Budding filmmakers and amateur shutterbugs are encouraged to show Canadians why research matters as part of two competitions launched by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Science Exposed is a photo contest which challenges post-secondary students to showcase research through a vibrant image. They can enter on their own or as a group.

The goal of the contest is to help Canadians better understand — and see — scientific research in all fields of study.

Science Exposed has French and English competitions. Each contest has three jury prizes, valued at $2,000 each, plus people’s choice awards, valued at $2,000. Full contest details are online. The contest closes on Jan. 15, 2019.

You can view past winners online. Updates about this year’s contest will be available via Twitter.

Win it in a minute

The Science, Action! video contest offers post-secondary students a chance to win cash prizes for their 60-second video about NSERC-funded research.

Contestants are eligible to win one of 15 cash prizes worth up to $3,500. The final 15 most popular submissions, as decided by public voting, will be considered the finalists. From among the 15 finalists, six will be selected as final winners by a panel of judges. Three final winners will be selected in English and three will be selected in French.

There will also be one special prize worth $3,000 for a project focused on research in the North. Videos that feature research with a strong connection to Canada’s North will be automatically considered. The winning video will be selected by members of the judge’s panel.

You can watch previous winners on NSERC’s YouTube Channel. Updates will also be available via Twitter.

Full contest details are online. The contest closes on Jan. 18, 2019.