MAD Research: Video Competition

Students at Dartmouth are doing research in every academic discipline, from the sciences and social sciences to the humanities and creative arts, but there are limited opportunities to share this work beyond their specific fields.

MAD (Made At Dartmouth) Research is a video competition that gives undergraduate students the opportunity to communicate their research to a broader audience. Short videos offer an engaging way for students to showcase their projects and for the Dartmouth community to discover the wide range of research happening on campus. 

MAD Research is a partnership with SURFD and the Dartmouth Libraries' Jones Media Center (JMC).

This is a great opportunity to communicate your research in a more accessible way, grow your skills, and expand your resume. Creating a video also builds engagement with your research as you translate your work into a digital story. The process encourages you to be creative in a way a written thesis, poster presentation, or formal talk may not allow. 

Plus, there are cash prizes! The grand prize for the top video is $1,000. Additional cash prizes dependent on quantity and quality of videos received. 

SURFD will host a film screening on Friday, April 24, during which students will vote for the "People's Choice" Award. The winning student will receive a $250 prize, and all attendees who participate in the vote will be entered into a raffle.

Any Dartmouth undergraduate who is engaged in research outside the classroom (including honors thesis research) with a Dartmouth faculty mentor.  This includes faculty at the College as well as Geisel, Thayer, and Tuck. 

We also accept group submissions. Please choose one person from your research project group to be the main contact for the competition.

What does a research video look like?

Take a look at the MAD prize winning entries from last year and also check out other examples on the web:

• Rhodes Scholar research videos
• Sample videos from the University of Texas Student Research Showdown
• Three Minute Thesis (founded by the University of Queensland)

What if I don't know much (or anything) about making a video?

The Jones Media Center can help! They have a lot of information and resources, including group workshops, recording spaces, and loaner equipment. For more information, go to the JMC Equipment Loan Page. If you're uncertain about what to get, set up a consultation with a JMC staff member by emailing Jones.Media.Center@Dartmouth.edu.

There are no restrictions about how you make your video – you can talk to the camera, use props, incorporate animations, whatever you want to convey your research (and maybe the story behind it and why you did it).

Important tip: don't talk too fast! If your video is too long, think about what elements you can cut out. Don't just speed up the audio to make it fit in 3 minutes.

**For more about the winning videos, see the MAD About Research story on the Dartmouth Libraries website!