General

• What makes this competition different to all of the others that are already out there?

  The National Science and Engineering Competition is an over-arching and inclusive competition that covers all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths. There are many different science and engineering competitions already, but they tend to be specific to one scheme or subject area. The National Science and Engineering Competition welcomes almost all entries into other existing competitions - it is deliberately broad in the subjects it covers and in its entry criteria to ensure that as many young people as possible can be included.

• How are the categories split?

  There will be two streams, one for science and maths projects and another for engineering and technology projects. Within each of these streams, there will be three age categories, junior (11-14), intermediate (15-16) and senior (17-18).

• Do I have to go to a regional fair to gain a place at the national fair?

  There are two ways of gaining a place at the national Big Bang fair, either via a regional feeder fair (which take place in June and July 2009) or via the entry form available on this website. You do not have to attend a regional fair to gain a place at the national fair. If you attended a regional fair and were not awarded a place at the national fair, you can try again by completing the online entry form.

• How will you judge the best from all of the entries?

  The judging process is designed to be rigorous and transparent. The judges come from a range of scientific and engineering backgrounds and will be looking for evidence of an outstanding achievement taking into account the age and abilities of the entrant. In the final stages of judging, the communication abilities of the entrants will be carefully assessed, as the winners may have opportunities to act as ambassadors for science and engineering.

• Who will win prizes?

  There will be winners and runners-up in each stream and age category for both individuals and teams. There will also be a certain number of Highly Commended prizes for individuals. The individual winners in the Senior category will win the titles "UK Young Scientist of the Year" and "UK Young Engineer of the Year". Please go to the Prizes page for more details.

• What are the prizes?

  Each winner, team and individual, will win a cash prize, a trophy and framed certificate. Some winners also gain opportunities to represent the UK at other fairs and events. Runners-up and highly commended students will receive cheques and certificates.

• When will the winners be announced?

  The winners in each category will be decided at The Big Bang on 12th March 2009 and announced at an awards ceremony that day.

Eligibility

• Are activities completed in science or technology clubs eligible?

  Yes, but remember that team activities can only be represented by four people at The Big Bang.

• Am I eligible to enter?

  Please view the Rules and Eligibility page. If you are still unclear, please contact info@nationalsciencecompetition.org.

• Is my activity or project suitable for the competition?

  Please view the Help Preparing Entry page. If you are still unclear, contact info@nationalsciencecompetition.org.

Entering

• When is the deadline for entries?

  The deadline for entries is mid-day on Friday 30 October 2009.

• How do I enter?

  Please go to the Entry Form page page of our website.

• My computer crashed before I finished my online entry. What do I do?

  Make sure that you have all of your information ready before you start the online form. When you press "submit" your information is safe, but if you lose connection before then, we will not have received your information.

• I submitted an online entry but didn't receive a confirmation email from you

  Please contact us on info@nationalsciencecompetition.org as your entry form may not have been received.

Judging

• How will the entries be judged?

  Those who attend a regional fair will be judged at those fairs and those deemed the best will gain places at the national Big Bang fair in March 2010. Those who enter directly via the online entry form will need to provide a project summary that will be assessed by a panel of experts. Those selected will be invited to showcase their activities or projects at The Big Bang. Once at the national Fair itself, all of the entrants will be judged at their display stands on the first day. Following a moderation process, a shortlist of students will be selected. This shortlist will be judged again on the morning of the second day and the results will be announced that evening at an awards ceremony.

• Who are the judges?

  The judges are all experts from the world of science, technology, engineering and maths.