Tag Archives: call for submissions

2023 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) from November 13-15, 2023: Call for panel submissions

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You have until April 21, 2023 *extended to May 5, 2023* to reply to the call for submissions to present at the 2023 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) being held from November 13 – 15, 2023 in in Ottawa, Canada. Here’s more about the conference, from the conference themes and topics webpage,

CSPC 2023 Themes & Topics:

Science and Innovation in a Time of Transformation

The 15th Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC 2023), will be held in person on November 13th – 15th, 2023. The conference expects 1000+ participants, more than 300 speakers, in 60 panel sessions. CSPC 2022 will also include a spectacular Gala dinner featuring its award ceremony which has become a signature annual event to celebrate Canadian science and innovation policy achievements.

We invite you to submit proposals in a variety of presentation formats that revolve around any of the conference topics. The conference tracks and topic can be found below

CSPC 2023 Overarching Theme:
Science and Innovation in a Time of Transformation

Track 1: Science and Policy

  • The national STI [Science, technology, and innovation] ecosystem: Strategy for the next ten years; building on strengths and opportunities; addressing weaknesses
    • Modernizing the federal research support system
    • Strengthening Intergovernmental coordination and cooperation
    • Learning from international experiences
    • Assessing and fostering Canadian global leadership in STI
    • Governance of Science, technology and innovation
  • Managing the evolving/changing research landscape
    • Inter- and trans-disciplinarity, co-production of knowledge, effective integration of all fields of knowledge and ways of knowing
    • Science for social and economic objectives (including the UN SDGs)
    • Research security
    • Barriers and Opportunities in Open Science
    • Braiding Indigenous and Western knowledge
    • Optimizing benefits from national infrastructures, including data as infrastructure
    • Equity, diversity, inclusion, and racism in science
  • Evidence for policy
    • Science advice for Parliament
    • Best practices for bridging research and policy
    • Standardization, quality and transparency
    • The impact of ChatGPT
  • Science policy futures

Track 2: Science and Society

  • Public trust
    • Mis- and disinformation
    • Science communication in a post-truth era
    • Diverse forms of knowledge and ways of knowing
    • Science and social justice
    • Social trust, cohesion, social innovation
  • Systemic racism, otherism
  • Science in support of democracy
  • Science and Truth and Reconciliation
  • Science policy and aging
  • Science, technology and ethics
  • Science and innovation: public education

Track 3: Innovation and Economic Development

  • Canada’s Innovation strategy, 10 years outlook
    • Innovation in government investments in R&D and innovation
    • Regional development and innovation actions
    • Global Innovation Clusters
    • Digital challenges and strategy
  • Emerging economic opportunities
    • The conservation economy & the circular economy
    • The blue economy
  • Emerging and disruptive technologies
    • AI, including Chat GPT
    • Quantum
    • Gene editing
    • Ethical dimensions
  • Sector policies and challenges
    • Canadian Mineral Strategy
    • Facilitating the energy transition, including transportation infrastructure
    • Biomanufacturing capacity, security and competitiveness
    • Cleantech

Track 4: Science, International Affairs and Security

  • International STI agreements and Canada’s interest,
  • Assessing and fostering Canadian global leadership in STI
    Managing Canada’s approaches to emerging international industrial strategies and knowledge sharing
  • International opportunities, e.g.,
    • Horizon Europe
    • The Indo-Pacific strategy [emphases mine]
  • International collaboration
    • Large, concerted projects and major facilities
    • Security and cyber security
    • Foreign investment
    • Science, technology, innovation in the context of geopolitical shifts
  • Science diplomacy and geopolitics

Track 5: Science and The Next Generation

  • Research training
    • Revisiting the PhD
    • The welfare of research trainees
    • Fostering the next generation of science policy experts
  • Career transitions
    • Transitions between sectors in the science ecosystem

Track 6: Grand Challenges

  • Climate change
    • Mitigation and adaptation
    • Informing climate change action with data
    • Net Zero
    • Water resources and conservation
    • Nature-based solutions
  • Healthcare
    • Measuring healthcare outcomes
    • Towards meaningful indicators of the health system
    • Accessibility of health data
    • Issues in sharing, using and reporting health data
    • Pandemic preparedness
  • One Health
    • Zoonotic diseases
    • Environmental Health
    • Vector born diseases
  • The North
    • Permafrost – the next big challenge
    • Science, security and Canada’s Arctic
  • Food and agriculture
    • Future of food
    • A national food strategy?
    • Food Safety
  • Energy sovereignty

Nice to see interest in the Indo-Pacific region. Unsurprisingly given that these discussions are dominated by policy wonks from central and eastern Canada (heavily dominated by Ontario), Europe is mentioned first.

Regarding the call, I have more information from the CSPC 2023 Panel Proposal Criteria webpage, Note: I have made some formatting changes,

1.Submission type: There are two types of submissions;

a) Panel proposals (CSPC 2023 Overarching Theme, Tracks, and Topics)

80 minute panels (50 minute presentation, 30 minutes for Q&A session) where a diverse, multisectoral group discusses topics in science policy (see CSPC 2023 Overarching Theme, Tracks, and Topics)

b) Short talk proposals. (maximum 12 submissions will be accepted)

10 minute presentations (8 minute presentation, 2 minutes for Q&A session) that are intended to provide a brief overview of a topic in science policy.

Please read the criteria for each stream carefully before finalizing your submission.

2. Please review the CSPC 2023 Overarching Theme, Tracks, and Topics here.

3. CSPC 2023 will be an in-Person Conference: To participate in the in-person conference between Nov-13-15, 2023, at Westin Hotel Ottawa, Ontario, panelists must be present on-site. (In exceptional cases, we will try to accommodate virtual attendance for select speakers).

4. There is NO fee associated with proposal submission. However, CSPC is not responsible for speakers’ travel and accommodation costs. Speakers are entitled to register at a discounted rate.

5. Panel Diversity: CSPC is a national forum and mosaic that is built upon a balanced representation of diversity including region, sector, ethnicity, gender, age, and topic, in addition to seeking to provide under-represented groups an opportunity to present their ideas. These criteria will be heavily considered in the final selection of panels.

6. The Program Committee, alongside external reviewers from the community, will make selections based on the following criteria.

Proposals will be ranked based on the following high level criteria:

Panel Proposals (full description of criteria is below)

Quality of the proposed session: proposal description and justification (35%)

An action and/or solution-oriented focus, as opposed to a statement of the status quo of an issue (15%)

A diverse range of panelists (20%)

Quality of the speakers and moderator (15%)

Creativity in choice of panel format and its interactivity (15%)

Full Description of Criteria

1. Quality of the proposed session: proposal description and justification (35%)

The Quality of the session is evaluated on the panel description and justification:

Deep comprehension of the issue

Clear and compelling description of the panel and its novelty and importance to, and impact on, society

The value of the panel to be discussed at CSPC, in terms of follow ups, calls to action, policy change, etc.

Alignment with the Conference theme and topics

2. Incorporation of an action and/or solution-oriented focus, as opposed to a statement of the status quo of an issue (15%)

CSPC is seeking sessions that focus on solutions, forward actions and a futuristics analysis, rather than just a reiteration of the status quo.

…

Good luck!

*Change made on April 6, 2023. Newly extended date for submissions received via email in an April 6, 2023 Canadian Science Policy Centre announcement.*

A sprinkling of science and art/science events in Vancouver (Canada) during February and March 2019)

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One February event previously mentioned in my February 4, 2019 posting, ‘Heart & Art—the first Anatomy Night in Canada—February 14, 2019 in Vancouver’, is sold out! If you’re feeling lucky, you could join the waitlist (click on Tickets). I think the University of British Columbia’s Heartfelt images created by medical students will be featured at the event. The image below is from Heartfelt Images 2013,

Turbulent Flow; 1st Place Credit: April Lu (VFMP)

I love how the artist has integrated a salmon and Hokusai’s Great Wave, while conveying information about blood flow into and out of the heart. BTW, you might want to look at the image on its ‘homesite’ as I don’t think the aspect ratio here is quite right. Note: Heartfelt Images were copied and moved to a new website and organized with newer images into the teachingmedicine.com site’s ‘Art Gallery‘.

Onwards, I have two events and an opportunity.

Traumatic Brain Injury: a Brain Talks event

Courtesy: Brain Talks

The Brain Talks folks at the University of British Columbia (UBC) emailed a February 8, 2019 announcement (Note: I have made a few minor formatting changes to the following),

Traumatic Brain Injury; Molecular Mechanisms to Chronic Care

Wednesday, February 20th, 2019 from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join us on February 20th for talks on Traumatic Brain Injury spanning from molecular mechanisms to chronic clinical care. We are excited to announce presenters who both practice in the community and perform high level research. Our presenters include Dr. Cheryl Wellington, director of ABI Wellness Mark Watson, and clinical rehabilitation director Heather Branscombe.

Dr. Cheryl Wellington is a professor and researcher internationally recognized for her work on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in the brain. Her group has made key contributions to the understanding of the role of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in Alzheimer’s Disease as well as the critical role played in repair of damaged neurons after TBI.

Mark Watson is the Chief Executive Officer of ABI Wellness, a clinic specializing in providing services for patients with chronic brain injury to improve higher order cognitive functioning. Mark has worked in education and cognitive rehabilitation since 2002, having served as a teacher, administrator, Executive Director and CEO. A frequent speaker on the topic of brain injury rehabilitation Mark has presented this work to: Public health agencies, BC Cancer Agency, The NHL Alumni Assoc., NFLPA Washington State.

Heather Branscombe serves as the Clinic Director and owner of Abilities Neurological Rehabilitation. A physiotherapist by training, Heather has consulted as a clinical specialist to a rehabilitation technology company and has taught therapists, orthotists and physicians across Canada. She is involved in research projects with the University of British Columbia (FEATHER’s project) and has been asked to be the exclusive BC provider of emerging therapy practice such as the telemedicine driven ReJoyce through rehabtronics. Professionally, Heather volunteers her time as a member of the Board of Directors for the Stroke Recovery Association of B.C. and is the past-chair of the Neurosciences Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.

After the talk, at 7:30 pm, we host a social gathering with healthy food and non-alcoholic drinks. For physicians, the event is CME accredited for a MOC credit of 1.5.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Should you be interested in attending, tickets are $10 + tax. Here are the logistics (from the Traumatic Brain Injury event webpage),

Date and Time
Wed, 20 February 2019
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST
Add to Calendar
Location
Paetzhold Theater
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, BC
View Map
Refund Policy
Refunds up to 1 day before event

You can purchase a ticket by going to the Traumatic Brain Injury event webpage.

Linguistics is a social science

I don’t offer much coverage of the social sciences, so there’s this to partially make up for it. From a February 7, 2019 Society of Italian Researchers and Professionals in Western Canada (ARPICO) announcement (received via email),

We are pleased to be writing to you to announce the first event of 2019. After having learned how hard-core dark matter physicists are finding out what our universe is made of, we’ll next have the pleasure to hear from a scholar in a humanistic discipline. Mark Turin will be talking on the topic of language diversity and its importance in our time. In a city with some of the highest levels of cultural variety in the nation, we believe this topic is very relevant and timely. Please, read on for details on the lecture by Dr. Turin in a few weeks.

The first event of ARPICO’s winter 2019 activity will take place on Wednesday, March 6th, 2019 at the Italian Cultural Centre (see the attached map for parking and location). Our speaker will be Dr. Mark Turin, an Associate Professor of Anthropology and First Nations Languages at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Trained in anthropology and linguistics, he has worked in collaborative partnership with Indigenous peoples in the Himalayas for over 20 years and more recently with First Nations communities in the Pacific Northwest. He is a committed advocate for the enduring role of Indigenous and minority languages, online, in print and on air through his BBC radio series.

We look forward to seeing everyone there.
The evening agenda is as follows:
6:30 pm – Doors Open for Registration
7:00 pm – Introduction by Nicola Fameli and Lucio Sacchetti
7:15 pm – Start of the evening event with introductions & lecture by Dr. Mark Turin
~8:00 pm – Q & A Period
to follow – Mingling & Refreshments until about 9:30 pm
If you have not already done so, please register for the event by visiting the EventBrite link or RSVPing to info@arpico.ca.
..

Also included in the announcement is more detail about the March 6, 2019 talk along with some logistical information,

Rising Voices: Linguistic diversity in a Globalized World

The linguistic diversity of our species is under extreme stress, as are the communities who speak increasingly endangered speech forms. Of the world’s living languages, currently numbering around 7,000, around half will cease to be spoken as everyday vernaculars by the end of this century.

For communities around the world, local languages function as vehicles for the transmission of unique traditional knowledge and cultural heritage that become threatened when elders die and livelihoods are disrupted. As globalisation and rapid socio-economic change exert complex pressures on smaller communities, cultural and linguistic diversity is being transformed through assimilation to more dominant ways of life.

In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages to help promote and protect Indigenous languages. This celebration of linguistic vitality and resilience is welcome, but is it enough? And in an increasingly and often uncomfortably interconnected world, what is the role for the ‘heritage’ languages that migrants bring with them when they move and settle in new places?

In this richly illustrated lecture, I will draw on contemporary examples from North America, Asia and Europe to explore the enduring importance and compelling value of linguistic diversity in the 21st century.
 
WHEN: Wednesday, March 6th, 2019 at 7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
WHERE:Italian Cultural Centre – Museum & Art Gallery – 3075 Slocan St, Vancouver, BC, V5M 3E4
RSVP: Please RSVP at EventBrite (https://linguisticdiversity.eventbrite.ca/) or email info@arpico.ca

Tickets are Needed
Tickets are FREE, but all individuals are requested to obtain “free-admission” tickets on EventBrite site due to limited seating at the venue. Organizers need accurate registration numbers to manage wait lists and prepare name tags.

All ARPICO events are 100% staffed by volunteer organizers and helpers, however, room rental, stationery, and guest refreshments are costs incurred and underwritten by members of ARPICO. Therefore to be fair, all audience participants are asked to donate to the best of their ability at the door or via EventBrite to “help” defray costs of the event.

Should you attend, read the parking signs carefully. Not all the areas adjacent (that includes parts of the parking lot) to the Italian Cultural Centre are open to public parking.

Her Story: an art/sci opportunity for filmmakers and scientists in Metro Vancouver

I found this on the Curiosity Collider website (Note: I have made a few minor formatting changes),

Her Story: Canadian Women Scientists will be a series of artist-created narrative videos in which local women scientists tell us stories of Canadian women who came before them in their field of study.  Through these stories, we will also learn about the narrating scientists themselves. We are looking for several filmmakers to each create one 5 – 6 minute short film that features a mixture of live action, animation, and narration.  Download this call in pdf. 

Each film is a collaboration between a film artist and a scientist.  The final product will be a storytelling artwork rather than a documentary style presentation.  We encourage teams to incorporate unique complementary visuals that will enhance the scientist’s story and bring it to life.

Filmmakers are submitting an application to work with a scientist, and after being paired with one by Curiosity Collider, the scientist and filmmaker will choose a historical figure and create the content for the film in collaboration.  Filmmakers may indicate a scientific field of interest, or propose their own Canadian woman scientist who would be interested in participating, however overall scientists will be selected with consideration for diversity of subject matter.  Deadline for submission is 25 March 2019.

Your film will premiere as part of this project at an in-person viewing event in a Vancouver theatre in September 2019.  The event will include an interactive component such as a panel discussion on art, science, and gender.  After the premiere event, the videos will be available through Curiosity Colllider’s social media channels including YouTube and our website(s).  We will also pursue subsequent opportunities as they arise, such as film festivals, University screenings, and Women in Science conferences. We envision this first series as the beginning of a collection that we will promote and grow over several years. This is an opportunity to get involved early, to join our growing community, and to be paid for your work.  

We are expecting concept-driven independent freelancers with experience in directing, cinematography, shooting, editing, and animating of short films.  $1300 is allocated to each film, which must feature live action, animation, and narration. Filmmakers are welcome to propose independent work or collaborative work (as a filmmaking team).   If submitting a proposal as a team, the proposal must clarify team member responsibility and breakdown of fee; a team leader who will be responsible for contract and distribution of funds must be specified.  The fee will be paid out only upon completion of the film. There is no additional funding for equipment rental.

Any animation style will be considered.  The following National Film Board examples show a combination of live action, animation, and narration:  
1.  https://bit.ly/2xJTAwz,  2. https://bit.ly/2DDqvbw.  
And this YouTube example shows another animation style (although it is lacking the narration and should be considered a visual example only):  
3.  https://youtu.be/I62CwxUKuGA?t=54
Animation styles not shown in the examples are welcome.  If you have any questions please contact submissions@curiositycollider.org.
All complete submissions will be reviewed and considered.  We will add you to our database of creators and contact you if we feel you are a great fit for any of our other events

Eligibility:
Your submitted materials must fit within our mandate.
You may submit applications for other Collider projects in addition to this one.  
Applications will be accepted from everywhere, however filming will take place in Metro Vancouver, BC.  At this time we are unable to cover travel expenses

In your submission package (scroll down to access submission form), include:
A statement (500 word max) about how you will approach collaboration with the scientist. Tell us about your scientific fields of interest, inspirations, and observations. Include information about your team if applicable.
A bio (200 word max)
A CV (3 page max)
Submit a link to a single video or reel of up to 7 minutes total to represent your work
A list of works included in your video submission, and any brief pertinent details (1 page max)
A link to your website
Your name, address, email, and any other contact information.
If you have any questions about this call for submissions, contact us at submissions@curiositycollider.org.
 
This project is funded by:
Westcoast Women in Engineering and Science (WWEST) and eng•cite The Goldcrop Professorship for Women in Engineering at the University of British Columbia

Enjoy and good luck!

Science-themed scriptwriting competition for Google (call for submissions)

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David Bruggeman writes about a Google-sponsored scriptwriting competition in an April 28, 2016 posting on his Pasco Phronesis blog (Note: Links have been removed),

At the Tribeca Film Festival last week [the festival ran from April 13 – 24, 2016] Google announced that its CS Education in Media Program is partnering with the website The Black List for a fellowship competition to support the image of computer science and computer scientists in media (H/T STEMDaily).  The Black List is a screenwriting site known for hosting the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.

The fellowship could award up to $15,000 for as many as three scripts (one film script and two episodic television pilots).  The writers would use the money to support their work on new materials for six months.  At the end of that period the writer(s) would present that work to Google along with a summary of how the grant helped advance that work and/or affected their career.

Here’s more about the competition from The Black list website’s The Google Computer Science Education in Media Fellowship Call for Submissions webpage,

The Black List is pleased to partner with Google’s Computer Science Education in Media program to offer financial grants in support of the development of three scripts with a focus on changing the image in popular culture of computer science and computer scientists.

…

REQUIREMENTS

  • The candidate must host a script on www.blcklst.com for a least one week during the opt-in period.
  • Such script must be original to the candidate.
  • The candidate must be competent to contract.
  • If selected for the fellowship, writers must develop a feature screenplay or episodic pilot that changes the image of computer science or computer scientists, particular as it applies to women and minorities, in popular culture.
  • Further, selected writers must agree that six months following receipt of the fellowship that they will provide a designated representative of Google with a sample of his/her new work along with a report addressing how the grant has been used to advance his/her work and/or impacted his/her career.

SELECTION PROCESS

Beginning April 20, 2016, users of the Black List website can opt into consideration for this fellowship.

On July 15 [2016], the Black List will short list ten writers based on all data available on the Black List website about their opted in feature screenplays and teleplays.

These ten short listed candidates will be asked to submit one-page biographies, which will be sent to Google along with the screenplays/teleplays.

Google will review these 10 scripts and choose the Fellowship recipients. Google reserves the right to grant no fellowships if, in Google’s opinion, no entry is of sufficient merit.

DEADLINES OF NOTE (ALL TIMES 11:59 PM PT)

Evaluation purchase deadline* June 15, 2016

Opt in deadline July 15, 2016

* In order for new script evaluations to guarantee consideration for this opportunity, they must be purchased by midnight on the Evaluation deadline.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT GOOGLE’S COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION IN MEDIA PROGRAM

Why is Google working with Hollywood? 

Google aims to inspire young people around the world not just to use technology, but to create it.  To do so, we need more students pursuing an education in CS, particularly girls and minorities, who have historically been underrepresented in the field. Google wants to prepare the next generation for the workplace of the future, and expand access to CS education that engages and retains students from all backgrounds.

  • Moreover, Google’s research shows that perceptions of CS and computer scientists are primary drivers that motivate girls to pursue CS. “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” as our friend Geena Davis notes.
  • Google’s hope is that by dispelling stereotypes and identifying positive portrayals of women in tech it can do for CS what CSI did for the field of forensic science, changing its gender make-up and increasing its appeal to a wider audience.
  • Media is part of the ecosystem that needs to change in conjunction with the other areas of work where Google has invested including increasing access to curriculum, non-profit grants, and policy support. If we don’t address the perceptions piece for both young people and adults through mainstream media, we run the risk of undermining our other efforts in CS education.

Background stats on perceptions of CS: 

Google’s research shows that perceptions of careers in computer science really matter.  Girls who feel that television portrays programmers negatively or who don’t see other students like them taking CS are significantly less likely to get into computing. Interestingly, girls who want a career with social impact are also less likely to go into CS.

Google conducted a research study to identify the factors that most influence girls to study computer science, and the second most important category of factors was Career Perceptions.

  • Girls who felt that television portrays programmers in a negative light were less likely to pursue CS.
  • If a girl didn’t see the right social crowd in a class — that is, if there weren’t enough students like her — she was less likely to go into CS.
  • Girls who want careers with social impact are less likely to go into CS. (It’s clear we need to do a better job of showing how CS can be used to develop solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems.)
  • Perception accounts for 27% of the decision making for girls to pursue CS.. #1 factor is parent/adult encouragement which is also influenced by media.

Stats on representation in media:

  • Blacks & Hispanics are already underrepresented on-screen 14.1% and 4.9%, respectively.
  • Combine this with lack of / misrepresentation of STEM/CS characters in family movies and prime TV, you get STEM characters < 18% women; CS characters <13%.

Proven Success with other Fields:

  • Forensic Science – CSI increased the number of forensic science majors in nationally recognized programs by at least 50% in 5 years – a majority being women.
  • Law – UCLA claimed a 16.5% increase in law school applicants 1 year after LA Law premiered.  Justice Sotomayor credits her interest in law from watching Perry Mason at 10 years old.
 …

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ & Answers

Go here to register (there is a cost associated with registering but there don’t appear to be any citizenship or residency restrictions, e.g., must be US citizen or must reside in the US. Good Luck!

Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos. Winners announced and new call for submissions.

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The US National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) on behalf of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has announced the winners for its first, ‘Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos.’ contest in a June 5, 2015 news item on Nanowerk,

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) is pleased to announce the winners of the first Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos. nanotechnology video contest for students. Abelardo Colon and Jennifer Gill from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research Lab won the top honors for their video entitled Chlorination-less. The video explains a new method for disinfecting drinking water using a nanodiamond powder. This nanotechnology-enabled method can kill bacteria, is biocompatible, and is reusable, making it a good alternative to traditional chlorination. Congratulations Abelardo and Jennifer!

A June 5, 2015 NNCO news release on EurekAlert, which originated the news item, describes the judging process and plans for the video,

Videos submitted by students from universities across the United States and U.S. territories, were posted on NanoTube, the official National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) YouTube channel, for public voting. The winning video was chosen by representatives from the NNI member agencies from the top two videos identified by public voting. This video will be featured on Nano.gov for the next month. For more information on the Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos. contest rules and judges, visit the student video contest page on Nano.gov.

Here is Chlorination-less,

From the Chlorination-less YouTube page,

Published on Apr 28, 2015

“Access to clean water is a major international issue that must not be ignored. Our research is finding a new method for the disinfection of drinking water. Even so, chlorination is the most common treatment for the disinfection of drinking water, but has a lot of disadvantages. Disinfectant by-products (DBP’s) produced by the chlorine disinfection process can cause health problems such as cancer to humans that drink water or inhale vapor. Also some bacteria are able to adapt to this chemical treatment. This is why we are proposing a physical treatment using Ultra Dispersed Diamond (UDD) for the disinfection of drinking water. The UDD is a nanodiamond powder, which has bactericidal properties and is biocompatible. After applying the UDD material to the contaminated water we have promising results. There was a reduction of fecal E. coli colonies as time passed and the density of the material increases. This process will be healthier, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly since it is reusable.”

University of Puerto Rico , Rio Piedras Campus

As for the next contest, that begins July 1, 2015 (from the Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos. contest webpage), Note: Links have been removed,

Graduate students, will your research lead to nanotechnologies that impact our daily lives? Submit videos that demonstrate how your nanotechnology research will bring solutions to real-world problems. …

Email submissions information to NNCOvideos@gmail.com and include:

Name and affiliation:

Submissions will be accepted from teams and from individuals. A lead contact person must be designated for team submissions. The order in which names are listed in the submission is the order in which they will appear on the NNI public voting page, the NNI YouTube channel, and on Nano.gov.

Description (150 words or less): Explain your research, use plain language and avoid jargon. Concentrate on what problem your research will help to solve.

Title of uploaded video: It should be the same as the video file name you upload using Google Drive.

Releases for people appearing in the video: A release form is available here; print, collect signatures, scan, and email us electronic copies.

Laboratory website: Include link to the lab where you work, if available

Funding source: Include funding agency, program manager, and award/grant number, if possible

Upload videos using Google Drive to NNCOvideos@gmail.com:

Video Criteria

Video length should be between 2.5 and 3 minutes.

Maximum file size is 2 GB

File type must be H.264, MP4, FLV, or MOV

Use a camera that can shoot videos at least 1280 x 720 pixels in size.

Save video file as the title listed on emailed submission information

Remember to avoid jargon while explaining your research

Collect signed releases (available here) from any recognizable individual appearing in your video

You are allowed to have others (e.g., film students) produce the video. If you put your own video together make sure everything is well lit. Fluorescent overhead lights aren’t the best, try to use natural or focused light if you can. Pay attention to sound quality; use a good microphone and listen for background noise. Watch for too much clutter in the background of your scenes, this can be distracting.

…

Timeline:

NNCO will begin accepting submissions for the Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos. video contest on July 1, 2015.

The Tiny Science. Big Impacts. Cool Videos. video contest will close on November 12, 2015.

The deadline for submissions is 12:00 p.m. PST November 12, 2015.

Semifinalist judging for videos submitted before 12:00 p.m. PST on November 12, 2015 takes place from 12:00 p.m. November 19, 2015 to 12:00 p.m. November 30, 2015.

The winning video will be announced on December 15, 2015.

…

Good luck!