Saransh: Three Minute Thesis Competition

SARANSH – Thesis Competition for PhD students- 2024

September 6, 2024October 15, 2024 M. S. Santosh

SARANSH – Thesis Competition for PhD students– 2024

Sponsored by SPRINGER NATURE

Final INYAS Saransh announcement-24 (1)

INYAS is pleased to announce the 4^rd edition of Saransh – Thesis Competition for PhD students. Saransh is an opportunity for the new generation of budding Indian scientists to communicate their research to the wider population beyond the scientific community.

Purpose:

The need for scientific innovations arises from challenges faced by the society at large. However, it is often seen that dissipation of such knowledge to the population is laced with challenges like dearth of appropriate platforms, lack of proper connect with audience and excessive use of scientific jargon. “Saransh” by Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS), is an attempt to bridge the gap between the budding scientists and the community at large. It aims to provide a platform to PhD scholars across the country to present their work to a wider audience who have little or no knowledge in their area of research.

Eligibility:

The competition is open to PhD students registered in any State/ Central Institution or University (government or private) in India only.
The student entering the competition must have completed at least 2 years of doctoral research and must not have defended his/ her thesis yet.
There is no entry fee.
Letter of endorsement for participation by PhD Guide/Supervisor/Head (pdf file) on official letterhead is required.

Registration and entry to the competition

Registration and entry to the competition will be done through an online application form.

Preliminary Round:

The students will submit their entries as video presentation uploaded on YouTube (youtube.com). The video must include the slides with an embedded voice/video. Incorrect or inaccessible youtube links will lead to disqualification.
The students will be allowed to present a maximum of three slides without any animations (any additional slides will lead to disqualification).
Students can present either in English or Hindi.
Students will have to explain their thesis work to an audience that may or may-not have any knowledge about their research area.
The students should communicate their work in such a way that people can understand the real world implications of the work.
Analogies may help in conveying their message.
Time limit: 3 minutes (exceeding the time-limit even by a second will straight lead to disqualification without any exception).

Final Round (Live Online Competition through Video Conference)

The YouTube entries from Preliminary Round will be evaluated and screened by a jury appointed by INYAS.
Around top ten entries in each category will be selected for the Final round of the competition.
Results will be posted on INYAS website. The selected participants will also be individually informed.
The final round will be conducted as an online live competition through video conference.
The participants selected for the final round can edit/ modify/ change their presentation slides that were used for the first round or they may use the same slides.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session by the jury members.
The general rules for the presentation will be same as in the first round:
- The students will be allowed to present a maximum of three slides without any animations (any additional slides will lead to disqualification).
- Students can present either in English or Hindi.
- Students will have to explain their thesis work to an audience that may or may-not have any knowledge about their research area.
- The students should communicate their work in such a way that people can understand the real world implications of the work.
- Time limit for presentation: 3 minutes (exceeding the time-limit even by a second will straight lead to disqualification without any exception). Q&A time will be additional.

General guidelines:

The competition will be conducted by INYAS.
All submissions should be available as editable files and should be available for later use on request.
The actual presentations on YouTube should have the presentation with speaker’s video (and audio) on one corner. An example on how to do this may be seen at: https://www.panopto.com/blog/the-best-way-to-record-a-powerpoint-presentation/. Please note that this link has been provided just as an example. INYAS does not endorse this in any way. Participants are advised to choose any method of their choice. Similar format will be required for the final round that will be conducted on a live online platform.
The participant should agree to allow the usage of entry by INYAS.
An individual can submit only one entry.
The participant can select only one Category from:
1. Category A: Physical/ Mathematical Sciences
2. Category B: Chemical Sciences
3. Category C: Life Sciences
4. Category D: Engineering Sciences
Results will be posted on INYAS website. The winners will also be informed individually.
In case of any discrepancy or ambiguity, judgment of the jury will be final.

Judging Criteria: Students will be evaluated on the basis of originality of the work presented, structuring of the presentation, presentation style and ease of understanding for non-experts.

Important Dates:

Social media/website/email announcement and opening of submissions: 16^th September (Monday), 2024
Last date for submission of entries: 7^th of October (Monday), 2024
Results of Preliminary Round will be announced by (tentative): 15^th November (Friday), 2024
Final Round (tentative): November/ December 2024 (tentative)
Award declaration & ceremony: December, 2024 (tentative)

Prizes:

Cash Prize + Certificate

Category	First Prize (INR)	Second Prize (INR)	Third Prize (INR)
A: Physical/ Mathematical Sciences	10000	6000	4000
B: Chemical Sciences	10000	6000	4000
C: Life Sciences	10000	6000	4000
D: Engineering Sciences	10000	6000	4000