Research Storytelling Competition: Speak Up for Food Security 2021, deadline 5 Sept

This year, UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) cross-council Global Food Security programme (GFS) will focus its annual research storytelling competition ‘Speak Up for Food Security’ on how we can tackle the climate crisis through the food system.

12 successful UKRI-funded early career researchers (ECRs) will be invited to attend a two-day virtual storytelling masterclass (Monday 27th Sep and Friday 1st October), where they will receive training in communicating their research through narrative, inspiring action, and presenting live on camera.

Besides providing an introduction to the theory and practice of storytelling, this unique masterclass is also an opportunity for ECRs to network with other passionate and charismatic researchers working in food security/climate-related research, and to gain a deeper understanding of the role our food system plays in addressing the climate emergency.

After the masterclass, five finalists will be selected to present their 3-to-5-minute stories live to the public in GFS’s competition final – being held at UKRI’s virtual COP26 programme on 28th October 2021. The public will have the opportunity to ask the finalists questions about their stories and research, before voting for their favourite story.

PhD students and early career post-docs currently funded by any UKRI council (AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, Innovate UK, MRC, NERC, Research England and STFC) are invited to apply, as long as they can link their research (directly or indirectly) to the climate crisis and the food security challenge (other eligibility criteria below).

The overarching aim of the ‘Speak Up for Food Security’ competition is to equip the next generation of UKRI researchers with the narrative theory and tools to support the transformation of our food systems for people and the planet.

The assessment criteria are:

• language
• big picture thinking
• creativity
• storytelling
• presentation

Applications involve providing a short description in accessible language of how your research could help combat climate change and what a world where your research aims have come to fruition would look like.

Deadline for applications is Sunday 5 September.

Full details and application