GUIDELINES FOR STORY SUBMISSION

Vigyan Prasar welcomes contributions from Indian citizens actively pursuing a PhD or Post-Doctoral fellowship in any field of Science and Technology (S&T) to apply for the AWSAR competition.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. The entries are open for the scholars pursuing PhD & PDF in any S&T stream from a recognized Indian University/ R&D Institute.
2. The applicant must be an Indian citizen.
3. Applicants can submit only one research story.
4. Applicants from previous years are encouraged to re-apply on fulfilling all other eligibility criteria.
5. AWSAR Winners are not eligible to submit a story in the same category.
6. AWSAR Winner in PhD category may apply a second time under the PDF category on fulfilling all other eligibility criteria.
7. Entries are also open for scholars who defended their PhDs after December 31, 2022.

KEY GUIDELINES

1. The scholar is enrolled in a PhD/PDF in a government-approved Indian institution.
2. The scholar must have completed at least two years of residency under PhD category.
   The scholars who defended their PhDs after December 31, 2022, are also eligible.
3. Both full-time and part-time PhD/PDF scholars are eligible for competition.
4. The research story should indicate complete research in simple language (Hindi/English) to be understood by the general public. Scholars should avoid the inclusion of complex figures, graphs, equations or formulae in the story. Self-explanatory infographics/cartoons for effective communication to the general public are welcome.
5. Any plagiarism will disqualify the candidature and also barred from future participation.
6. Original stories submitted solely for AWSAR will be considered. Published or accepted stories for publication elsewhere are not acceptable.
7. The submitted file must be completely anonymous to assure an effective double-blind review procedure. The article should not have references to the author's names, affiliation or personal information. Entries with such disclosures will not be evaluated.
8. All stories should be submitted through an online portal.
9. There is no participation fee for the AWSAR competition.
10. Format of Article: MS Word, Paper: A4 size
    Word limit:1000-1500 words
    Page Layout: 2.5 cm margins on all sides, single column and justified.
    Font Size:12-point font size, Line spacing: 1.5
    Font:Times New Roman (English) and Unicode (Hindi).

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. A story will be judged based on originality, accuracy, clarity, insightfulness, fairness, and resourcefulness.
2. The stories should be written in a popular format that interests the non-scientific and general audience without technical jargon.
3. The research story must be on the research undertaken by the scholar.
4. Stories received after the deadline will not be accepted.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. At least two experts will evaluate each story.
2. A panel of eminent scientists and science communicators constituted by DST will evaluate the stories.

CATEGORIES & FELICITATION

1. Every year the AWSAR ceremony is organized on February 28, the National Science Day.
2. Winners are eligible to participate in the Science-Film making Workshop organized by Vigyan Prasar.