The Festival of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 10alamenos9, where a large number of research centres, universities and other social entities participate, has organised this year an online competition of nanostories aimed at secondary school students (ESO and BTX) with the aim of disseminating nanoscience and nanotechnology among the young public.
The competition, organized at a state level, has received a total of 131 works, of which 85 (65%) correspond to students from Catalonia. The rest of the nanostories correspond to participants from the communities of Madrid, Andalusia, Aragon and Asturias. The 85 stories received in Catalonia correspond to 43 ESO students (category A) and 42 BTX students (category B) from 8 secondary schools.
The Festival of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 10alamenos9, is generally held in April in more than 20 cities in 6 countries since 2015. This year 2020, the festival has had to be postponed to October due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, it was decided to keep the nanostories contest during spring, as it is a virtual activity which is easy to participate from home.
The nanostories competition was organised for the first time in 2019 by the Institute of Micro and Nanotechnology (IMN) of the CSIC, only in the Community of Madrid, and this year 2020 it was decided to do it at state level. In Catalonia, which was participating for the first time, and where nanostories could be sent in Catalan and Spanish, participation was at its highest.
At the level of Catalonia, the organizing entities are the University of Barcelona (UB), the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the UB Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), the Catalan Society of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (SCN2), and the Vil·la Urania Civic Center and the Casa Sagnier Youth Space in Barcelona.
An expert jury in science and dissemination
The nanostories will be evaluated in three phases, the first two to decide the winners at the Catalan level (one per category), and the third to decide the winners at the state level.
The jury of the first phase is formed by members of the organizing entities, while the jury of the second phase is composed of experts in science and scientific dissemination: Laura Morrón, physicist and editor of Next Door Publishers; Miquel Duran, chemist, disseminator and professor at the University of Girona; Anna Morales, pre-doctoral researcher at EPFL (Switzerland) and youtuber of nanoscience (SizeMatters); Elsa Velasco, science journalist and illustrator, and Marga Pradas, coordinator of the DivulCat blog.
The winners at the Catalan level will be announced at an online event on Thursday, June 25th at 6 pm. The jury will read the finalist nanostories, and the winners of each category will be announced.
Register here to attend!
DOWNLOAD here the Press Release in CAT, ESP, ENG
