PhD thesis goes viral: 𝐀𝐖𝐒𝐀𝐑 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 (example story included)
A. What is the AWSAR award?
Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) is an initiative by DST with the intent to popularize research-based stories of Indian PhD students and postdoctoral fellows among the common people.
B. Am I eligible?
To be eligible for the AWSAR award, you must be an Indian citizen doing doctoral or postdoctoral research in an Indian university or institute. You apply a second time only if you could not make it the first time.
C. How to write for common people?
1) Tell your true research story in a way you speak to a teenage enthusiast.
2) Avoid jargon by hook or by crook
3) Make it compelling so that the reader stays with your story to the end
4) Engage the mind of the reader by thought provocation
D. When to apply?
Every year September-October month notification is released. Register yourself for having an AWSAR account here.
E. What is the basis of evaluation?
The story will be assessed by an expert panel based on the following criteria: Language, content, format and presentation, overall reader quality.
For the detailed evaluation matrix of DST-AWSAR: click here.
F. Where do the stories get published?
Selected 100 best stories get rewarded with cash prizes alongside the publication of popular science stories in a book titled “AWSAR awarded Popular Science Stories: by the scientists for the people”.
The book get published by by Vigyan Prasar with partnership of National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Goverment of India. The book is Open Acess and available to view online as flipbook file. It can also be downloaded as PDF file.
They also publish a AWSAR booklet where short introduction of all 100 AWSAR awardees get mentioned. One example is provided here:
G. Can I have a published example story?
Off course! Here is my one:
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