Falling Walls Remote 2020: The Breakthroughs Of The Year

Nominate scientific breakthroughs before 7^th September.

The Falling Walls Fondation has decided to go digital in 2020, in order to continue its shared dedication to science communication across borders and disciplines. They will shift from a series of meetings and one conference with a limited number of speakers and topics to a global showcase that gathers, discusses, and celebrates a much broader set of the most recent breakthroughs in science and society – the Falling Walls Breakthroughs of the Year.

Ten categories

To highlight breakthrough thinking from all over the world, the Falling Walls Foundation calls, before 7^th September 2020 at the latest, for nominations for the most recent breakthroughs in ten categories, from life sciences to science management. Leading academics and world-class academic institutions from around the world – universities, research organisations, companies, private and public research centres, academies, research funders, foundations and individuals – can submit nominations in ten categories:

1. Life Sciences;
2. Physical Sciences;
3. Engineering and Technology;
4. Social Sciences and the Humanities;
5. Science in the Arts;
6. Digital Education;
7. Science and Innovation Management;
8. Emerging Talents (Falling Walls Lab);
9. Science Start-ups (Falling Walls Venture);
10. Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage).

A nomination needs a summary, plus links or attachments, to be entered. The breakthrough categories 1-7 should bring together the most brilliant minds and offer them a platform to share their breakthroughs in a non-competitive way whereas the categories 8-10 represent pitch formats, Falling Walls Lab, Falling Walls Venture and Falling Walls Engage.

Videos displays

Nominations are immediately reviewed by the Falling Walls Foundation, together with external experts. If accepted, nominees will be asked for a short visual presentation (max. 5 min.).

Falling Walls will continuously announce the finalists, display their videos and make their outstanding work recognised, so as to foster a scholarly and public debate about the contribution of science to society – via social media, newsletters and on its growing library, as well as on the platforms of the foundation partners.

An online science week

From 4^th November until 8^th November 2020, each day will be dedicated to two different categories, to recognise and discuss the ten winners in each category, as identified by distinguished juries. At the end of each session, one Breakthrough of the Year in each category will be selected by the corresponding jury.

In addition, digital live expert panel discussions open to the public (“Circle Tables“) will highlight the post-coronavirus-agenda in various fields. The winners sessions and Circle Tables are part of the Berlin Science Week which will also be held digitally.

Winners annouced 9^th November

On 9^th November 2020, the anniversary of the historic fall of the Berlin Wall, the ten Falling Walls Breakthroughs of the Year (one per category) will be made public, and the people and institutions who made them possible will be honoured in a live digital session; in this event, a “remote” Falling Walls Circle of distinguished world leaders will discuss the post-corona agendas of the various fields. All material will be made available permanently and for free on Falling Walls library to allow global access and inspiration.

Helga Nowotny, former President of the European Research Council, will serve as overall chair of the juries. Moreover, Springer Nature and the Zeit Verlagsgruppe will support this challenge.