Queensland Science Contest – Information for Students

So, you’re thinking about entering the Queensland Science Contest? Excellent!

Are you a primary school student? Or a secondary school student?

What do I have to do as a primary school student?

First…

If you have already completed a science project, try to identify the correct category for your project.

If you want to start a new science project, think about what kind of project you’d like to do and identify the correct category for your project.

Need some project ideas? Click here

Next…

Complete your project as best you can and as independently as you can. That means making the big decisions about the project all on your own. Your teacher and parents and friends can help you to see what your options are, but you need to make the decisions yourself.

If you’re working in a team, you’ll need to make decisions as a team.

Make sure you keep a science journal of your ideas, experiences, research and results to support your project. You will need to submit your science journal with your project. Your science journal could be a webpage, or a plain old notebook from the news agency. You can write whatever you think is interesting, important, confusing, right or wrong in your science journal, and you can also include photos, drawings, questions and cartoons. Nobody but you (and your team mates) should write in your science journal. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you should try to keep it neat, and date the page every time you add something new.

Last…

Make sure your parent or guardian has signed the consent form and that they have also registered your project. You need to do this before registration closes! (Check the closing dates)

Hand your project to your teacher or parent or guardian to be delivered to the judging day on time.

If your project is excellent, you might win a prize! Prizes are given at an awards ceremony after the judging. We hope to see you there!

What do I have to do as a secondary school student?

If you have already completed a science project, try to identify the correct category for your project.

If you want to start a new science project, think about what kind of project you’d like to do and identify the correct category for your project.

Need some project ideas?

Complete your project independently. You might need the supervision of an adult, or to access the equipment from your school lab or a research lab. Make sure that you complete your project safely. Keep a science journal of your experiences throughout the project. This document can be online or in a notebook. A science journal is a record of the development of your project. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it should be neat so that the judges can read it. All professional researchers keep diaries too!

In consultation with your teacher and parents or guardians, complete the Contest consent form and register your project. If you have entered a project in the Scientific Investigations or Engineering and Technology Projects categories, you may be eligible to enter the national awards, which are called the BHP Foundation Science and Engineering Awards.

Senior school finalists for these awards enjoy a trip to Melbourne for a science camp and awards ceremony, and winning entries are progressed to the international competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, held in the United States of America!

Finally, make sure your project is delivered to the Contest on time.

 Cost of entry to the Contest?

Some schools cover the cost of their students’ projects while others arrange for parents to make payment. This decision is at the discretion of the school and should be made in negotiation with parents.

The small fee collected helps cover the costs of administration, judging, prizes and the awards ceremony. STAQ aims to keep this event cost-neutral.

What are the prizes?

You can win prizes in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. You may also nominate to be considered for up to two bursary awards, provided your project topic is relevant to the particular bursary.

A Certificate of Participation will be available to all students who enter the Queensland Science Contest. The certificates will be forwarded to your school for distribution to students. Where there is only one entry from a school, the certificate may be delivered to the your home address.

Return to Queensland Science Contest main page.