Coming soon
ANMFC ICNASA Challenge 2026
Start with an everyday problem. Share your idea or project.
25 November 2026
International Conference on Nanomaterials and Atomaterials Science and Applications 2026
RMIT University, City campus, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
A finished product, specialist equipment and past competition experience are not required. Enter an original idea, a problem with a proposed solution, a project in progress or a finished product.
Organisers and conference attendance
Jointly organised by ANMFC and RMIT CAN Centre. Entry is free. Entrants and accompanying parents or guardians may attend the challenge event free of charge.
Key dates
5 October
Submissions open
2026 · Start submitting your project
24 October
Submission deadline
23:59 Melbourne time · AEDT
11 November
Presentation shortlist
Shortlisted presenters announced; final awards follow live judging
25 November
Conference presentations
Live presentations and judging select five award-winning projects
Submissions open on 5 October 2026 and close at 23:59 Melbourne time (AEDT, UTC+11) on 24 October. The system must receive the complete project before 00:00 on 25 October; starting an upload is not a completed submission.
Preliminary review takes place in early November. The preliminary presentation shortlist will be announced on 11 November 2026. Selected projects present and receive live judging on 25 November 2026, after which five award-winning projects will be chosen. The presentation shortlist is not the final award-winning list.
Prepare your submission
Required submission
Required: one A4 page
PDF · ≤10 MB
Upload one A4 page as a PDF (≤10 MB), covering the project title, problem, intended users, idea or solution, how it works, current progress and next steps. A team submits one shared description. Descriptions and supporting material may be in Chinese or English.
Download the English A4 Word templateRequired submission
Required: project demonstration video
MP4 / MOV · ≤100 MB · ≤60 s
Upload one MP4/MOV video (≤100 MB and ≤60 seconds). The entrant must appear in the video and demonstrate their own project; a team entry must show at least one team entrant demonstrating the team project.
Optional supporting material
Extras do not replace the required A4 page and project demonstration video. You can enter without them.
Slides
PPT / PPTX / PDF
≤20 MB
Photos
JPG / PNG
Up to 3 · ≤10 MB each
Optional material: PPT/PPTX/PDF slides (≤20 MB); up to 3 JPG/PNG photos (≤10 MB each), or an accessible link. Links must remain accessible through preliminary review. Extras do not replace the A4 page and project demonstration video; missing extras do not affect eligibility.
Entering and replacing a project
No Account is required. One contact email can submit one project. Before closing, another complete submission from that email replaces the entire project and keeps its generated reference. A team shares one contact email; using the same guardian email for a second child also replaces the earlier project.
Use each entrant’s age on 24 October 2026 and provide their school, or “Not applicable” for non-students. Every entrant under 18 needs guardian entry consent, a guardian contact email, and an emergency contact name and phone number.
Age and judging
There are no age divisions; all ages compete together. Reviewers consider age and project stage as context, focusing on each entrant’s own understanding, exploration and contribution.
Selected projects present and receive live judging on 25 November, after which five award-winning projects will be chosen. Five is the final award-winning count, not the number of projects shortlisted for presentation.
Originality and information use
Explain your own and your team members’ contributions. Disclose sources and help from parents, mentors and AI tools. Describe untested benefits as proposals; do not plagiarise or fabricate results.
Age, school and contact details are used for administration, review and notification. Emergency contact names and phone numbers are used only for event emergencies. These details are not published. Entry does not transfer project ownership. Promotional permission is a separate choice, made by the appropriate guardian for a minor. Declining publicity does not block entry.
Attend the event
Everyone who submits a project may attend on 25 November. Presentation slots are selected separately after preliminary review; attendance does not promise a presentation. Selected individuals or teams present at the conference and receive live scores from industry mentors. The live event language is English. Parent or guardian accompaniment is optional and is not required to enter or attend; guardian entry consent and an emergency contact are still required for every entrant under 18.
Declare demonstrations involving heat, electricity or chemicals to the organiser in advance and obtain approval.
Scoring criteria
| Criterion | Points | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Problem understanding | 25 | Clarity of the problem and users |
| Creativity | 25 | Original thinking and approach |
| Solution reasoning | 25 | Reasoning, feasibility and next tests |
| Communication | 15 | Clear description; explanation at the event |
| Learning and contribution | 10 | Understanding, exploration and own input |
| Total | 100 |
Contact the organiser
icnasa@rmit.edu.auReady to submit your project?
Please read the event information, material requirements and scoring criteria above before starting your submission.
Submit your project