Calling all would-be Ken Burns and Michael Moores on campus:
The Task Force on American Innovation (TFAI) is challenging students to create three-minute videos that celebrate American innovation.
The basic instructions from TFAI are: “The video should illustrate how scientific discoveries resulting from federally funded research in the physical sciences have changed our lives. The video can focus on past transformational research or showcase what the future might bring. Let your creativity flow—feel free to use music, humor, or other formats to help celebrate American innovation, now and for the future.”
The grand prize winner of the competition will receive a $1,000 and an all-expenses-paid round trip for two to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4 to attend a 50th anniversary commemoration of the launching of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviet Union. Sputnik’s launch jolted the United States out of its post-World War II complacency and stimulated decades of increased support of scientific and technological research which has transformed society and affected our lives in many ways, both profound and trivial. The four runners-up will get $300 scholarships.
The deadline for entries is Sept. 18.
For the rules and more information go to the competition’s YouTube site.