qld.gov.au
Department of Primary Industries

The Science Project Award is open to all Australian students from prep to year 12.

Categories

Whole class:

  • All students within the class group contribute towards the experiment or activities.
  • One entry is submitted on behalf of the whole class. It is a compilation of each student's work.

Small team:

  • Students work on the experiments/activities in small teams.
  • One entry is submitted per team.
  • Each entry may contain a compilation of each team member's work.
  • Each team entry will be allocated a score and teams are eligible for individual awards.

Individual:

  • Students work on the activities alone, or as part of a class or team, but they each write up and submit their own entry.
  • One entry is submitted per student.

Judging criteria

As this is a science competition, students must prepare their entries correctly:

  • set out their research information and experiment results in a scientific report or poster format
  • keep a separate science journal.

Entries are judged by a team of Hermitage Research Facility staff. They score each entry out of 50, based on these elements.

Presentation: 10 marks

  • Neatness
  • Creativeness
  • Grammar and spelling
  • Layout of text and images
  • Use of scientific report structure

Method and content: 20 marks

  • Evidence of having completed all required activities and experiments as outlined
  • Demonstrated understanding of scientific method and processes
  • Science journal content
  • Thorough observations made
  • Data displayed in tables or graphs
  • Photographs, sketches, samples, media clippings included
  • Background research and information on topic
  • Going the extra mile—further experimentation or activities undertaken such as farm or industry visits and interviews with professionals

Discussions and conclusions: 20 marks

  • Interpretation and explanation of experiment results
  • Outcomes compared to original hypothesis
  • Exploration of the importance or significance of results
  • How results relate to agricultural and environmental issues and current information on the topic
  • Outline of any new research questions that results have suggested
  • Include answers to questions outlined with each competition activity (if applicable)
  • How could the experiments be improved
  • What could be done differently next time

Scoring

Whole class:

  • A score will be allocated for the entry and students are eligible for overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd class awards.

Small team:

  • Each team entry will be allocated a score and teams are eligible for individual awards.
  • If multiple team entries are submitted by a class, an average overall class score will be provided and all teams (collectively) are eligible for overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd class awards as well.

Individual:

  • Each individual entry will be allocated a score and students are eligible for individual awards.
  • If multiple individual entries are submitted by a class, an average overall class score will also be provided and all students (collectively) will be eligible for overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd class awards as well.

Prizes for teachers and specific year categories

Teachers

Alan Cruickshank Memorial Germinator Award

Year 10 to year 12

Paul Johnston Memorial Senior Science Awards

  • Awarded to students who submit the 2 most outstanding entries.
  • Winner: $1,000 towards educational materials for first-year tertiary education, a plaque and a certificate.
  • Runner up: $500 towards education materials for first-year tertiary education or subscription(s) to scientific journal(s), a plaque and a certificate.

Earthwatch Student Challenge Fellowship

UQ FEAST Scholarships

  • Awarded to 2 students who submit:
  • Each winner: Scholarship for a senior high school student (at least 16 years of age at the time of the residential program) to attend the UQ FEAST residential program at the Gatton campus in the June/July Queensland school holidays of the following year, valued at $550.
  • Find out more and apply for a UQ FEAST Scholarship.

SQLD Rabo Client Council Conference Awards

Year 7 to year 9

Ag Institute of Australia Junior Science Achievement Awards

  • Awarded to students who submit the top 2 most outstanding entries.
  • Winner: A professionally mounted medallion, a book prize and a certificate.
  • Runner up: A book prize and a certificate.
  • Total award value of over $250.

Zonta Warwick STEM Award for Young Women

  • Awarded to a female student who demonstrates exceptional potential and creativity in STEM, as evident in their high-quality Science Project Award entry in the current Hermitage Schools Science Competition.
  • Winner: Registration to their closest 'The Science Experience' 3-day science program valued at $220 and a book prize.

Year 3 to year 6

Joe Baker Outstanding Achievement Award

  • Awarded to a student with the most outstanding entry.
  • Winner: A medallion, a scientific or educational prize and a certificate, valued at over $50.

Prep to year 2

Joe Baker Outstanding Achievement Award

  • Awarded to a student with the most outstanding entry.
  • Winner: A medallion, a scientific or educational prize and a certificate, valued at over $50.

John and Chris Purdie Young Science Investigator Award

  • Awarded to a student who demonstrates the most enthusiasm and curiosity towards science, as evident in their project entry.
  • Winner: A medallion, a scientific or educational prize and a certificate.
  • Runner up: A medallion, a scientific or educational prize and a certificate.
  • Total award value of $200.

Prizes across all year categories

Crawford Fund International Agricultural Science Awards

  • Awarded to students who submit entries, or parts of entries (in any format) that communicate how the topic relates to international agriculture and global food security.
  • Each winner: A share of $1,000 worth of store gift vouchers, medallions and certificates.

QUT Most Outstanding Poster Awards

  • Awarded to students who submit the most outstanding informative or scientific poster entries.
  • Each winner: A share in $1,000 worth of store gift vouchers, medallions and certificates.

Highly Commended Awards

  • Awarded to students with excellent, high-scoring entries.
  • Each winner: A medallion and a certificate.

Class Awards

  • Awarded to class groups with the overall highest scores.
  • Overall 1, 2 and 3 prizes: Trophies, store gift vouchers, or scientific or educational prizes for for the class to share, and individual certificates.

Encouragement Awards

  • May be awarded to classes, small teams or individuals who have not received any major awards but have entries demonstrating great effort and enthusiasm towards the project.
  • Winners: Scientific or educational prizes, or store gift vouchers, and certificates.

Participation certificates

Awarded to all participants who enter the Science Project Awards but do not receive any of the awards listed above.

Help with your projects

Hermitage Research Facility staff can provide support to participating students and teachers.

Email or call with details of your project. We can put you in contact with a departmental scientist or staff member who can answer your questions.

An online chat or video meeting with our scientists and staff can be arranged upon request.

Contact us

Email HermitageCompetition@dpi.qld.gov.au

Call 13 25 23

Join our Facebook group for competition updates.

Last updated: 14 Jul 2026