2024

Queensland

Science Contest

registration opens soon

Engage your students with inquiry through STEM investigations and projects.

When students engage inquiry they are building and acting on their curiosity about the world and how it works. It helps them form lasting connections with learning and develops skills in critical and creative thinking, literacy and numeracy. Their disposition to STEM blooms as they engage in the rapidly changing word, pose ethical questions and see the value of science. Seeing a project through from start to finish encourages student agency as they take responsibility for their learning.

The Queensland Science Contest is an opportunity for Queensland students from Prep to Grade 12 to have their scientific work judged for awards and prizes.

To enter:

  1. Read the Handbook & other information page then choose a contest category and complete your project.
  2. Submit online entries and pay $5 per individual entry or $10 per group entry (maximum of 3 students per group) before Thursday 3rd October 2024.
    Now you can do it all on the same platform! Please note that many categories may require a combination of formats i.e. engineering video with PDF journal

    Formats accepted:

    1. PDF/Word document

    Appropriate for:

    • Science Investigations
    • Mathematical Investigations
    • Journals for most categories (you could include photos/scan of the journal if handwritten)
    1. 3-5min video (max file size 1G, format .mp4 .avi or .mov) –

    All video should be clearly audible and easy to watch. The film technique will not be judged, however judges need to gain an understanding of your project.

    Don’t forget your journal – you could include photos/scan of the journal if handwritten.

    Appropriate for:

    • Engineering and technology projects (note the video is a requirement of this category)
    • Communicating Science
    • Environmental Action Projects
    • Mathematical Investigations
    1. PPT

    Don’t forget your journal – you could include photos/scan of the journal if handwritten.

    Appropriate for:

    • Communicating Science
    • Environmental Action Projects
    1. Photos

    Don’t forget your journal – you could include photos/scan of the journal if handwritten.

    Appropriate for:

    • Classified collections
    • Poster Presentations
    • Communicating Science
    • Environmental Action Projects
    • Mathematical Investigations
  3. Regulation permitting, judging takes place between Oct 10 and 31
  4. Winning entrants will be contacted through the teacher whom submitted the entry. This email will also include information about the date and format of the awards ceremony.
  5. Regulation permitting, the Awards Ceremony will be held mid to late Term 4.

Over $17,000 worth of prizes available!

CSIRO and BHP Foundation have made the decision to close the BHPFSEA program as of 2 August 2022

Winners of the Mathematical Investigations category will be entered into the National Maths Talent Quest.

Contest Sponsors

Principal Sponsor

Bursary Sponsors some with bursary information links (hover over logo)

Birdlife Southern Queensland are awarding two bursaries this year: “The best two Bird related projects will be awarded a $200.00 bursary each. One in primary level and the other in secondary school level.”

All bird related entries in the Communication Science, Environmental Activities and Scientific Investigations categories will be considered eligible for these awards.  Entries will be judged on how well they meet the criteria outlined in these categories.

Please note: Birdlife Southern Queensland are happy to be contacted regarding suitable avenues of investigation, and can help with data provision if working on existing data sets is of interest.

New bursary in 2022

The School of Biological Sciences (UQ) is sponsoring prizes for the best Yr 7 to Yr 12 entomology ($250)  and marine biology ($250)  project submitted to the 69th Queensland Science Contest!

For ideas watch the following video

New bursary in 2023

ESQ’s Council are sponsoring a bursary prize of $250 (could be split over numerous projects)

Conditions: Entomological-related projects (projects on terrestrial arthropods will also be accepted).

Submission grades: Grades 5-9

Request that the winner allow for their project (or summary) to be published in an issue of the ESQ’s News Bulletin with a photograph of the winner.