Falling Walls Lab India 2019

1. What exactly is the Falling Walls Lab?

The Falling Walls Lab is a global forum for students, innovators, professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and scientists from different disciplines across the world to present their research work, social initiatives, business models and other groundbreaking ideas before a distinguished jury. It is part of the annual, internationally renowned conference for breakthroughs in science and society, the Falling Walls Conference.

2. How does it work?

Over the course of the year, international Falling Walls Labs are organized by academic institutions throughout the world. The winners of each international Lab travel to the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin, which takes place every year on 8 November. At the Berlin Lab, 100 Finalists receive the opportunity to present their work in front of a distinguished jury and attend the Falling Walls Conference on 9 November, where they get to meet the world’s top scientists, policy makers, and experts. The three winners of the Berlin Lab are additionally given the chance to present their ideas the next day on the grand stage of the Falling Walls Conference to an international audience.

3. So, who is organizing the Falling Walls Lab India edition for 2019?

The DWIH – German Centre for Research and Innovation New Delhi and the DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service, together with the MAHE- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, are organizing the Falling Walls Lab in India in 2019. This initiative is supported by the Federal Foreign Office, Germany.

4. When and where will the event take place?

Date: Saturday, March 30, 2019
Venue: Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka

5. What is in it for me?

• A platform to showcase your ideas and your work.
• Exposure, networking opportunities and the chance to interact with the best minds from all over the world.
• As the Falling Walls Lab India winner, you qualify for the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin on 8 November and receive a scholarship for the Falling Walls Conference on 9 November. Accommodation is covered from 8th to 9th November and travel costs are sponsored by DWIH New Delhi.
• The three winners of the Lab Finale receive a cash prize and will be invited to present their ideas at the Falling Walls Conference the next day – together with some of the most distinguished scientists of our time.

6. Am I eligible to apply? You are eligible to apply, if you are:

• An Indian citizen. If you have citizenship of any other country, you should have carried out studies in India
• Of legal age (18 years or older) and
  A scholar, researcher, or scientist (Bachelor’s student, Master’s student, PhD-/ doctoral candidate, and Postdoc); or
• An entrepreneur, engineer, or young professional (Start-ups, inventions, initiatives, and business ideas); or
• An innovator from any area – science, the humanities, arts, business, and technology

The key is that you have a breakthrough idea or innovation that is capable of making a difference! It could be a project you have already implemented, a research topic you are currently developing, or a business idea yet to be realized.

Please note, if you are not currently enrolled in university as a Postdoc or a student, you must have a:

• Bachelor’s degree, that does not date back more than 10 years.
• Master’s degree, that does not date back more than 7 years. *
• PhD, that does not date back more than 5 years. **

* An MD (excl. a doctoral dissertation) will be considered equivalent to a Master’s degree.
** A Dr. Med. (incl. a doctoral dissertation) will be considered equivalent to a PhD.

7. Can we apply in a team/group?

Since the evaluation process gives importance to individual grades and curriculum vitae of the applicants, you cannot apply as a team/group. If you are working on a project/idea as a group, please choose one representative of your team as the applicant, who will present the project, if selected. You may, however, list the names of the group members on your presentation slides to acknowledge the team effort. Please note: It is very important that you clearly highlight the extent of your individual contribution to the project.

8. Where do I apply? What are the details required for the application?

The application form is online and is available at: www.falling-walls.com/lab/apply. You will be required to submit the following details:

a) Personal and Educational Details

• Personal details
• Educational qualification
• Institute/University
• Name of Company/Start-Up/Employer (if applicable)
• Years since completion of last degree
• Publications: Year and name
• Awards: Year and name

b) About your breakthrough idea

• Presentation Title (Starts with “Breaking the Wall of……”)
• Problem (200 characters) – Please outline your idea. If the project is a group effort, please highlight your personal contribution.
• Solution (200 characters)
• Teaser (50 characters) – Please let us know in one sentence what your idea is about (this sentence will be used as a teaser for the public).
• Motivation (400 characters)

Please share a link to your 3-minute presentation video in the same field of your motivation (Step 5 of 6 in application form). You can host it on any platform of your choice. You might want to use a short links such as tinyurl or bitly to keep the number of characters under check. The video is crucial to the selection procedure.

c) To be uploaded in the application form

• CV (pdf format, Max. 3 MB)

9. Is there an application fee?

No, there is no fee for participating in the Falling Walls Lab.

10. What is the last date to apply?

The application deadline is 17th February, 2019.

11. What are the evaluation criteria used by the jury?

The jury uses three criteria to evaluate presentations:

a. Breakthrough factor: How innovative is the proposed idea?
b. Relevance/Impact: How relevant is the idea to the discipline and beyond?
c. Structure/Performance: How convincing was the presentation?

12. My question is not answered here. Whom can I write to if I have some more doubts?

For further queries, please write to fwl.india@dwih.in.

Good luck!