Frequently Asked Questions

I have entered the Eureka Prizes in the past. Can I enter again?

A project or activity that has been awarded an Australian Museum Eureka Prize in the past cannot be entered again. Non-winning finalist activity is eligible for re-entry, so long as it meets all other conditions of entry.

Can the same work be entered for different prizes?

No. The same activity can only be entered or nominated for one prize in the same year.

Can I nominate myself for a Eureka Prize?

Yes. Entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated by others.

Do entrants need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident?

Please refer to the Terms & Conditions for each individual prize.

Do judges consider career interruptions when assessing entries?

Consideration may be taken for career interruption for entries into the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher and the Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science. For full details, please refer to the Terms & Conditions for each individual prize.

The conditions of entry state that activity entered must have been undertaken in Australia or its territories. Which states and territories are captured in this definition?

For the purposes of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, ‘Australia or its territories’ refers to the following states and territories: States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania; Northern Territory; Australian Capital Territory; Australian Antarctic Territory; Coral Sea Islands Territory; Jervis Bay Territory; Territory of Christmas Island; Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Territory of Norfolk Island; Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands; and Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

Are there any formatting guidelines?

All documents must be prepared with 2 cm margins (minimum) in a legible size 11 font.

Who can be an assessor?
Ideally an assessor would be a colleague, industry expert, peer or mentor who is familiar with your work (but not directly involved in it), who can provide judges with additional perspective and informed opinion on your entry. Please refer to each prize page for additional requirements.

Assessor reports are not required for entries into the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism and Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize.

Can a nominator also be an assessor?
Yes. If you are nominated for a Eureka Prize, the person nominating you can also provide an assessor report.

I’m entering a prize in the Research and Innovation category, which requires a copy of one or more published articles. Will you accept links to external sites instead?

No. Judges read all articles to help them assess the activity entered against the assessment criteria, therefore it’s important that they can access the full article, along with all other entry materials, at any stage throughout the judging process.

Is there an entry fee?

No. The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are free to enter.

I’ve entered work into the Eureka Prizes before, but my login details no longer work

In 2020, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes launched a new online entry system and accounts using our old system could not be transferred. If you would like to submit an entry or nomination, you will need to set up a new account. It will take less than two minutes to register!

Several Australian award and grant programs run using the same software, so you may find that you already have an account set up.

I’ve submitted my online entry form and would like to make some changes; how can I do this?

You can log in to the online entry system and make changes directly into your form from Monday 13 February, when the online entry system opens, until entries close at 7pm AEST Friday 14 April. The system will automatically update your entry and you will not be able to recover earlier versions.

I’ve submitted my online entry form; how do I know if my entry or nomination has been received?

You will receive a confirmation email from the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes as soon as you submit your online entry form. If you have not received this email, check your junk folder. If you still can't locate your confirmation email, please call us on 02 9320 6230 and a member of our team will assist.

I'm having trouble filling out the entry form. Who can assist?

Please contact the Eureka Prizes team on 02 9320 6230 or via eureka@australian.museum. It’s important that you do this well before entries close as we cannot edit entries on your behalf after the submission deadline or grant extensions to the deadline.

I’ve submitted my online entry form and would like to make some changes, but entries have closed. How can I do this?

Submissions cannot be edited after entries close on at 7pm AEST on Friday 14 April and the Australian Museum will not enter any correspondence relating to this matter. If you would like to withdraw your submission (after entries close), please contact the Australian Museum via eureka@australian.museum.

I missed the submission deadline. Can I have an extension?

Under no circumstances will the submission deadline be extended, and the Australian Museum will not enter any correspondence relating to this matter.

When do entries open and close?

Entries to the 2023 program open on Friday 13 February and close at 7pm AEST Friday 14 April.

When will finalists be notified?

Finalists will be contacted by Friday 16 June. In the case of team entries, the first person listed on the entry form will be contacted and asked to advise additional team members.

All other entrants who have submitted work into the Research & Innovation, Leadership and Science Engagement categories will be contacted via email within 3 months of the entry deadline. In the case of team entries, the first person listed on the entry form will be contacted and asked to advise additional team members.

It is important that you provide accurate and complete contact information in your online entry form.

When will finalists be announced?

Finalists will be announced on Wednesday 19 July on the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes website and Twitter account.

When will winners be announced?

Winners will be announced live at the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Award Ceremony on Wednesday 23 August, and via the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes website and Twitter account.

Your terms and conditions state that finalists are required to provide a short film that relates to their entry. Is this a firm requirement?

Yes. This content helps us promote you and your selection across Australian Museum platforms and will be used by our publicist to assist with pitching. If there is interest in your work by a media outlet, it will also be made available to them.

We appreciate that preparing a quality short film might take time, especially if you are a small organisation. While it should be professional with good audio quality, you are not expected to spend a large sum of money on production.

If you are selected as a finalist, you will be given some guidelines and general advice; you can also refer to the Eureka Prizes website to get a sense of what finalists have submitted in the past.

Can my organisation and I used the film I submitted in my capacity as a finalist across our social media accounts and websites?

Yes. We encourage you and your organisation to use this content across any relevant digital channels, to promote your selection.

Is there an entry fee?

No. The Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize is free to enter.

Are home-educated students eligible to enter?
Yes. Students that are home-schooled in accordance with the relevant state or territory legislation are eligible to enter.

I am in year seven, but still at primary school. Should I enter the primary or secondary category?

As you are in primary school in the state where you are enrolled, you should enter the primary school category.

Can an entry be made up of students from more than one school?
Yes. Students entering do not need to be from the same school, however, all team members must meet eligibility requirements for the category in which they are entering (i.e., Primary School or Secondary School).

How do I submit my short film?
Each individual student or team will need to complete one online entry form and upload their short film as part of this process. Hard copy submissions, including films, will not be accepted. The online entry system will open on Monday 14 November 2022.

What if my short film is over two minutes?
Edit, edit, edit! Judges will not consider entries that exceed two minutes, so it’s important that you stick to the time limit.

I'm having trouble filling out the entry form. Who can assist?

Please contact the Eureka Prizes team on 02 9320 6230 or via eureka@australian.museum. It’s important that you get in touch well before the entry deadline as we cannot edit entries after the submission deadline or grant extensions to the deadline.

There never used to be a theme, why have you introduced one?

Each year we receive many short films, which in the past have explored a wide range of topics. The introduction of a broad theme will help judges more fairly and effectively assess against the criteria.

The annual theme is always selected for its wide scope of interpretation. Students can link the theme to other areas of interest, allowing them to stay true to both the theme and their curiosity.

I’ve entered the Eureka Prizes before, but my login details no longer work

In 2020 the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes launched a new online entry system and accounts using our old system could not be transferred. If you would like to submit an entry or nomination, you will need to set up a new account. It will take less than two minutes to register!

I’ve submitted my online entry form and short film; how do I know if they have been received?

You will receive a confirmation email from the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes as soon as you submit your online entry form. If you do not receive this email, check your junk folder. If you still can't locate your confirmation email, please contact the Eureka Prizes team on 02 9320 6230 or via eureka@australian.museum.

I’ve submitted my online entry form and short film but would like to make some changes; how can I do this?

You can log in to the online entry system and make changes directly into your form from once the online entry system opens, and until the entry deadline. The system will automatically update your entry and you will not be able to recover earlier versions.

You will not be able to make any changes to your entry or nomination after entries close.

I missed the submission deadline. Can I have an extension?

Under no circumstance will the submission deadline be extended, and the Australian Museum will not enter any correspondence relating to this matter.

When will finalists be notified?

Finalists and highly commended entrants will be contacted by Friday 7 July, 2023.

Please ensure that you provide accurate and complete contact information in your online entry form. Unless a student is aged 18 years or over, it’s important that they provide the contact details of their parent or guardian — we cannot communicate directly with students aged under 18 years.

Can I get feedback on my entry?

Due to the large volume of entries received, at this stage judges are not able to provide individual feedback. We recognise the significant amount of work that goes into preparing a Sleek Geeks entry and acknowledge this by ensuring that all entrants are sent an electronic participation certificate.

I haven’t received my certificate. Can you send me a copy?

Certificates for individual and team entries will be emailed to the person listed in the ‘Teacher’ tab. If you’ve contacted this person directly and they have not received certificates for distribution, please contact the Eureka Prizes team on eureka@australian.museum.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Contact the Eureka Prizes team via eureka@australian.museum and we'll provide tailored feedback.