Australian Brain Bee Challenge

Australian Brain Bee Challenge Terms and Conditions

*These rules are subject to change at any time.

For more information on how the competition actually runs, please click here

ABBC Terms and Conditions

1. DEFINITIONS

'ABBC' or 'Competition' means the Australian Brain Bee Challenge consisting of Rounds 1 to 3;

'IBBC' means the International Brain Bee Competition held in [USA]

'Organiser' means The University of Queensland through the Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Qld 4072

'Local ABBC Co-ordinator' means the State/Region Coordinator.

'School' means a high school in Australia or New Zealand.

2. STAGES OF THE COMPETITION

The ABBC is conducted in 3 rounds within Australia and New Zealand. An individual winner representing Australia and an individual winner representing New Zealand in Round 3 may participate in the International Brain Bee.

3. PARENT / GUARDIAN

The School shall be responsible for obtaining consent from the parent/guardian for

their child to:

(a) compete in the ABBC on these terms and conditions;

(b) participate in tours of the participating Universities (Round 2);

(c) be photographed for the purposes of the ABBC Challenge;

(d) provide their contact details, including email/phone/home address; and

(e) become an ABBC Alumni.

A student must be accompanied by a Parent/Guardian or Teacher during Rounds 2, 3 and the IBB.

4. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

Only Students who are or will be enrolled in year 10 (within Australia) and year 11 (within New Zealand) in the year they undertake the ABBC are eligible to enter the ABBC.

Students who have previously undertaken the ABBC are not eligible to enter the competition again.

Round 1 - Local

All high schools in Australia and New Zealand are eligible to enter their students and may enter as many students as they wish in round 1.

Round 2 - State/Region

In round 2 students must compete in their own State/Region, as designated by the Organiser.

Students who are invited by the Organiser to participate in round 2 will be required to register online at www.abbc.edu.au. A student may qualify to compete in one or both of two challenges; the individual challenge and the team challenge.

Individual competitors will be invited to compete in round 2 based on their round 1 score. Schools may not substitute students for the round 2 individual challenge.

For the team challenge, schools will be ranked based on the mean score of the top four students. If a school enters less than four students it will not be ranked for the team competition. Based on the school ranking, schools will be invited to submit a team for round 2. The team must consist of four students from the same school. Teams of less than four students will not be allowed to compete on the day.

*NB: Not all regions will hold both individual and team events in round 2. The team challenge only occurs at round 2.

Round 3 - National

One winning student from the individual competition of round 2 in each State/Region will be invited to participate in round 3, which is the National Final. If the winner cannot attend round 3, the runner-up is eligible to compete in round 3 to represent that State/Region. In the case of a tie after the last question and answer session, then a count back will be used incorporating all scores from all parts of the Round 2 Individual competition to determine the winner. If a tie still occurs then the winner will be decided by further activities as determined by the organisers.

5. International Brain Bee Competition

The Australian winner and the New Zealand winner of round 3 may have the opportunity to compete in the International Brain Bee (IBB). The ABBC does not have a formal affiliation with the IBB and cannot guarantee the timing, location, or organisation of this international event. Australian and New Zealand winners will liaise directly with the IBB regarding the organisation and study materials for this event.

In the event that a Round 3 winner is unable to attend the IBB they must advise the ABBC organisers within 12 weeks of their acceptance of the award and will forfeit their prize. The second place getter for that country would then be eligible for the prize.

6. Substitution of Students

A student who has registered for the ABBC Challenge in Round 1 or Round 2 (individual challenge) cannot be substituted with any other student.

A school that has been selected to participate in the Team Challenge for Round 2 may select any 4 students from its school as its team, provided each student meets the eligibility requirements and completed round 1 of the ABBC.

7. Description of the ABBC

Round 1 - is a 'closed book' multiple-choice quiz and must be conducted by the School under usual examination conditions. The School may permit different student cohorts to sit the quiz at different times, any day or time during Brain Awareness Week under strict teacher supervision. Students will have a total of 40 minutes to complete the quiz. Students can only take the round 1 quiz once. Once a student has commenced the quiz they are deemed to have taken the quiz unless technology failure can be shown.

Round 2 - will consist of written and oral tests (live question and answer testing) for both the Individual and Team challenges.

Round 3 - is a 2 day event consisting of an anatomy test, a mock patient diagnosis test and two oral question and answer sessions. Round 3 will take place at the Australian Neuroscience Society Meeting in different locations each year.

8. Decision making

In each stage of the Competition the Organiser's decision regarding winning students or schools is final. The Organisers reserve the right to alter any aspects of the ABBC at any time.

9. Results

The Organisers will publicise winners and place-getters of all Rounds on the ABBC website.

Students' marks will not be made available by the Organisers

School ranking results will not be made available by the Organisers.

10. Equivalent Results for more than 1 student

The selection for round 2 is based on the students' scores from round one. All students with equivalent results above the cut-off score for that region, school district, State or Territory, will be invited to participate in round 2. Cut-off scores are determined by the Local ABBC Co-ordinator.

11. No recording of Questions

Competition questions must not be recorded in any way. Recording of questions may result in disqualification by the Organiser.

12. Cost to Enter

Registration is free for all Rounds of the ABBC and the IBB.

13. Travel and Expenses

Unless awarded as a prize, or a travel assistance scholarship is awarded at the discretion of the Local ABBC Co-ordinator, or Organiser, the Student (family) takes responsibility to pay for all costs associated with participation in the ABBC.

14. Major Prize - Round 3

The Organisers will award a major prize to each of the winning representative from Australia and New Zealand, namely economy airfares and accommodation expenses for the winning students and a parent/guardian each to attend the IBB in the USA.

15. Certificates

Round 1 - all students who complete the Quiz receive a participation certificate

Round 2 - winners and place-getters of the Individual Challenge from each State/Region receive a certificate; and the members of the winning Team Challenge and place-getters from each State receive a certificate

Round 3 - the Australian winner and the New Zealand winner and place-getters receive certificates; and all participants receive a participation certificate.

16. Privacy

The Organiser complies with all relevant privacy laws and guidelines. Information provided by a School or a student may be used by the Organiser for the purpose of:

(a) Corresponding with teachers about the progress of their students in the competition and organisational matters regarding the competition;

(b) Corresponding with participating Universities in rounds 2 regarding organisation matters;

(c) Corresponding with students participating in rounds 3 and IBB regarding organisation matters;

(d) ABBC Alumni information will be used to maintain contact through a future ABBC newsletter and to invite students to attend events on participating University campuses; and

(e) tracking student selection preferences in science or medicine related courses.

The Organiser will not disclose to a third party personal information supplied by a School or a student unless required or permitted by law or consent has been provided. The Organiser may distribute aggregated statistical information for statutory reporting purposes but only in a form that will not identify any person or school.

If you would like to verify the type of information held by the Organiser, please send an email to f.parke@uq.edu.au.

More information about Privacy Management can be found at http://www.uq.edu.au/privacy