The Australia and New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge is an annual competition for students in Year 10 (AUS) and Year 11 (NZ) to learn about the brain and its functions, learn about neuroscience research, find out about careers in neuroscience and to dispel misconceptions about neurological and mental illnesses.
The program was started in Australia in 2006 to address a number of deficiencies in the public's perception of science in general, and neuroscience in particular.
The Brain Bee Challenge provides current and accurate information on the latest advances in neuroscience research, its value to the community, and promote careers in science and technology.
This event is free, and is funded by the Australiasian Neuroscience Society. Winners of Round 1 progress to further rounds of the Brain Bee Challenge, culminating in the International Brain Bee World Championships.
The ABBC aims:
- to highlight what the brain does, how it functions and how important it is to everything we do and who we are as human beings. Simple knowledge of this nature provides self-esteem, dispels superstitions and misconceptions (for example topics such as where emotions reside), and explains the importance of enhancing your brain's potential through learning, exercise and avoidance of illicit drugs.
- to educate teachers and students on the latest scientific findings and to explain how important research and discovery is to our community, as well as to generally improve scientific literacy in our community.
- to provide opportunities for students from remote areas of Australia and New Zealand to participate in the competition and to challenge all students to consider a career in Science and Neuroscience in particular.
- to promote the study of neuroscience as a multidisciplinary endeavour (encompassing all basic scientific disciplines including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, psychology, medicine and bio- and nano-technologies). The future of all fields of science is that disciplines that once seemed to have no relevance to one another are now coming together and science education is lagging behind this advance. Neuroscience can help bridge these disciplines.
The Brain Bee Challenge Rounds - 2024 Information
There are 4 Rounds to the Australian and New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge;
Round 1 - Online Quiz
Students study through Education Perfect's Brain Bee lessons. Students will also have access to additional study support material through the US Society for Neuroscience's book, Brain Facts (2018 edition) which can be obtained here: https://www.brainfacts.org/the-brain-facts-book. For more information about resources please visit our resources page. Students are encouraged to use this book to supplement the learning content on the Education Perfect Platform but please note that the assessment material for the Round 2 will be based on the Round 1 and Round 2 learning content on the Education Perfect platform, not the book which is only provided to support that learning content.
Round 1 of the Brain Bee Challenge takes place during the month of March. It is a 40 minute assessment that is completed on Education Perfect and can be completed at any time between 1 March - 31 March 2024 (no extensions).
Teachers will need to allocate an hour of time for students to sit the online assessment through EP during school hours, under exam supervision, within these dates.
Teachers can enrol students for the competition through a dedicated link.
Registration for 2024 is now available through Education Perfect through the below registration link:
Please note that Round 1 will take place over the month of March so it is advisable to register as soon as possible so that students can get access to the Round 1 learning materials on the Education Perfect platform.
Round 2 - Regional Finals
Students who achieve a high score in Round 1 are invited to take part in Round 2 of the Brain Bee Challenge by their state/regional Brain Bee coordinator. This involves further study of additional material through the EP platform before students sit the Round 2 online assessment. Students may then be invited to attend a full day of activities at a university campus/research institution in their capital city that includes further exploration of neuroscience topics (subject to regional coordinator's discretion).
Round 3 - National Finals
Round 3 is the National Final where 8 Australian students (one from each state) and 2 New Zealand students (one from each island) compete against each other to become the Australian Brain Bee Challenge Champion, or the New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge Champion. This round is held online.
In the finals, students compete in 4 challenges, held over 2 days including an anatomy challenge, a written short answer challenge, a patient diagnosis challenge and a live question and answer challenge. Further details are provided to the finalists closer to the time.
Round 4 - International Finals
Round 4 is the International Brain Bee (IBB). To be eligible you must have won the National Final. The IBB is held at an international neuroscience/psychology conference and in the past has been held in places such as America and Italy. In 2012 the IBB was in South Africa and was won by the Australian representative, from Brisbane, Teresa Tang. In 2013, the IBB was held in Vienna, Austria and was won by Australian representative, from Brisbane, Jackson Huang. In 2018, the IBB was held in Berlin, Germany and in 2019, the IBB was held in South Korea.
Since 2020 the IBB has been held virtually and will be held virtually again in 2024. You can visit the IBB website here.
Brain Bee National Coordinators
- Jennifer Rodger - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Bruno van Swinderen - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Brain Bee State Coordinators
ACT |
John Bekkers |
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NSW |
Jennie Cederholm and Cherylea Brown |
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NT |
Bruno van Swinderen |
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QLD |
Bruno van Swinderen |
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SA |
Elysia Sokolenko and Sarah Cohen-Woods |
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TAS |
James Crane |
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VIC |
Cherry Mao, Sarah Whittle |
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WA |
Jenny Rodger |
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