About Flash Points

We know there is a lot of fascinating fire safety research being done in universities across the UK, but this research is rarely shared effectively with other institutions or with the wider industry. When it is shared, it is often complex, difficult to digest, and only available in dry academic papers. For this reason, we invite you to take part in FLASH POINTS: a science communication competition for students studying fire across the UK.

Students participating in the competition will present their research to the general public in short and engaging videos. With this competition we want to promote the diversity and talent of students and researchers in the fire safety community, and reward excellence. We also believe this initiative will help to connect the fire safety community, and help strengthen the network between students, academics, and industry.

The 2020 edition of the competition was sponsored by Stephen Mackenzie.

Competition Rules - 2021 Edition

The competition is open to all students (undergraduate or postgraduate) over the age of 18 studying at a UK based university, or those who have graduated from a UK university within the last 12 months. Students may enter individually or as a team (see full terms and conditions below).

Students should submit a 3-minute original video to summarising a piece of research in the field of fire science or fire engineering. This could include presenting the student’s own experiments or computer models, or an original review of research from other groups. The video should summarise the context, methodology, and results of the research, why it matters, and what impact it will have on society. The talk should be aimed at the general public, not experts or research peers.

The video should be uploaded to YouTube following these simple steps:
1. Sign in to YouTube.
2. At the top right, select Create a video or post
3. Select the file you’d like to upload.
4. Send a link to the video at sfpelondonstudentchapter@gmail.com with the subject “Flash Points 2021 Video Submission”. The email should also include the names of the participants, the UK university they are based at, and the title and topic of the video.

The talks will be evaluated by our panel of judges with the following criteria:
1. Structure and content of presentation (40 %)
2. Creativity - Effective use of the medium (30 %)
3. Presentation style (30 %)

Full terms and conditions can be found here.

If you have any questions, please email sfpelondonstudentchapter@gmail.com

Key Dates

Tuesday, 30th November 2021 - Deadline for submission of video

Winner will be announced shortly after submission deadline

Prizes

• The winner of the competition will receive a £350 cash prize. 
• A certificate will be emailed to all participants.

Panel of Judges

Judith Schulz, Associate Director at Arup London
Karl Wallasch, President of the SFPE UK chapter & Founder of Trigon Fire
John Adam Gales, Assistant Prof. Civil and Fire Engineering York University Canada
Stephen Mackenzie, Independent fire, security & resilience expert
Cathelijne Stoof, Assistant Professor at Wageningen University, Netherlands