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EURAXESS Researchers in motion

Science Slam

  • Get out of the lab and off the desk and communicate your research in a creative way. Join the EURAXESS Science Slam India and win a free trip to Europe! 

    Get ready for slamming your way to Europe. How?

    Find all the answers below on this page or watch the Video:

    Firstly, you might ask, What is a Science Slam?

    A science slam is a scientific talk where researchers compete to present their work in front of a non-expert audience. The slam is a way to show the engaging and fascinating side of research to the wider public.

    Secondly, How can I join the EURAXESS Science Slam India, and what are the criteria?

     -The competition is open to all career levels researchers starting with MA/M.Sc/M.Tech. candidates - from universities, research institutes, private sector or related careers, in all fields of research including Social Sciences and Humanities, Life Sciences and Engineering.

    -People of any nationality and age (18+) who are based in India can participate.

    The competition has two stages:

    1. the 'Virtual' Pre-selection (online) where candidates will submit a short video (max 5min) in a creative, entertaining and accessible way.

    2. The best five from all submissions will be invited to participate in the 'Live' Finals where they will perform LIVE in front of an expert jury and a mixed audience who will choose the winner.

    Send us your video and become one of the 5 finalists to compete in the LIVE Slam!

    Online submission of slam (video) presentations

    How to participate:

    Step 1:  Get creative and present your research project to the world in an original way:  acting, dance, singing, poetry, comedy, live experiment – everything is allowed.

    Step 2:  Make a max. 5-minutes video of your presentation with your camera phone, digital camera or equivalent. Remember to do it in English.

    Step 3:  Send us your video to euraxessindiaslam@gmail.com  or upload it via Dropbox or Vimeo and share the link to the video with us, indicating your full name in the title.

  • EURAXESS India Science Slam 2023

    The popular EURAXESS Science Slam competition took place this year on 2 December, 3pm-9pm, at the Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan in Kolkata.

    5 exceptionally talented young Indian researchers performed live in front of an enthusiastic audience. After a great evening of fun and excitement the audience and jury selected the winner:

     Joyce John - PhD Candidate, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. See the recording of her winning Slam here

    Winner Science Slam

    The winner of this year’s India Science Slam earned a roundtrip ticket to Europe, and the unique chance to network with research peers in one of Europe’s top research institutes!

    The EURAXESS Science Slam offers a platform for young research talents to showcase their work outside of the formal constraints of a research lab or classroom. The finalists are judged on the basis of their ability to capture the audiences’ attention with a precise, accessible and original introduction to their research topic.

     

    The 5 finalists of the EURAXESS Science Slam India 2023:

    Science Slam Finalists

    The Winner of the Science Slam 2023

    Joyce John - PhD Candidate, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

    Joyce

    Born to Malayali parents and raised in the heart of Kolkata, I have been blessed with the richness of two cultures that shaped the budding scientist, thespian, and dancer in me. My tryst with science began because the exams were shorter and more fun to solve, that science literally lets you question everything, made me stick on.  The research in our lab focusses on understanding the genius of cancer cells that hijack developmentally dormant pathways to metastasize. Simply put, we are looking at cancer backwards and seeking answers in the early hours of development in tiny fruitflies. While solving medical mysteries and analyzing experimental results seem like the most intriguing to any scientist, I find greater joy in explaining the very fundamentals of our being to someone who thought science only belongs in the labs and textbooks!!!

    Watch her Entry Video here:

    Watch her winning Slam here:

     

    Aditya Shrivastava - Integrated MSc-PhD Candidate , Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

    Aditya

    "I am a research Scholar at TIFR's Department of Chemical Sciences. Studying protein mechanics via SMFS. Alumnus of SGTB Khalsa, DU. Outside the lab, I am passionate about videography, and driving science communication forward through engaging video content."

    Watch his Entry Video here:

    Watch his LIVE Slam here:

     

    Ishita Jain - PhD Candidate, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

    Ishita Jain

    Ishita Jain is a doctoral student in the Turbomachinery Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. She holds a B.E.  degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET).  Her research interests revolve around the optimization of engineered surface textures with respect to the reduction of drag and separation control, which find applications from windmills to aircraft.  Apart from her research interests, Ishita enjoys playing Badminton and reading anecdotes.  

    Watch her Entry Video here:

    Watch her LIVE Slam here:

     

    Kunika Gupta, PhD Student, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

    Kunika

    “Hails from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh; Synthetic Organic Chemist, Chemical Biologist, Scientist in preparation, Avid Speaker; Enjoys trekking, bike rides and playing badminton”

    Watch her Entry Video here:

    Watch her LIVE Slam here:

     

    Sangeeth John, Research Scholar,  Crystal Growth Centre Anna University

    Sangeeth​

    “A kid who danced in the rain, wondering what those clouds contain. A teen who wished to change the world, with all the science he learned. Now a researcher on energy and environmental aspects of photocatalysis,  who enjoys learning new things and sharing it with others on a regular basis.”

    Watch his Entry Video here:

    Watch his LIVE Slam here:

    Meet the finalists here (scroll down)

    When & Where: 

    Saturday 02 December, 3.00-9.00pm IST 

    Venue:

    Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata 

    Park Mansions, Gate 4
    57A, Park Street
    Kolkata 700016
    India

    Who should attend? The event is open to everyone with an interest in science communication and/or science. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

    About the 11th Euraxess Science Slam India

    The 2023 Euraxess Science Slam India LIVE Finals will take place on 2nd of December at the Goethe-Institut Kolkata (3.00-9.00 pm). At the finals, 5 scientists will compete for the Slammer title and the 1st prize - a round trip ticket to Europe. The online competition is open until 20 October. For more information how to participate click here.

    The 11th EURAXESS Science Slam India event is an opportunity for the finalists to communicate their research in a fun and entertaining way to a larger and mixed audience. For the audience/participants the event will offer the possibility to learn about study and research opportunities in Europe, EU research mobility programmes, and Science Communication.

    At the networking dinner, participants will interact with members of the EURAXESS India team, the Goethe-Institut team, German Consulate, the EU Delegation to India, representatives of EU Member states, representatives from the academic and non-academic sector, and members of the Science Slam Jury as well as other event partners.

     

    The EURAXESS Science Slam India 2023 is organised in partnership with (in alphabetical order): 

    CNRS India, Delegation of the European Union to India,Embassy of the Czech Republic, Embassy of The Federal Republic of Germany, Goethe-Institut Kolkata, The Netherlands Innovation Network.

  • EURAXESS India Science Slam 2022

    The winner of the 10th EURAXESS India Science Slam is...

    Satadru Chakrabarty - Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar

    Slam Title: "Lights Sheets and the Quest for Hydrogen"

     

    Satadru Chakrabarty - Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar

    "A humanist by nature with a little dash of cynicism. Chemical engineer and 2D materials researcher by profession. Ardent believer in the maxim- a man can be destroyed but not defeated. Science and technology are the two pillars on which the global civilization stands. Let us pledge to strengthen these further. Viva la ciencia!"

    Watch Satadru's Slam Entry Video here:

     

    The other finalists were (in alphabetical order): 

    Debanjana Das - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai

    "I have done my B.Sc. from Presidency University, Kolkata. In my M.Sc.-Ph.D. with Prof. A.S.R. Koti at TIFR Mumbai, I work on metallo-proteins and their circular permutated variants to find out changes in protein stability brought about by circular permutation."

    Watch Debanjana's Slam Entry Video here:

     

     

    Devanshi Gupta - Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad

    "A scientist-in-making with an unbridled passion for revealing the beauty of science through art, literature and creativity."

    Watch Devanshi's Slam Entry Video here:

     

    Sarbajit Dutta - Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advance Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore

    "Hailing from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, I am a young aspiring theoretical physicist, pursuing an integrated Ph.D programme. The area of my research is mainly Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science. I am also a music enthusiast, who is always seen humming melodies. I participate in debates too and sometimes try my luck in acting. I also have a knack for video making and nothing becomes better when they are related to science"

    Watch Sarabjit's Slam Video Entry here:

     

    Shuchita Soman - National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR)

    "Neuroscientist, science educator, Indian classical dancer, artist"

    Watch Shuchita's Slam Entry Video here:

     

    Visit the pages of the previous SCIENCE SLAM India competitions (top of the page) and meet the EURAXESS Science Slam India winners of the past. Read what they say about their Science Slam experience. The next picture and testimony could be yours!

    Watch the videos of the past years’ finalists and winners on our YouTube Channel. 

     

    Follow the EURAXESS Science Slam and more on Facebook and Twitter.

     

    Partner organisations 2022:

    The EURAXESS Science Slam India 2022 is organised in partnership with: 

    Delegation of the European Union to India, Embassy of the Czech Republic, Embassy of France, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, French Institute in India, IndiaBioscience, Netherlands Embassy, Symbiosis Centre for European Studies.

     

     

  • EURAXESS India Science Slam 2021

    And the Winners of the 2021 Science Slam is...

    Raghav Narasimha P., Christ Deemed to be University Bangalore

    Slam title: "The dark side of the universe"

    "Physics graduate working on the dark side(dark matter), lost in the way searching for fun in physics and to inspire before I expire."

    "I always wanted to show how fun science is and now the EURAXESS Science Slam provided me with the right opportunity to unveil the fun side of science. People often think that education and entertainment are mutually exclusive, but EURAXESS broke that dogma by providing a perfect stage to show our research to the world in the way that we like. I have never shot a video in my life before the slam. I learned a lot during the Science Slam odyssey. I'm very exuberant to meet the researchers and science communicators in Europe who have inspired me for all this time. I'm very grateful to EURAXESS for providing me with this life-changing opportunity"

    Watch Raghav's winning slam:

     

     

    And the other finalists were (in alphabetical order):

    Aditi Chandra - Kay Bouvet Engineering Ltd. Pune

    Slam title: “The story of an atom - How nuclear energy can save our world”

    "Nuclear Engineer. Founded Nisaba Education to inspire Indian children to become scientists. Love dancing tango, practicing yoga, and discovering new species of birds."

     

     

     

    Ankur Gupta - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

    Slam title: "The hidden role of the magical net "membrane" in brain neurotransmission."

    "I am a membrane biophysicist and optical engineer at TIFR, fascinated by nature and love to solve nature's mysteries. I am a foodie. I love watching movies, playing cricket and badminton."

     

     

     

    Chaitanya Raj - University of Delhi

    Slam title: "A Ride With Fluoride”

    Currently pursuing Masters in Environmental Studies I a classical dancer and a theatre enthusiast I 

    Experimenting with art as a medium to communicate and connect to people. I believe that a combination of science and art will help to reconstruct the definitions of growth and development which will be sustainable for all.

     

     

     

    Kshipra Naik - IIT Madras

    Slam title: “How to train the Glaucoma Dragon”

    PhD #Nanobiotechnology | Enthusiastic Researcher Curious About Nanoworld #Inventor #Creator #Traveller #Explorer | Start-up Influencer | Artist @ Heart | Future Academic

     

     

     

    Sarbajit Dutta - Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advance Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore

    Slam title: "Graphene vs The State of Solid Matter"

    A young aspiring theoretical physicist, pursuing an integrated Ph.D programme I A music enthusiast, who is always seen humming melodies. I participate in debates too and sometimes try my luck in acting. I also have a knack for video making and nothing becomes better when they are related to science.

     

     

    Visit the pages of the previous SCIENCE SLAM India competitions (top of the page) and meet the EURAXESS Science Slam India winners of the past. Read what they say about their Science Slam experience. The next picture and testimony could be yours!

    Watch the videos of the past years’ finalists and winners on our YouTube channel. Get inspired by previous contesters.

     

    Follow the EURAXESS Science Slam and more on Facebook and Twitter.

     

    Partner organisations 2021:

    The EURAXESS Science Slam India 2021 was organised in partnership with: 

    Embassy of Belgium, Bimtech, Cactus Communications, CNRS India, Delegation of the European Union to India, Embassy of France, Embassy of Germany, High Commission of Malta, IndiaBioscience, Embassy of The Netherlands, Nuffic Neso India, Symbiosis Centre for European Studies, Embassy of Sweden and The French Institute India.

  • EURAXESS India Science Slam 2020

    And the Winners of the 2020 Science Slam are...

    Saumya Silori

    PhD Student, CSIR National Institute of Oceanography, Goa

    Slam Title: "Phytoplankton and the Fish: A tale from the sea"

    "Ph.D. student in Biological Oceanography, trying to learn one experiment at a time, likes to read non-fiction and be amazed by nature."

    "The EURAXESS science slam is a great opportunity for young researchers to showcase their science to a broader audience. Additionally, it has helped me look at my research from a bird’s eye view and put it in perspective within a larger context. This journey to the final slam has been informative and satisfying, with the EURAXESS team mentoring and guiding us through the process. I had never imagined that I would be strumming a guitar while presenting my work. Now I am enthusiastic about interacting with the researchers and science communication experts in Europe whose work has fascinated me all these years. I am optimistic that the interaction with the experts will lead to meaningful collaborations and impactful scientific output."

     

    Rohan Sarkar

    PhD Student, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata

    Slam Title: "Winner,winner, Free-ranging dogs' dinner"

    "Storyteller | Canine ethologist | Comic book aficionado. Loves a good mystery in both fiction and science. Interested in the twists and turns in dog behaviour and cognition that resulted from their domestication."

    "The EURAXESS Science Slam is a great platform to share the science that we do with the audience at large. It is a great way to showcase that science and scientists can be fun and break the existing stereotypes. Although the pandemic prevented me from enjoying the pre-covid EURAXESS Slam awesomeness I had heard about, it challenged me to do things in a new way and let me bring my work alive in a way it wouldn't have been possible to do on stage. I learnt a lot of things on the fly, including stop motion photography and origami, the latter of which is quickly turning into a hobby. I would like to thank the EURAXESS team for providing me with this platform and for all their guidance. I am really excited about my Europe trip and hope to learn all that I can from some of the leading minds in Europe and hopefully take my science to the next level."

     

    4 exceptional finalists were invited to battle for the 1st prize this year - the EURAXESS Science Slammer title and a round trip to Europeto visit a research institute of the winner's choice in the European Union in 2021.

    Watch the Science Slam 2020 LIVE Finals HERE

     

    And the other two finalists were (in alphabetical order):

    Lamiya Dohadwala

    PhD Student, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

    Slam title: "War against skin cancer"

    "Blogger-turned-researcher on a quest to answer the know-hows of embryonic development. A sucker for perfectly imaged embryos, postcards and all things blue. reading-cum-travel fanatic, frequently seen raving about my latest read or plotting my next trip. Typically, a cheerleader for women in STEM."

     

     

    Urveshkumar Soni

    Charotar University of Science and Technology, Changa, Gujarat

    Slam Title: "Magnetic Nanorobots: Rainbow through Smart Liquid in Laboratory"

    "Ph.D. Student and Teaching Assistant. Curious Creature, Self-motivated, Experimental Physicist, Working on the Optical Applications of Magnetic Fluid and/or Ferrofluid. Science Communicator, Sports lover, and Travel Enthusiast!!! Love these Stuffs. Sharing What I am Learning."

     

     

    Partner Organisations

    The EURAXESS Science Slam India 2020 was organised in partnership with Cactus Communications, Delegation of the European Union to India, Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi, IndiaBioscience and Nuffic Neso India.

  • EURAXESS Science Slam India 2019

    The 7th EURAXESS Science SlammerSayaniDas, Graduate Student, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai says "The EURAXESS Science Slam India is a wonderful, powerful and entertaining opportunity to communicate your scientific research out of your lab and bring it to the common people. It was indeed a great learning experience as it forced me to think differently on how to share the scientific knowledge to everyone in a fun-filled manner. EURAXESS India made it possible for my hobby (dance) and my passion (research) to join hands and make my slam a successful one. Also, this gives you the opportunity to meet new people, travel to new places, and build potential future collaborations. The exciting part is, it offers a Europe trip to the winner, and I am eagerly looking forward to my trip to visit leading research institutions in Europe. I am sure this will give me the chance to interact with the global leaders in science, which will surely be a stepping stone to my future research career."

     

    The 7th live final of the EURAXESS Science Slam India 2019 was organised in partnership with Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), the Consulate General of the Federal Republic Germany, Bengaluru, Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA), Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum, India Bioscience and The World Bank Group on 30 November 2019 in Trivandrum.

    Five exceptional finalists were invited to battle for the 1st prize this year - the EURAXESS Science Slammer title and a round trip to Europeto visit a research institute of the winner's choice in the European Union in 2020. Pictures of the event can be seen on Facebook.

     

    And the 2019 finalists were...

    • Ms Sayani Das, Graduate Student, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai with Sensing Mercury: Easier than Ever !!

    • Mr Akshaykumar Desai, Research Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay with An Exciting Story of Fuel Cells

    • Mr Satyajeet Gupta, Graduate Student, RMB lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (KA)withNature's way of handling bad hitchhikers

    • Mr Nishant P, PhD Student, School of Pure and Applied Physics , Kannur University with Physics of musical instruments of God's own country

    • Ms Anupma Thakur, PhD Scholar, DST-INSPIRE Fellow, CSIR-CSIO,Chandigarh with Hydrogen: The coal of future

     
    Note: Finalists listed in alphabetical order.

     

    Partners and Supporting organisations 2019:

    The EURAXESS Science Slam India 2019 was organised in partnership with Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), the Consulate General of the Federal Republic Germany, Bengaluru, Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA), Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum, India Bioscience and The World Bank Group.

  • EURAXESS Science Slam India 2018

    The 6th EURAXESS Science Slammer Prabahan Chakraborty, Graduate Student (NCBS, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore) says 

    "EURAXESS Science Slam guided me to a road where my twin passions of science and theatre merge into one. This is an amazing platform that encourages the young breed of science communicators like myself to innovate, entertain and enrich the common man about fundamental as well as applied research. I would like to thank the Euraxess team for bringing forth such a successful, one-of-a-kind event, both with a superbly organised workshop as well as the awesome live finals. I now eagerly look forward towards my trip to visit research institutions in Europe where I hope to interact with the global leaders in science, as a stepping stone to my future."

     

    The 6th live final of the EURAXESS Science Slam India 2018 was organised in partnership with India Bioscience, Alliance française Bangalore, NMIMS, Embassy of France with the support of Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) and Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) on 17 November 2018 in Bengaluru.

    Five exceptional finalists were invited to battle for the 1st prize this year -  the EURAXESS Science Slammer title and a round trip to Europeto visit a research institute of the winner's choice in the European Union in 2019. Pictures of the event can be seen on Facebook.

    And the 2018 finalists were...

    • Mr Prabahan Chakraborty, Graduate Student (NCBS, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore) with How does stress affect our brain, and how can we fight back?

    • Ms Nidhi Rawat, PhD candidate (ICAR- Central Institute for Research on Buffalo, Hisar) with IVF Blabber: A journey of miracles

    • Ms Charu Seth, PhD candidate (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai) with Hunny, We Shrunk The Circuits​

    • Ms Gita Singh, PhD candidate (SVKM's NMIMS Sunandan Divatia School of Science, Mumbai) with Journey of a Capacitor to Supercapacitor​

    • Mr Viraj R. Torsekar, PhD candidate (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) with Does the risk of mate-searching communication influence predator-prey space use strategies?

     

    Note: Finalists listed in alphabetical order.

    Members of the 2018 Review Panel:

    Ms. Anupama Ambika Anilkumar(Scientific Coordinator at Section for Science & Technology, Embassy of France in India)

    Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya(Scientist and science communicator at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research-TIFR)

    Dr. Jérôme Bove(Scientific and academic attaché, Embassy of France in India – Bangalore)

    Mr. Vivek Dham(Policy Officer, Department of Research & Innovation, European Union Delegation to India)

    Ms. Dr. Navodita Jain(Science Education and Communication Coordinator, IndiaBioscience)

    Dr. Samrat S. Kumar(Country Representative, EURAXESS India)

    Ms. Dr. Reeteka Sud(Research Coordinator, ADBS Consortium, NIMHANS Bangalore)

    Dr. Karthik Ramaswamy(Visiting Scientist, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore)

    Dr. Purvi Bhatt(Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, NMIMS)

    Follow the EURAXESS Science Slam and more on facebook: EURAXESS India and EU in India.

     

    Partners and Supporting organisations 2018:

    The EURAXESS Science Slam India 2018 organised in partnership with India Bioscience, Alliance française Bangalore, NMIMS, Embassy of France with the support of Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) and Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC).