UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

This is a unique capstone opportunity to merge your interests with disciplinary knowledge, to address a contemporary global issue that you predict will impact humanity by 2050. Working as a team, you can collaborate with any peers you want to university-wide (this is not just for science students, any undergraduate student can participate).

The program consists of three parts:

1. Panel discussions: Attend 4 face-to-face sessions where senior leaders in the Faculty of Science, industry and government representatives engage in conversation about global issues. The topic of conversation is driven by student demand. See how competing perspectives and broad expertise can be used to start addressing some of the greatest challenges facing the world.

Inspired by these conversations, choose a topic of interest; something you predict will face humanity by the year 2050. Form a team (2-4 people) to participate in the Science Fair and Video components of the Competition.

2. Science Fair: A public event held on October 8. Teams each have a stall and create an interactive display to showcase their topic to passers-by during communal lunch hour.

3. Video: Create a 3-minute video about your chosen topic.

The prize: The winning team will win $3000! Plus any high-quality performing team will receive a Letter of Commendation from the Executive Dean (Faculty of Science). The cohort will also be invited to relevant Faculty events that serve as networking opportunities as they arise throughout semester.

Credit

0 points

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) communicate a contemporary idea in science both face-to-face and online to the UWA and/or broader community; (2) collaborate with peers from a broad range of science and non-science disciplines; and (3) present an idea from a global perspective.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) science fair (an interactive stall to communicate a topic of interest to passers-by) and (2) video (a 3-minute video to communicate a topic of interest to the broader community). Further information is available in the unit outline.

This unit is assessed on an ungraded pass/ungraded failed basis. All assessment items must be successfully completed.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Megan Ellyard

Contact hours

4 x 1-hour face-to-face sessions, and 2 hour attendance for the 'Science Fair.'
Optional 'sound-boarding' sessions (a one-hour session after each panel discussion) will also be scheduled for those who want an allocated time to work on their Science Fair and Video assignments.

Note

The Panel Discussion sessions take place during communal lunch hour (Tuesdays 1-2pm) each week for the first 4 weeks of semester (July 30, August 6, 13 and 20). These sessions will not be recorded.

The Science Fair will take place on October 8 12-2pm (including set-up/pack-down). There will be an optional Video Screening event on October 15 to view all the teams videos, complete with popped-corn and bean bags. There will also be an optional end-of-program celebration event held on October 22 to announce the competition winners.

Students who don't want to participate in the competition (and therefore don't want to enrol in the unit) are more than welcome to attend the Panel Discussion sessions. Indeed, enrolled students are encouraged to bring their (UWA undergraduate) friends.

For more information visit https://www.science.uwa.edu.au/students/uwa-science-challenge