2025 No-Bell Prize Competition
Let's communicate!
By popular demand, we are welcoming the No-Bell Prize competition for graduate research students. In 2025 the competition will be open to PhD and Masters by Research students across the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences. Applicants will have access to a communications workshop to build skills in creating engaging research pitches and communicating their research story in an engaging and compelling way for a variety of purposes. Finalists will also have access to tailored coaching.
Pitch your research by submitting a 90 second video to our panel to be in the running for some great prizes!
Refer to the No-Bell Prize Guidelines for more information.
Applications are open until 5pm the 27th of July.
Watch the video highlights from the 2024 No-Bell Prize event to give you a taste of what to expect with the format of this entertaining and educational communication initiative.
We can't wait to talk research with you!
Your Organising Committee: Prof Bang Bui, Prof Catherine Granger, A/Prof Selina Parry, Erin Hunter, Dr ChingYi Wu, Ayobami Olanrewaju, Georgina Whish-Wilson, Nell Bent, Millie Do, Jacquie Hoare, Associate Professor Cathy Quinlan & Glovuse Calleja (Melbourne Medical School), Dr Mihiri Silva (Melbourne Dental School)
MSHS acknowledge the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS) for supporting these events via a 2025 Graduate Research Development Grant.
2025 No-Bell Prize Key Dates
- Monday 9 June 2025
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Applications open
- Fridaty 4 July 2025
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12:30pm - 1:30pm
Science Communication Workshop
Presenter: Emma Donnelly
Mode: In person - Friday 27 July 2025
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5:00pm
Applications close
Applicants who progress to the finals will be sent an invitation to one-on-one coaching.
- 2 & 3 September 2025
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One-on-one coaching
- Wednesday 1 October 2025
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2.00 - 4.30 pm
No-Bell Prize Competition Final
Ian Potter Auditorium
Kenneth Myer Building
No-Bell Prize Presentations
Graduate researchers who apply to compete will participate in initial rounds of the competition (heats). Up to ten researchers will be selected to present in each heat with the top presenters of each heat moving on to the No-Bell Prize Final. In each round including the final, researchers will present for one minute, followed by one minute of questions from the audience and three minutes of questions from the host, to make up a total of five minutes.
During the five minute presentation, our panel will make a note each time they hear jargon such as language which is too technical or acronyms that are not widely understood. An official will keep the time and count the number of notes per speaker.
The researcher with the least notes during their presentation will be the winner of each round.
How to apply
Applicants will need to submit a short video (up to 90 seconds) talking about their research via the application form. To access the application form, students will need to be logged in with their UoM email address.
Refer to the No-Bell Prize guidelines for more information.
For any additional information, please contact the Organising Committee at Melbourne School of Health Sciences: shs-research@unimelb.edu.au
We acknowledge the Monash University's Central Clinical School 'No-Bell Prize' website and Melbourne Neuroscience Institute (University of Melbourne) 2013 Festival of Ideas event as the basis of this event.
MDHS No-Bell Prize Final Event
Members of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences are invited to attend the MDHS No-Bell Prize Competition Final event.
Hosted by Professor Christobel Saunders (Research Director, MMS) and Professor Bang Bui (Research Director, MSHS), this interactive event is a must see for anyone interested in science communication and the breadth of research being undertaken across the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
The No-Bell Prize Competition is a fantastic opportunity for graduate researchers to communicate their research in a fun and interactive way, free from jargon. Each finalist will have one minute to introduce and explain their research, followed by four minutes of questions from the audience and host, to comprise a total of five minutes.
Those competing in the final have progressed through the heats and will compete for cash prizes including $1,000 for the No-Bell Prize winner and $500 each for the two runners-up. The audience will also have the chance to vote for the People's Choice Award.
Our distinguished guest, Prof Justine Mintern (MDHS Associate Dean Graduate Research) will briefly speak at the event and present the prizes to the winners. Light refreshments will also be provided.
Final Competition Event details
Date: Wednesday 1 October 2025
Time: 2:00 - 4:30 PM
Venue: Ian Potter Auditorium, Kenneth Myer Building, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne
Frequently Asked Questions
On this page you will find the answers to all your questions about the No-Bell Prize competition.
Submitting a video and attending the Workshops
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Any graduate researchers currently enrolled in the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences.
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No-Bell Prize event
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Yes
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Applications will open in June. Please see the guidelines for additional details.
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Jargon is language which would not be understood by people from outside your research field. This might include acronyms, technical terms and medical terms which are not explained in an accessible way. For example, referring to the MMS EMCA rather than the Melbourne Medical School's Early and Mid Career Academics Advisory Committee.
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Our panel will evaluate the overall presentations, including the question-and-answer component, and will note each instance of jargon used. A timekeeper will track the first component of the 5-minute presentation, where the presenter has one minute to introduce their research. Presenters will be penalized if they exceed the 60-second mark for their introduction. The No-Bell Prize will be awarded to the presenter who explains their research and responds to questions from the audience and host in an engaging manner without using jargon.
The audience will vote for the People's Choice Award.
Additional Information
Event Contact:
For any additional information, contact the Organising Committee
Congratulations to the 2024 No-Bell Prize winners!
The Melbourne Medical School and Melbourne Dental School are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 No-Bell Prize competition.
Congratulations to Georgina Whish-Wilson (Melbourne School of Health Sciences) on her exceptional presentation and for securing the 2024 No-Bell Prize!
Congratulations also to the two runners-up, Tony Huang (Melbourne Medical School) and Claire Laurie (Melbourne School of Health Sciences), who communicated their research in a clear, accessible and inspiring way.
Nadia Kaunein (Melbourne Dental School) was the People’s Choice Award winner, reflecting her ability to communicate and engage with the audience.
Hosted by Professor Christobel Saunders, (Research Director Melbourne Medical School) and Associate Professor Catherine Quinlan (Academic Lead – Graduate Research, Melbourne Medical School), the event featured ten graduate researchers demonstrating proficiency in communicating their research in clear and accessible language to the audience and a panel of judges.
Associate Professor Tilman Ruff (Nobel Prize winner) awarded the prizes and shared an inspiring message about the importance of good communication.
The audience heard excellent research presentations. Congratulations to all the presenters for their strong presentations.
About our winners
 | Georgina Whish-Wilson Georgina is a senior physiotherapist and clinician-researcher. She is currently a final-year PhD candidate with the CanREX Supporting Recovery and Exercise research team. Her PhD research focuses on the role of exercise in improving patient outcomes among patients having thoracic surgery for lung cancer, with a particular focus on patient experiences and qualitative research methods. Georgina is passionate about science communication, consumer involvement in research, and improving the availability and implementation of exercise-based interventions for patients with cancer and respiratory diseases. |
 | Tony Huang Tony is an international MD-PhD student with a passion for orthopedics and musculoskeletal health. As a biomedical engineer and a member of the Integrative Cartilage Research Group, his research involves growing tiny spheres of cartilage in the lab that can (1) serve as an accurate and reliable model of cartilage physiology and (2) function as a regenerative therapy for cartilage defects. In his free time, Tony leads a student research collaborative that promotes early engagement in orthopedic research and is one of the few student-run organizations to have independently published in peer-reviewed journals. |
 | Claire Laurie Claire Laurie is a clinical physiotherapist working in oncology at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and a PhD student at The University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. |
 | Dr. Nadia Kaunein Dr. Nadia Kaunein is a dentist, and lecturer at the Melbourne Dental School and the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. She is pursuing a PhD in the field of oral cancer with the Oral Medicine and Oral Cancer research group, led by Prof. Michael McCullough and Dr. Tami Yap. Nadia’s research focuses on the use of microRNAs to predict malignant transformation in premalignant mucosal conditions. She is passionate about developing a novel algorithm using microRNAs to predict oral cancer, which could potentially be used as a screening tool and have a population-level impact. Her areas of expertise include oral cancer research, and dental public health. |
Contact us
For any further assistance, please contact the Organising Committee:
Melbourne School of Health Sciences: shs-research@unimelb.edu.au