Information

How to join & Visa requirements.

Date: September

Who can join: Students between 13 and 18 years and their teachers

Registration will open in a few days

Participation Fee

499
  • 5 days accommodation
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Shuttle from and to the airport
  • Local travel, stands and excursion

Topics.

To keep the Olympiad interesting and not limit the students and teachers to one specific topic, INESPO chooses to define the project in broad terms. Therefore, the participants can work freely within the categories Energy, Environment end Engineering using the following five subjects: chemistry, physics, biology, geography, social/civics.

A project Olympiad means that students first elaborate their innovative ideas and solutions on paper which is then followed by the creation of a concept. This concept can take the form of a mockup, a working miniature design or a collage. In their research paper and a short video, participants must be able to explain and present their project both in theory and in practice. The written and spoken language for the international round is English. The organization does not provide translation for any documents and or visual material.

Environment Energy Engineering
Pollution Bio Energy Bio-engineering
Recycle and Reuse Renewable Energy Thermodynamics
Bioremediation Non-Renewable Energy Chemical engineering
Deforestation Clean Energy Technology Industrial Engineering
Ecosystem Management Energy Conservation Civil Engineering
Land Management Energy Efficiency Material Science

Regulations.

The following are the regulations to which participation must adhere.

  • Registration has to be done by a teacher, supervisor or by the board of the school.

  • Participants must be between 13 and 18 years old, and must be attending a secondary/high school.

  • INESPO will take place digitally. Projects do not have to come to the Netherlands to participate. The judging process will be done in three phases. A pre selection phase, a second phase and a third and final phase.

  • The judges consists of academics of various renowned Dutch universities and members of the private business sector.

  • Every project registration must include the following: Abstract, research paper, poster and video. If a registration does not include one or more of these items, they will not advance to the second phase.

  • The Abstract should not be longer than two pages and should include your project idea, results and conclusion. It should be clear and concise.

  • There is no limit to the number of pages for your research paper, however, your paper should clearly reflect the following items: Abstract, introduction, project idea/concept, research method, results and conclusion. The abstract should also be submitted as a separate document.

  • The video should not be longer than 10 minutes. In this video your team has to explain the project concept as well as possible including the research method, results and your conclusion. Make sure you speak clearly and comprehensible, so that your message is brought over accurately. You can upload your video using a YouTube account and setting the video to private. The link should then be filled in upon registration of your project. For further presentation criteria click here.

  • The poster has to be a jpg or pdf file, and has to contain the above mentioned criteria. For further poster criteria click here.

  • INESPO results will be published on our website by June 1. The 10 gold medal winners will be invited to the Netherlands in September to take part in the INESPO program which will consist of different cultural and educational excursions. All other medal winning projects will receive a certificate corresponding to their achievement.

  • This year there will be a € 15 Euros registration fee due at the time of registration. For the wining projects who are invited to come to the Netherlands there will be a participation fee of € 499 Euros per person. This fee will cover accommodations, food, all excursions and local transportation. This will not cover your flights/transfers to and from the Netherlands. Winning projects can bring extra supervisors or participants. The fee for extra participants and/or supervisors is € 699 Euros per person. All gold medal winning projects are expected to attend the INESPO program in the Netherlands in September.

  • Every phase of the project must be conducted in accordance with the rules of the International Scientific Regulations, for which the owners of the projects are solely responsible together with their teacher or supervisor.

Video presentation guidlines

What are the video requirements?

  • The presentation should not be longer than 10 minutes.

  • The presentation should have a clear structure with: Introduction (idea, problem, reasoning), Core (techniques, methods, analysis, results) & Conclusion (discussion of results, sustainability, application).

  • All group members need to speak English clearly and participate equally in the presentation.

  • Your video should be uploaded using a YouTube account (set the video as private). You can fill in the link to the video when registering the project.

Recommendations.

  • Have a clear focused presentation.

  • Less information is better. Don’t overwhelm your audience with data, stick to your overall point.

  • Decide about using media, you don’t have to use PowerPoint, video etc, but if it helps in showing your point, use it.

  • Graphs and pictures say more than words only. Take this into consideration (use your poster).

  • Give an overview of your presentation beforehand and try to visualize your progress.
  • Practice your presentation, but don’t try to learn by heart. You can use flashcards, this is especially important because of the time you get (max 10 minutes).

  • Talk slowly and loudly and take your pauses (it can be loud in the conference hall).

  • Take your time for the preparation of your presentation. Due to the digital nature of INESPO 2017, your video presentation is very important. You can have the best research, but if you cannot communicate it, this will be reflected in the grading.

Poster guidelines

Clearly legible.

A group of onlookers views the poster on a computer screen, so take the following into consideration:

  • General guidelines for making the poster: all poster elements have to be clearly visible at 5 meters distance from your computer screen.

  • Font size: should be at least 20 point. Your title should be large enough to read from a distance.

  • Illustrations: must be visible at a distance.

  • Do not cram the poster. Avoid being exhaustive. Don’t think that all of your work is important and has to be on the poster.

Well-structured.

This means that the connection between the elements on the poster has to be clear, and that the most important information is prominently placed. Use:

  • Color.

  • Communication lines (arrows work well).

  • Numbered headlines (the numbers suggest a fixed reading sequence).

  • Numbered figures and tables, that are referred to in the text.

  • Talk slowly and loudly and take your pauses (it can be loud in the conference hall).

Comprehensible on its own.

This often goes wrong with figures and tables, when an author’s explanation is needed to comprehend them. Prevent this by:

  • Giving them a title that expresses the message.

  • Providing them with a legend.

Stand out by way of an attractive layout.

This often goes wrong with figures and tables, when an author’s explanation is needed to comprehend them. Prevent this by:

  • Use short text blocks: between 10 and 20 lines.

  • Use pictures.

  • Use several colors.

  • The title should catch the interest of the observer.