Overview

This is your opportunity to help millions of citizen scientists contribute to real scientific discovery. Make their experiences better by coming up with solutions to some real annoyances that hinder their participation. We're looking for entries that creates a solution to one of the challenges below, is a new citizen science project you've developed, or presents a tool that may be used for current/future citizen science projects.

To get you started here are four very real challenges:
Create Inexpensive Hail PadsStop Critters from Eating SunflowersHelp Participants Submit Their DataProvide 1000 cheap, wireless climate data loggers
Select one or more to solve or come up with your own creative solution to more than 500 citizen science projects listed on SciStarter.com.

Stay informed of new citizen science projects on the Citizen Science group page.

Ready to start? Click here!


Multiple entries are accepted, but each entrant can only win one prize. Contest is open to entries from US, Canada [excluding Quebec], UK, China, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia,  Colombia, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, India, and Denmark<. Contest closes for entries at 11:59pm PT, January 21, 2013.

The winner(s) will be solely responsible for complying with any and all applicable statutes, laws (including, without limitation, common law, if applicable), rules and regulations and for bearing any personal income tax, VAT, withholding taxes, customs duties, or other taxes, fees, insurance, surcharges or other costs relating to receiving, claiming or collecting any prize.

Requirements

Submit
Submit a new Step By Step, Photo, or Video Instructable that involves any Citizen Science project. Instructables must be published from November 12, 2012 to January 21, 2013 (11:59pm PT). Enter
Upon publishing your Instructable you'll see checkboxes for open contests. Select the SciStarter Citizen Science Contest. It will also show up below. Accepting
Entries are accepted by Instructables staff within one business day (M-F). What matters is the submission time, not acceptance time.

Voting
Instructables members can vote for an entry during the contest plus 3 days after the contest closes. Judging
A panel of judges made up of Instructables staff and respected members of the community rate the finalists. The averages of the ratings determine the winners. Winners
When the winners are decided they will be announced here on the contest page. All entrants will be notified when this happens.

The SciStarter Citizen Science Contest is closed.

Grand Prize

16 Prizes

Grand Prize

One Grand Prize winner will receive:
  • a Celestron Telescope
  • a subscription to Discover
  • a SciStarter t-shirt
  • an Instructables Prize Pack
  • and get published in an issue of Discover Magazine

First Prize

Five First Prize winners will receive:

Runner Up

Ten Runner Up Prize winners will receive:
How It Works

Write an Instructable

Create a new Instructable that fits the guidelines outlined in the contest description above. To be eligible, Instructables must be published between Nov 12, 2012 and Jan 21, 2013 (11:59pm PT).

Enter

Upon publishing your Instructable you'll see checkboxes for open contests. Select SciStarter Citizen Science Contest. If you have entries currently eligible for entry, it will also show up by clicking "Enter this Contest" on the right side of this page.

Accepting

Entries are accepted by Instructables staff within one business day Monday - Friday. What matters is the submission time, not acceptance time.

Judging

A panel of judges made up of Instructables staff and respected members of the community rate the finalists. The averages of the ratings determine the winners.

Winners

When the winners are decided they will be notified and announced here on the contest page.