.

■ Soundtrack samples at each country’s discretion, this can be cultural soundbites.

■ Please ensure any sound used are royalty free library tracks and instrumental only.

■ Completed video must be returned to Cheltenham Festivals before the scheduled International Masterclass in October.

■ Videos can be returned via https://wetransfer.com/

Video content

■ Footage of your country and/or relevant regions within the country may be available for free, please contact your tourism organisations. (Please note: any footage you record yourself you would have permission to use.)

■ Interview with finalist, including (any of):

– Their road to final story – i.e.

• How did they find out about FameLab?

• How did they enter?

• How did they get through to the final?

• What’s their experience of masterclasses?

• How did they feel on winning?

– What is their research area and why is it critical that the public knows about this topic?

– How do they think their involvement in FameLab can help them and society?

– Suggest use of the “Ignoble prize” approach of 24/7 – 24 seconds to describe each of the above and then summarise in seven words.

■ In your video you may wish to also include someone (finalist, someone for your organisation, etc) in your country explaining the key rationale for the competition in your country (e.g. what is the vision / mission of FameLab in your country?)

Start and end cards

■ To ensure the videos are on brand and credit is given to partners, we have created some start and end cards. Once you have made your edits, save each slide as pdf or as an image to be used in your country video.

■ Along with these instructions you will find a customisable PowerPoint document and country video start and end cards in the FameLab International Dropbox.

– The first slide – please insert your logo in the top right corner and fill in your country’s name.

The second slide – (optional) if you would like to include any country partners who have supported FameLab in your country please insert their logos in the space provided.

– The third slide – please insert your logo in the top right corner and fill in your county winner’s name. This end card will be the introduction cards on screen before your country winner begins their three minute talk.

Appendix 8

Applicant Feedback Survey

You may wish to complete an applicant feedback survey with your participants and if so this is a sample survey.

A prize incentive to complete this form can be offered (e.g Amazon, book or event vouchers)

Having registered for FameLab, we would love your feedback on your experience.

1. Where did you participate in FameLab?

2. How would you score the following aspects of FameLab? (1 lowest – 5 highest)

Information provided on website

Information provided by organizer

Training

Heat

Final

Why have you given these scores?

3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements about the impact of FameLab?

It has enhanced my confi dence in communicating with the public

It has improved my skills in communicating with the public

It has introduced me to opportunities for public engagement or science/ engineering communication that I did not previously know about

It has encouraged me to take part in further public engagement or science/engineering communication activities

It has encouraged me to join a network or association that supports public engagement or science/engineering communication

Please describe any other impacts or changes you have experienced as a result of FameLab.

4. What would improve your FameLab experience?

5. Would you recommend FameLab to others?

■ Yes/No/Maybe

■ Why?

6. Would you like to take part in the future?

■ Yes/No/Maybe

■ Why?

7. Any other comments about FameLab?

8. If you would like to be added to our prize draw, please enter your name and email address here:

■ Name

■ Email address

Thank you for your feedback.

Partnership and Licence Agreement

Send CF your organisation logos and webpage URL for marketing purposes (to ensure we are up to date)

profile of FameLab in your country through e.g media, social media, etc

Provide Science Communication training digitally or in person to participants (FameLab Masterclass trainers available if needed) *

Select and brief judges for each stage of the competition*

Arrange prize for Country Winner

Run Heats (digitally or in person)

Host live Semi-final (if required)

Promote digital final to your networks and maintain profile of FameLab in your country through e.g media, social media, etc

*All resources will be available in the FameLab International Dropbox