Hydrograf(x) Visualization Competition

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Eligibility
[PDF version of the Rules]

The goal of this competition, sponsored in part by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI), is to foster greater understanding and appreciation of hydrologic science. This competition also provides graduate students with an opportunity to present the results of their research endeavors in a non-traditional format as well as to audiences that they would not regularly reach.

This competition is open to full-time graduate students registered in a degree-granting program as of 1 May 2008. The deadline date for submissions is 2 September 2008. All individuals will be required to submit an entry form and a statement of verification signed by their graduate advisor/mentor/ studies supervisor or equivalent affirming the individual graduate student's eligibility.

An entry may be a collaboration among several graduate students, but each member of the team must meet the eligibility requirement. [Download the Entry Forms]

Evaluation

Entries will be evaluated in one of two categories:

  • Technical/Professional Audience: in general this can be considered to be material that is used to supplement a presentation or poster at professional society meeting (such as Geological Society of America and American Geophysical Union), a departmental seminar or presentation to a professional client.
  • General Audience: this material could be used for K-12 education, to supplement presentations to a citizen science group or, for example, the Boy/Girl Scouts. Generally this material should be readily understood by anyone who does not have college level-or higher-training in hydrology or related science.

Entries may only be submitted for evaluation in only one of the two categories although an entrant, acting as an individual or as part of a team, may submit a different entry in each category.

Evaluation Criteria

Entries will be evaluated with respect to the following criteria:

  • Appropriateness for intended audience - The entry presents the scientific concepts and information in a manner that is appropriate for the general knowledge level of the intended audience.
  • Intellectual merit - The entry summarizes and logically presents scientifically accurate knowledge and enables the audience to achieve new insight to hydrologic science.
  • Aesthetic impact - The entry is presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner; i.e., demonstrates artistic talent and use of the seven artistic fundamentals in design (color, value, line, texture, shape, form and space) plus a practical command of the principles of design.
  • Effective communication - The entry presents the concepts and information effectively and clearly to the target audience with all parts integrated to produce a concise and coherent body of information. The entry demonstrates knowledge and application of the technologies used in creating the entry.
  • Originality - The visualization is unique, with emphasis on new methods and insights to illustrate the research and/or to tell the story. It has an individual voice, vitality and energy. The entry demonstrates original ideas or combines several simple ideas in an original organization to present research in a unique and compelling manner.

Evaluation Process
  • Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges selected by CUAHSI.
  • The judges will review each entry with regard to the evaluation criteria and the submission category.
  • Each judge will assign a numerical score for each review criterion and scores will be added to determine an entry's final score.
  • The evaluation of the panel will be summarized and sent to each entrant.
  • The decisions of the judges are final.

Notification

Winners will be notified individually in November 2008, prior to the public announcement of the official contest results at the Fall AGU Meeting in December 2008. Contest results will be publicly announced at the CUAHSI reception and by a joint press release. CUAHSI will also publish the names of the winners on its Web site.

Prizes

A first prize, consisting of a fully paid trip to the Fall 2008 Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, will be awarded in each category. The trip includes round-trip airfare to San Francisco, hotel accommodation, meeting registration fees, and a per diem allowance for meals. This award is subject to all standard CUAHSI travel regulations or travel regulations of other sponsoring entities. Winners are expected to be present for the CUAHSI Membership reception at the Fall Meeting, where the videos will be presented.

Honorable mentions will be included as invited presentations at a special session of the AGU Fall Meeting and will be posted to the CUAHSI Web page.

Additional prizes may be announced before the entry submission due date of 2 September 2008.

Entry Specifications

  • An individual may only submit one entry in each category, whether as an individual or as a member of a team.
  • The running time for an entry cannot exceed 5 minutes.
  • Entries must be packaged so as to be viewed directly from the medium to which they are saved, without special provisions, controllers, scripts, installations, or downloads. Digital formats such as QuickTime, Flash, AVI, or MPEG are acceptable. No proprietary programs can be used.

Submission of entry materials

The entry package should include:

  • A CD-ROM or DVD containing only the entry file; the name, address and title of the entry should be legibly written on the disk.
  • A completed entry form.
  • Eligibility verification form(s) from faculty advisor for each member of the project team.

Entry packages should be sent to:

Hydrograf(x) 2008
c/o CUAHSI
2000 Florida Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009

Only entries postmarked (or equivalent) no later than 2 September 2008 and received by CUAHSI no later than 8 September 2008 will be considered for evaluation.

Competition Rules

  1. Submission of an entry constitutes an agreement by the entrant(s) to adhere to the rules and requirements set forth by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) and other competition sponsors
  2. Any entrant(s) or entry found to be in violation of any rule or requirement will be disqualified.
  3. Entries will not be returned.
  4. Each entrant certifies, through submission to the contest, that the entry is his or her own original creative work and does not violate or infringe the creative work of others, as protected under copyright law.
  5. By entering the contest, the entrant agrees to hold harmless CUAHSI and other sponsors for all legal and administrative claims, to include associated expenses that may arise from any claims related to his or her submission or its use.
  6. Entrants retain all copyright and equivalent rights but grant CUAHSI nonexclusive rights to use their names, likenesses, quotes and submissions for educational publicity and/or promotional purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, Web site display, print materials, and exhibits.
  7. Winners may be asked for additional copies of their entry.
  8. Winners that are published by CUAHSI will be required to sign an agreement granting nonexclusive publication and Web rights.
  9. Winners are responsible for all taxes or other fees connected with the prize received and/or travel paid for by the sponsoring organizations.
  10. CUAHSI will not respond to any claims or inquiries regarding the contest results.
  11. Employees, contractors, officers or judges of the sponsoring organizations are not eligible to enter the competition.
  12. CUAHSI is not responsible for lost entries due to delivery failure.
  13. Should CUAHSI decide to bring winning contestants to Washington, D.C. or other location for promotional and other purposes, expenses paid by CUAHSI for travel will be within the limits set forth in law according to the federal travel regulations and any other restrictions required for National Science Foundation (NSF) grant recipients.
  14. All contestants agree that they, their heirs and estates shall hold harmless CUAHSI and all employees of CUAHSI for any and all injuries and/or claims arising from participation in this contest, to include that which may occur while traveling to or participating in contest activities.
  15. CUASHI reserves the right to limit travel support to two (2) individuals from any group-submitted entry. Only persons listed on the original entry form may have their travel funded by CUAHSI. All other persons accompanying the winner/group representatives must arrange and fund their own travel and accommodations.
  16. CUAHSI has the final say on any point not outlined in the entry rules.