What’s new in Judging for iGEM 2022
“Evaluation is creation: hear it, you creators! Evaluating is itself the most valuable treasure of all that we value. It is only through evaluation that value exists: and without evaluation the nut of existence would be hollow.”
The iGEM Competition, as the name implies, is a competition. Presenting your work to a panel of judges at the end of the season is an integral part of the iGEM experience. Teams work hard to envision and develop synthetic biology innovations that solve local problems and tackle global challenges. And the people who volunteer as judges for the iGEM Competition work hard to give each team the thoughtful reflection they deserve in evaluating their projects and recommending medals and awards.
This year, judging for the iGEM Competition will take place live during the Grand Jamboree at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Here is what to expect for judging of the iGEM 2022 Competition:
New in iGEM 2022 for Teams
Team Booth
Each team attending the Grand Jamboree in Paris will have their own team booth – a physical space in the midst of the Jamboree where your team can gather and talk about your project with others. The team booth replaces the poster session of past Jamborees. Instead of a physical or virtual poster, your team will have a screen where you can feature your promotion video, or slides, or other visual media that you create.
Judging Sessions
All teams will have an opportunity to present their project to the judging panel. The Judging Sessions will take place physically at the Expo Centre in Paris, but the rooms will be set up to run the sessions through Zoom. This will allow in-person attendees to be present together in the room, while also supporting any remote team members and judges so they can participate fully in the Judging Session. Teams that are able to attend in person will present in person. Teams that are unable to travel will present remotely through Zoom where they will interact with their judging panel. You’ll also be able to blend the best of both worlds – if some team members are unable to travel, they can still fully participate in the Judging Session through Zoom.
Public Team Presentations
Separate from the Judging Session, teams attending the Jamboree in person will also have an opportunity to present their project on stage to a much broader audience.
Medal Criteria
The project promotion videos have been so amazing that are they now part of the criteria for a bronze medal. And the number of criteria for a gold medal have been reduced to 6. For a full description of the medal criteria for iGEM 2022, check out this video.
Awards and Special Prizes
All teams – whether participating in person or remotely – will be eligible for awards and special prizes that recognize teams demonstrating overall excellence, distinction in specific tracks, and unique contributions to iGEM and the world.
New in iGEM 2022 for Judges
For judging in iGEM 2022, we’re blending the best of both worlds. There will be a private room for judges attending the Jamboree in person review their notes, to interact with other judges, and to simply relax and unwind. For judges that are unable to travel, there will be an opportunity to join the Judging Sessions remotely so that you can fully participate in evaluating the teams.
We’re anticipating a large number of judges for iGEM 2022 recruited from all over the world. This means that each judge will be able to delve more deeply into each project and thoughtfully reflect on the performance of their assigned teams. This also means that no matter where you are physically located, you will be able to join a judging panel evaluating teams from all over the world.
Judge applications are open and we encourage you to apply now!
Apply to be an iGEM Judge!
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Apply ASAP.
Together, the iGEM community has overcome the challenges of the pandemic, and has thrived in creating a new iGEM dedicated to ensuring that synthetic biology is accessible to everyone everywhere. We are implementing all that we’ve learned over the past two years, and are exploring even more to create an iGEM Grand Jamboree experience that can be shared by teams, judges, and everyone else whether they attend in person or remotely. Some events at the iGEM Grand Jamboree, including the Awards Ceremony, will be livestreamed and/or recorded so that people from all over the world can witness and celebrate the accomplishments of the iGEM 2022 teams. We’re excited for you to join us!
