Australian Brain Bee Challenge 2010

How the Australian Brain Bee Challenge works

This page should be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions for the ABBC

The Australian Brain Bee Challenge ('ABBC') is a competition conducted by various Universities around Australia and New Zealand (listed on our website) in accordance with the attached Terms and Conditions.

The ABBC is recognised by the International Brain Bee competition held in the United States and winners of the ABBC may have the opportunity to participate in the international competition.

Dates for the 2010 ABBC:

Registration for ABBC 2010 is now open.

competition to commence as follows:

Round 1: 15-19 March, 2010.

Round 2: Tuesday 20th July, 2010.

Round 3: National Final, Monday January 31 and Tuesday February 1, 2011

Eligibility

Eligibility restrictions are set out in the attached Terms and Conditions and apply to students competing in all rounds of the Competition in Australia and New Zealand and in both individual and team events. Failure to comply with eligibility restrictions will result in student(s) and schools being disqualified.

If a round 2 competition is not being held in your State, Territory or Region please contact the National organisers (email: abbc@uq.edu.au) to determine where you will be able to compete in round 2 if you are successful in round 1.

How to enter

To enter, one teacher from each school registers the number of students that they anticipate will participate in round 1 of the competition online (www.abbc.edu.au). As the contact person they will be asked to enter their contact information. Students will enter their own contact details during the Round 1 online quiz undertaken at their school in March under the supervision of the teacher. Access to this online quiz will be via a student and teacher password that will be issued when the teacher registers for round 1.

Registration is subject to the Terms and Conditions attached.

Round 1

After registration, teachers will be given a list of passwords for their students (equivalent to the number of students they have nominated to take part in the quiz), as well as a password for themselves.

The online quiz consists of 35 multiple-choice questions. Questions will be derived from the book, 'Neuroscience - Science of the Brain' by the British Neuroscience Society and the Dana Alliance. The book can be downloaded here for no cost. It is available in multiple languages - note all rounds of the ABBC competition will be conducted in English however. Hard copies of the book are available for purchase from the British Neuroscience Association at the following website http://www.bna.org.uk/publications/.

If your school does not have sufficient computer resources or internet access to undertake the competition online, please contact the organiser (email: abbc@uq.edu.au) to arrange an alternative way for your students to participate in round 1.

To begin the test, both the student password and the teacher password must be entered correctly. The 35 questions will be derived from a large bank of questions so not every test will be identical in content, but will be similar in the level of difficulty.

At the end of the quiz, each student will be invited to join the ABBC alumni and will be given instructions on how to download a participant certificate.

Round 1 Prizes

There are no Round 1 prizes awarded by the Organiser.

Round 2

Round 2 competitions will be held in Universities throughout Australia and New Zealand. Round 2 questions will be taken from 'Brain Facts' by the American Society for Neuroscience (downloadable free of charge from here).

Please see our website to identify your Local ABBC Co-ordinator. On the day of the round 2 competition, students will participate in tours of the Neuroscience laboratories and University facilities and other events as organised by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

For round 2, students may qualify to compete in one or both of two challenges; the individual challenge and the team challenge. Please see the attached Terms and Conditions.

Round 2 Prizes

Prizes will vary with State, Territory or Region. The following are a guide to what prizes may be given. Additional factors such as the number of students and schools competing may determine the number of prizes given.

Round 2 Individual Competition prizes

First place: Airfares and accommodation for the winning student (and a parent/guardian) of the round 2 individual competition in each State/Region to compete in round 3 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Second place: to be determined in each State/Region by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

Third place: to be determined in each State/Region by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

Round 2 Team Competition prizes

First place: Winning school prize to be determined in each State/Region by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

Second place: to be determined in each State/Region by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

Third place: to be determined in each State/Region by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

Round 3

Round 3 of the competition is the National Final for Australia and for New Zealand. The book that will be used for the National Final is yet to be decided but will be made available free of charge to each finalist competing.

The two-day competition will determine a single winning representative from Australia and a single winning representative from New Zealand.

Round 3 Prizes

The Organisers will award a major prize to each of the winning representative from Australia and New Zealand

International Brain Bee

The International Brain Bee Competition is an independently run and operated competition that recognises the Round 3 winners of the ABBC Challenge. Please see Terms and Conditions attached.