New Ideas Challenge

Ever leave a conference buzzing with ideas—but no space to explore them?

This session is your chance to do exactly that. You'll join a small team of EMCRs to develop a new interdisciplinary research idea, drawing on the talks, posters, and conversations happening around you. Think about open datasets and tools already out there — the best ideas often start with what we already have. With guidance from experienced researchers, your team will shape the idea into a short pitch and present it to a panel for feedback on its innovation, impact, feasibility, and communication.

This mentoring session is about practising the creative side of science. Idea generation is a skill, and this is a welcoming space to try it, have fun, and see where your thinking takes you. Beyond the pitch itself, this is also a chance to build genuine connections across institutions and disciplines, and to spark international collaborations that can continue long after the conference ends. The winning team will also receive a mentoring session from our expert panel to help take their idea even further.

Panel Members:

Dr. Trang Cao

Monash University, Australia

Dr. James Pang

Monash University, Australia

A/Prof. Brenden Tervo-Clemmens

University of Minnesota, United States