What is Vernadsky Contest? How is it different from other contests of similar format?

Firstly, it covers the entire country. In course of the Readings students will have an opportunity to communicate with peers and soul mates from all over the country-from Kaliningrad to Magadan. As long as the area for research is not limited, the Contest welcomes projects completed both in the field of natural science and humanities. Getting acquainted with other participants' work and talking to the authors, participants will get a better understanding of what the terms «science» and «scientific approach» imply, what unites such seemingly different disciplines as geology and economics, physics and ethnography.

One of the main distinguishing features of the Vernadsky Contest is that all projects, no matter if they are selected for the second round or not, receive a qualified review, which is sent to the author. The review reflects both positive sides and drawbacks of the research. Moreover, the author gets a chance to better his/her work, implementing all of the reviewer's notes and present it for the second time. This assessment procedure has been introduced to advise the participants on the laws of the typical structure of the scientific works defense, commonly accepted in the world and in Russia as well. Besides, it matters to not only evaluate the students' work on an «excellent-poor» scale», but also to let them know the objective opinion about his/her work from a professional in the field under their concern.

What is also unique about the Vernadsky Contest, is that the best projects, accepted to the second round, will be published in a special almanac. This almanac is included in the official catalogue of publications, therefore, the piece published in it, receives a status of the real publication and may be referred to when entering a university, applying for a job in a Russian or international company, etc. The almanacs are distributed among the participants of the second round before it starts.

While in Moscow , students get an opportunity to earn their own experience and learn from others' experience about different formats of presenting material, namely, posters and scientific reports, or take part in the Contest Panel's work. They will meet academicians, research fellows from leading scientific centers, university professors; have a tour of Moscow State University and Moscow museums of science.

The Contest finalists will receive diplomas which are recommended by the Russian Ministry of Education to consider equal to the state Olympiad diplomas when applying for colleges.