Call for Proposals: India Science Festival 2024

The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST India) is organising the 5th edition of the India Science Festival (ISF), ISF 2024, at IISER Pune on 20th and 21st January 2024.

FAST India welcomes proposals and ideas for innovative and unique events related to the festival theme Towards Infinity: Mind, Machines, and the Endless Frontier under the following categories: Workshop, Panel Discussion/Round table, Booth/Stall, and Installation/Performance.

The festival team will provide inputs for developing the event and requisite on-ground support to the organisers of the selected events, while the onus for conducting the event at ISF lies primarily with the event organisers.

Categories 

• Workshops: ISF features a wide range of hands-on workshops for children and young adults. Submit ideas for organising a unique workshop, preferably on a cutting-edge topic related to the festival theme. The workshop should be designed with a specific target audience in mind and must be highly creative and interactive. The duration of these workshops should not exceed an hour and a half.
• Panel discussion/round table: With the goal to catalyse the transformation of the S&T sector in the country and its impact on society, ISF brings together scientists, policy makers, industry experts, thought leaders, and a wide range of stakeholders to deliberate on ideas for advancing scientific research and policy. ISF also hosts constructive debates and discussions on scientific topics of historical and contemporary relevance. Proposals are invited for innovative round tables and panel discussions addressing these areas. The event should result in actionable ideas or recommendations in the form of a white paper or similar outputs. The duration of these events should not exceed an hour.
• Booth/stall: ISF aims to not only spark interest in STEM fields among young people and the public at large but also attempts to serve as a platform to nurture and empower them. Submit proposals for booths/stalls preferably with interactive exhibits, which are attractive enough to get people’s attention and expansive enough to explain your science/project/initiative to a general audience.
• Installation/Performance: While science continues to contribute to the advancement of artistic inquiry and practice, creative art has emerged as a powerful tool to visualise, explore, and demystify abstract/complex ideas and concepts. The harmonious relationship between science and creativity is undeniable. Together, they can provoke, inspire, and engage a wide range of audiences on topics and themes that are often hard to grasp or challenging. ISF, through the merging of science and art, aims to ignite curiosity, stimulate dialogue, and evoke profound emotional responses from the audience.
  • Submit proposals for exquisite and meaningful collaborations between science and creative art (theatre, street art, multimedia art, dance, music, etc.) that will culminate in captivating performances/installations at the Festival.

Criteria

• Anyone with a great idea can submit their proposal. Researchers or academics from universities, colleges, or other academic institutions based in India.
• Professionals from non-profit organisations, government institutions, industry, non-academic organisations: science museums, observatories, policy/advocacy-related entities, professional societies, research labs, organisations engaged with sustainable development activities and/or global change, animal protection/ welfare. This is not an exhaustive list.

Important Information

• Please note that the submission of proposals does not guarantee inclusion in the Festival programme.
• ISF organisers will take care of the travel and accommodation of the organisers and speakers (based in India) invited for the events selected through this call.
• Reasonable costs towards consumables/stationery will be reimbursed by ISF organisers after the Festival.
• The Festival team will provide inputs for developing the event and the requisite on-ground support to the organisers of the selected events but will not be involved in conducting the event at the Festival.

Evaluation

• Proposals aligning with the thematic areas of STEM careers, public science, science and art, and science and public policy will be rated highly.
• Proposals showing a clear link between your approach and value proposition will have higher chances of acceptance.
• Preference will be given to events that demonstrate a commitment to best-practice science communication and providing a high-quality experience to the audience.
• Proposals trivialising science or propounding inaccurate or pseudo-science will be straightaway disqualified.

For more information, visit India Science Festival.