Since 2015, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge has helped teenagers bring big ideas in physics, life sciences, and maths to people around the world. Returning for another year, the global competition is once again asking students to convey a challenging concept or theory in an engaging video. Yuri Milner is the mind behind the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. To follow through on his Giving Pledge, the billionaire has funded several projects that promote and celebrate science. These projects include the Breakthrough Prize and the Breakthrough Initiatives. Yuri Milner also co-founded Tech For Refugees. The submission deadline for the 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge is June 25. Here’s everything young people need to know about the rules of the competition, how to enter, and the prizes on offer.
Rules For Entering the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
From Newton’s law of gravitation to Marie Curie’s discovery of new chemical elements, many brilliant individuals have shaped how we understand the world around us.
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge asks bright young minds to bring history’s greatest scientific concepts into the video age and turn a complex idea into an imaginative short video.
These are the rules they should follow.
Who Can Enter?
Anyone between the ages of 13 and 18 can enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Entrants must be:
- 13 or older by 12:01 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on April 1, 2023.
- No older than 18 as of 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on October 1, 2023.
The competition welcomes submissions in English from anyone of those ages, from anywhere in the world.
What Should the Video Be About?
For the subject of the video, entrants should choose a concept, theory, or principle in one of the following fields:
- Fundamental physics.
- Life sciences.
- Mathematics.
A creative video has the power to convey a complicated idea that would need pages of text to describe. Entrants should choose an idea that’s important to understand but difficult to explain. The video itself should get the idea across in an illuminating, imaginative way.
What Form Should the Video Take?
Whether a documentary, animation, or dramatic reconstruction, the video can take any form the entrant likes. However, the competition suggests applicants embrace the dynamic, visual nature of video.
Rather than just recording themselves talking to the camera, entrants should consider how they can add compelling visuals that engage and inform viewers. They might use simulations, physical demonstrations, diagrams, and other visual tools to enhance their explanations.
The more creative entrants’ videos are, the better, as the four judging criteria are:
- Engagement. Did the video grab the viewer’s interest? Did the viewer feel compelled to finish watching the video?
- Illumination. Did the applicant explain the subject clearly, enabling the viewer to understand the content? Did the video involve a thorough exploration of the subject?
- Creativity. Did the applicant approach the subject in a new or creative way?
- Difficulty. Did the applicant choose a subject that is challenging to understand? Is the subject usually taught at secondary school level or above?
The competition has a scoring system for these four criteria. Entrants can use the scoring system to help them create their videos.
How Long Should the Videos Be?
A new rule this year is that the maximum video length is two minutes (2:00 on the YouTube time counter). This means that 2023 entrants can produce videos that are 30 seconds longer than last year’s videos.
What Prizes Are Available?
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is all about taking part, having fun, and spreading scientific ideas. However, the competition also has some amazing prizes.
The winner of the Challenge will receive:
- A $250,000 scholarship for post-secondary education.
- A $50,000 prize for a teacher who inspired them.
- A $100,000 state-of-the-art Breakthrough Science Lab for their school.
Winners also enjoy a trip to the Breakthrough Prize ceremony to meet celebrities and some of the world’s greatest scientists. The annual event celebrates the winners of the Breakthrough Prize, the world’s largest scientific award. This year, the Breakthrough Prize ceremony took place in Hollywood. Stars like Chris Pine, Robert Downey Jr., and Gal Gadot presented awards to the Breakthrough Prize laureates.
Past Winners of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Past Breakthrough Junior Challenge winners have created incredible videos that illuminate complex subjects in lively, engaging ways. These are the subjects the Breakthrough Junior Challenge winners from the last three years have covered.
Noor Haideri: Light and Sleep Cycle
Noor Haideri, from the U.S., won the 2022 Breakthrough Junior Challenge for her video about the impact light has on our sleep cycle.
In her video, Haideri explains how the human eye detects different wavelengths of light and how blue light (produced by the screens on our electronic devices) can make it harder to fall asleep.
Amber Kwok: van der Waals Forces and the Casimir Effect
Amber Kwok, from Mauritius, won the 2021 Breakthrough Junior Challenge for her video explaining van der Waals forces and the Casimir effect. Kwok used animation and special effects to bring the subjects to life in her fast-paced, captivating video.
Maryam Tsegaye: Quantum Tunnelling
Maryam Tsegaye, from Canada, won the 2020 Breakthrough Junior Challenge for her video about quantum tunnelling.
In the video, Tsegaye explains how subatomic particles can “walk through walls” at the quantum level. She concludes that this could be the quantum world telling us that, “when faced with an obstacle, there’s a small chance we can defy expectations and breach barriers.”
How To Apply to the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
To apply to the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, entrants need to:
1. Sign up.
2. Fill out their profile.
3. Fill out their application.
4. Upload their video to YouTube using the hashtag #breakthroughjuniorchallenge.
5. Complete the Peer-to-Peer Review — the first stage of the judging process, which entrants get involved in.
The Judging Process
Step five of entering the Breakthrough Junior Challenge involves completing the Peer-to-Peer Review.
To be eligible to win the competition, entrants must view and score video submissions from at least five other contestants. Entrants might need to review and score additional videos, too.
Once the Peer-to-Peer Review is complete, the other three steps of the judging process are:
- The Evaluation Panel Review. Made up of global science leaders and prestigious scholars, the Evaluation Panel reviews the 75 top-scoring videos from the Peer-to-Peer Review. Each video will receive at least five extra reviews from Evaluation Panel members.
- The Popular Vote. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge then invites the public to take part in its judging process. Members of the public engage with their favourite videos on social media. The video that generates the most engagement during the Popular Vote bypasses the final phase of the judging process and goes to the final round.
- The Selection Committee Review. In the last step of the judging process, a Selection Committee reviews and scores the Evaluation Panel’s top group of finalists. The Selection Committee then picks up to five entries for final consideration. The Popular Vote winner joins this group for the final review and selection of the ultimate Challenge winner.
Submit Videos Before the Deadline Date
This year’s Breakthrough Junior Challenge submission deadline is fast approaching. Entrants have until Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time to submit their videos. Find out more about how to enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
About Yuri Milner
Yuri Milner grew up passionate about science and space exploration. After working as a theoretical physicist, he decided to pursue a business degree and a career in tech. He established DST Global, an investment company with a portfolio that has included many famous start-ups, from Twitter and Facebook to Snap and Spotify.
In 2012, Yuri Milner and his wife Julia signed the Giving Pledge. Their Giving Pledge specifies that they will use the majority of their wealth to support science and the communication of scientific ideas.
As part of their Giving Pledge, the Milners founded the Breakthrough Foundation. The Breakthrough Foundation organises and funds several enterprises, including the Breakthrough Initiatives and Tech For Refugees.
The Breakthrough Initiatives are pioneering astronomical and space engineering programmes. The programmes are searching for answers to the questions of life in the Universe, such as whether intelligent alien civilisations exist. Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking launched the Breakthrough Initiatives in 2015. In 2022, the Milners launched their latest philanthropic project, Tech For Refugees, in response to the global refugee crisis. The non-profit supports humanitarian efforts through technology. Tech For Refugees funds leading tech organisations like Spotify and Airbnb.org that are making a difference in the lives of refugees.
