Am I eligible?
To enter FameLab you must be at least 18 years old (and preferably up to 35) and studying or working in science. This includes private and public sector employees, technicians and anyone working in the fields of science, technology, engineering or maths. The competition aims to provide new opportunities for scientists to develop their skills as communicators.

Here is a more detailed description of eligibility criteria.

How do I enter?

• Download the registration form for the venue closest to you and send it to us by email to beautiful.science@britishcouncil.bg by the indicated deadlines. Please enter the city you will be going to in the subject line of your email (for example Sofia)

city	date	venue	deadline for application
Sofia	30 March	Sofia University, Aula	27 March
Varna	4 April	Varna Technical University	2 April
Plovdiv	11 April	Plovdiv University	9 April
National final
Sofia	11 May	Theatre Sofia
International final
Cheltenham, UK	6 June	Cheltenham Science Festival

• We will contact you by email to confirm the receipt of your application and inform you of the details
• Come to the audition closest to you and present any scientific topic to our panel of judges. (Don't forget to inviet your friends and family to come and watch and support you!)

What will happen at the competition?

• You will be given a maximum of 3 minutes in which to impress the judges. They are looking for exciting and engaging talks (in Bulgarian) that can be understood by a general public adult audience. Minimal props are allowed but there is no set up time or assistance. Power points’ presentations are not permitted.
• A public audience will be present.
• The judges will be able to question you after each presentation and will also give you feedback where possible.
• Nine finalists (three from each city where the heats will take place) from the auditions will be chosen to go through to a masterclass on 25 and 26 April and then to the final on 11 May.
• At the final you will be asked to give another 3 minute presentation of a contemporary science topic that is different from previous auditions.
• The judges will be able to question you on the topic and give feedback. An audience will be present who will be involved in the selection process.

What is FameLab looking for?
The aim of FameLab is to encourage scientists to inspire and excite public imagination with a vision of science in the 21st century. We are searching for the new faces of Bulgarian science who will be able to develop their ideas and presentation skills for a TV and non-specialist audience. At the auditions you only have 3 minutes to impress the judges by giving an entertaining and original talk that is scientifically accurate but also engaging to a non-scientific audience.

We have prepared a special page for you with hints on how to prepare for the competition.

Who are the judges?
There will be leading figures from the world of science and media at the auditions and final. We will announce their names closer to the date of the competition.

What do I win?

• The 9 finalists will win a 2-day masterclass in science communication. You will work with UK and Bulgarian science communicators and media trainers to develop your media and presentation skills.
• The overall FameLab winner chosen at the Final in Sofia will attend the Cheltehnam Science Festival in the UK and compete in the FameLab International competition on 6 June 2009
• The winner will receive a laptop, the 2nd prize is a digital videocamera, and the 3rd prize is an i-pod
• There will be a special Award from Sofia Water, a 1-month journalist attachment at Bulgarian National Radio, books from Ciela...
• But most of all you will definitely win the appreciation of the audience for you passion for science and be on TV!

If you are interested in FameLab - register now to make sure you don't miss the latest news… or the auditions! Good luck!

Do you have a question? Please contact us at beautiful.science@britishcouncil.bg.