No-Bell Prize Competition
Let's communicate!
The Melbourne Medical School and Melbourne Dental School are collaborating again to run the No-Bell Prize competition for graduate research students. In 2024 the competition will be open to PhD and Masters by Research students across the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences. Applicants will be provided with tailored coaching to develop and build on skills in creating engaging research pitches and communicating their research story in an engaging and compelling way for a variety of purposes.
Shortlisted applicants will be provided with tailored coaching to develop and refine their skills in communicating their research in an engaging and compelling way for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Pitch your research to our panel to be in the running for some great prizes!
Refer to the No-Bell Prize Guidelines for more information.
Applications are now closed.
Watch the video highlights from the 2023 No-Bell Prize event to give you a taste of what to expect with the format of this entertaining and educational communication initiative.
We can't wait to talk research with you!
Your Organising Committee: Associate Professor Cathy Quinlan & Glovuse Calleja (Melbourne Medical School), Dr Rita Hardiman & Dr Mihiri Silva (Melbourne Dental School), Dr Emma Boehm, Loretta Gasparini, Alice Chen, Hannah Morgan and Scotia Mullin.
MMS and MDS acknowledge the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS) for supporting these events via a 2024 Graduate Research Development Grant.
2024 No-Bell Prize Key Dates
- Wednesday 24 April 2024
-
Applications open
- Monday 20 May 2024
-
Applications close
- June 2024
-
Science Communication Workshop
Date: Wednesday 19 June
Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Speakers: Assoc Prof Catherine Quinlan and Dr Mihiri Silva
Mode: face to faceStorytelling Workshop
Date: Friday 28 June
Time: 10am - 11am
Speaker: Dr Andrew Tagg
Mode: face to faceApplicants who progress to the competition heats will be sent an invitation to the workshops.
- July 2024
-
Competition heats running throughout July.
Heat 1 - Wednesday July 3
Heat 2 - Monday July 8
Heat 3 - Friday July 19
Heat 4 - Wednesday July 24
Heat 5 - Thursday July 25 - Wednesday 21 August 2024
-
2.00 - 4.30 pm
No-Bell Prize Competition Final
No-Bell Prize Presentations
Graduate researchers who apply to compete will participate in initial rounds of the competition (heats). Up to ten researchers will be selected to present in each heat with the top presenters of each heat moving on to the No-Bell Prize Final. In each round including the final, researchers will present for one minute, followed by one minute of questions from the audience and three minutes of questions from the host, to make up a total of five minutes.
During the five minute presentation, our panel will make a note each time they hear jargon such as language which is too technical or acronyms that are not widely understood. An official will keep the time and count the number of notes per speaker.
The researcher with the least notes during their presentation will be the winner of each round.
How to apply
Applicants will need to submit a short video (up to 90 seconds) talking about their research via the application form. To access the application form, students will need to be logged in with their UoM email address.
Refer to the No-Bell Prize guidelines for more information.
For any additional information, please contact the organising committee.
We acknowledge the Monash University's Central Clinical School 'No-Bell Prize' website and Melbourne Neuroscience Institute (University of Melbourne) 2013 Festival of Ideas event as the basis of this event.
MDHS No-Bell Prize Final Event
Members of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences are invited to attend the MDHS No-Bell Prize Competition Final event.
Hosted by Professor Christobel Saunders (Research Director) and Associate Professor Catherine Quinlan (Graduate Research Academic Lead) from the Melbourne Medical School, this interactive event is a must see for anyone interested in science communication and the breadth of research being undertaken across the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
The No-Bell Prize Competition is a fantastic opportunity for graduate researchers to communicate their research in a fun and interactive way, free from jargon. Each finalist will have one minute to introduce and explain their research, followed by four minutes of questions from the audience and host, to comprise a total of five minutes.
Those competing in the final have progressed through the heats and will compete for cash prizes including $1,000 for the No-Bell Prize winner and $500 each for the two runners-up. The audience will also have the chance to vote for the People's Choice Award.
Our distinguished guest, Nobel Prize winner Associate Professor Tilman Ruff AO, will briefly speak at the event and present the prizes to the winners. Light refreshments will also be provided.
Final Competition Event details
Date: Wednesday 21 August 2024
Time: 2:00 - 4:30 PM
Venue: Ian Potter Auditorium, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne
Frequently Asked Questions
On this page you will find the answers to all you questions about the No-Bell Prize competition.
Attending the Workshops
-
Any graduate researchers currently enrolled in the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences.
-
-
Competition heats will be held in July and the details are yet to be determined. Please tell us when you are available in July via the application form and we will try to accommodate you.
No-Bell Prize event
-
Yes
-
Applications will open in April. We will share some guidelines before applications open.
-
Jargon is language which would not be understood by people from outside your research field. This might include acronyms, technical terms and medical terms which are not explained in an accessible way. For example, referring to the MMS EMCA rather than the Melbourne Medical School's Early and Mid Career Academics Advisory Committee.
-
Our panel will evaluate the overall presentations, including the question-and-answer component, and will note each instance of jargon used. A timekeeper will track the first component of the 5-minute presentation, where the presenter has one minute to introduce their research. Presenters will be penalized if they exceed the 60-second mark for their introduction. The No-Bell Prize will be awarded to the presenter who explains their research and responds to questions from the audience and host in an engaging manner without using jargon.
The audience will vote for the People's Choice Award.
Additional Information
Event Contact:
For any additional information, contact the Organising Committee
Congratulations to our 2023 No-Bell Prize award recipients
The Melbourne Medical School and Melbourne Dental School are pleased to announce the winners of the No-Bell Prize competition held on Tuesday 11 July.
(L-R) Alice Ruiye Chen, Laureate Professor Peter Doherty, Emma Boehm and Scotia Mullin
Congratulations to Emma Boehm (Department of Clinical Pathology) for winning the 2023 No-Bell Prize competition, followed by our two exceptional runners-up, Alicia Ruiye Chen (Department of Surgery – Ophthalmology) and Scotia Mullin (Melbourne Dental School). Scotia was also awarded the People’s Choice Award, which was voted by the audience at the event.
Hosted by Professor Alastair Sloan (Head, Melbourne Dental School) and Associate Professor Catherine Quinlan (Academic Lead – Graduate Research, Melbourne Medical School), the event featured nine graduate researchers demonstrating proficiency in communicating their research in clear and accessible language as they pitched their research to our panel of judges.
Laureate Professor Peter Doherty (Nobel Prize winner) awarded the prizes and shared an inspiring message about the importance of good communication.
The audience heard some amazing presentations, and we extend our congratulations to all of our participants for the strength of their research pitches.
Back row L-R Ciara Murphy (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), Alice Ruiye Chen (Surgery – Ophthalmology), Scotia Mullin (Melbourne Dental School), Laureate Professor Peter Doherty, Emma Boehm (Clinical Pathology), Yali Deng (Surgery), Prof Alastair Sloan (Melbourne Dental School), Front row L-R Erin Crellin (Paediatrics), Matthew Coleman (Paediatrics), Victor Duong (Medicine – Northern Health), Ella Swaney (Paediatrics)
View Emma Boehm's presentation:
View Alice Ruiye Chen's presentation
Scotia Mullin's presentation has a trigger warning. The following research project is sensitive in nature and may cause some discomfort. During this presentation the research may address violence, homicide, suicide, intimate partner violence and sexual assault. If you wish to view Scotia's presentation, access the presentation.
More information about our award winners:
Hear Emma's Presentation | Dr Emma Boehm Department of Clinical Pathology, Rare Disease Oncogenomics Laboratory, University of Melbourne, and Endocrinologist and Nuclear Medicine Fellow, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Dr Emma Boehm is an endocrinologist and a nuclear medicine fellow at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She is undertaking a PhD in the Rare Disease Oncogenomics Laboratory at the University of Melbourne, led by A/Prof Richard Tothill. Emma is supported by a Melbourne Academic Centre for Health (MACH track) scholarship. Emma’s PhD is focussed on circulating tumour DNA as a biomarker of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Emma is passionate about the overlap between endocrinology, nuclear medicine and oncology, and improving access for patients with NET to precision diagnostics, therapies and research. |
| Alice Ruiya Chen Alice Ruiye Chen is a PhD candidate in the Department of Ophthalmic Epidemiology at the Centre for Eye Research Australia. With a background in clinical medicine, she obtained her medicine degree in 2020. After nearly two years of residency, she decided to pursue a PhD with a specific focus on healthy ageing in 2022. Her PhD project explores the concept of retinal age, which involves using deep learning techniques to develop a novel biomarker of ageing and translating it for use in primary care settings. So far, she has published 4 manuscripts and has had the opportunity to present her research at two international conferences. |
| Scotia Mullin Melbourne Dental School Scotia Mullin is a PhD Candidate in biological/forensic anthropology and public health at Melbourne Dental School. Scotia has a keen interest in intersectional and sensitive medical interventions, LGBTQ+ health, forensic anthropology, repatriation, and disaster victim identification. In his spare time Scotia is an avid reader of fantasy novels, hiking, and hanging out with his friends and his dogs. |
Congratulations to the 2024 No-Bell Prize winners!
The Melbourne Medical School and Melbourne Dental School are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 No-Bell Prize competition.
Congratulations to Georgina Whish-Wilson (Melbourne School of Health Sciences) on her exceptional presentation and for securing the 2024 No-Bell Prize!
Congratulations also to the two runners-up, Tony Huang (Melbourne Medical School) and Claire Laurie (Melbourne School of Health Sciences), who communicated their research in a clear, accessible and inspiring way.
Nadia Kaunein (Melbourne Dental School) was the People’s Choice Award winner, reflecting her ability to communicate and engage with the audience.
Hosted by Professor Christobel Saunders, (Research Director Melbourne Medical School) and Associate Professor Catherine Quinlan (Academic Lead – Graduate Research, Melbourne Medical School), the event featured ten graduate researchers demonstrating proficiency in communicating their research in clear and accessible language to the audience and a panel of judges.
Associate Professor Tilman Ruff (Nobel Prize winner) awarded the prizes and shared an inspiring message about the importance of good communication.
The audience heard excellent research presentations. Congratulations to all the presenters for their strong presentations.
(L-R) Claire Laurie, Georgina Whish-Wilson, Nadia Kaunein, Tony Huang
(L-R) Ching Yi Wu, Ayobami Esther Olanrewaju, Megan Ball, Claire Laurie, Georgina Whish-Wilson, Jesse Tse, Nadia Kaunein, Arthur Thevathasan.
About our winners
 | Georgina Whish-Wilson Georgina is a senior physiotherapist and clinician-researcher. She is currently a final-year PhD candidate with the CanREX Supporting Recovery and Exercise research team. Her PhD research focuses on the role of exercise in improving patient outcomes among patients having thoracic surgery for lung cancer, with a particular focus on patient experiences and qualitative research methods. Georgina is passionate about science communication, consumer involvement in research, and improving the availability and implementation of exercise-based interventions for patients with cancer and respiratory diseases. |
| Tony Huang |
| Claire Laurie Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy Thesis Title: Physiotherapy to improve outcomes in children with musculoskeletal sarcoma Claire Laurie is a clinical physiotherapist working in oncology at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and a PhD student at The University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Claire’s research aims to describe the physical changes that children experience during treatment for this rare cancer, and explore the way physiotherapists can support children before and after surgery to remove their tumor. |
 | Dr. Nadia Kaunein Dr. Nadia Kaunein is a dentist, and lecturer at the Melbourne Dental School and the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. She is pursuing a PhD in the field of oral cancer with the Oral Medicine and Oral Cancer research group, led by Prof. Michael McCullough and Dr. Tami Yap. Nadia’s research focuses on the use of microRNAs to predict malignant transformation in premalignant mucosal conditions. She is passionate about developing a novel algorithm using microRNAs to predict oral cancer, which could potentially be used as a screening tool and have a population-level impact. Her areas of expertise include oral cancer research, and dental public health. |
Contact us
For any further assistance, please contact the Organising Committee:
Melbourne Medical School: mms-research@unimelb.edu.au
Melbourne Dental School: mds-researchsupport@unimelb.edu.au