A picture tells a thousand words, so have your say.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the rules for Posters.
Click here to download a copy of the Poster project checklist.
Click here to download a copy of the judging rubric.
2026 Poster Titles:
The descriptions in italics are just starting points. Feel free to explore and interpret each topic in your own unique way—creativity and originality are encouraged!
- Natural History Illustration (hand-drawn only) - draw and label a detailed plant, animal or fossil like a science illustrator.
Key Dates
Wednesday 5 August 2026 - project delivered onsite
- Clues from Ancient Life - How do fossils help us understand what life was like millions of years ago? What they reveal about Earth’s history, climate and evolution?
- Everyday Chemistry: Good or Gross? - Explore the chemistry of everyday substances—some helpful, some harmful.
- Algae Alert: When Blooms Become Dangerous - Show how toxic algae blooms form, and why they matter for ecosystems and health.
- Space Watchers: How We Use Satellites to Study Earth - Visualise how satellites track weather, climate and disasters from space.
- Waste Not - Show creative science solutions for reusing, recycling or reducing waste.
- Pollinators in Action - Show how pollinators like bees, birds and insects help plants grow—and why we need to protect them to keep ecosystems and food systems healthy.
- Harvesting Tomorrow - Explore how science is helping us design smarter farms—using less water, protecting soil, reducing emissions, and producing food in new ways.
- Carbon in Balance - Show how carbon moves through plants, animals, air and soil—and explain how greenhouse gases are disrupting the balance and warming the planet.
- Under the Surface - Explore soil, roots, fungi and life below ground.
A successful Oliphant Science Awards Poster entry:
- HAS A STRONG SCIENCE MESSAGE AND ACCURATE SCIENCE CONTENT.
- Communicates a single idea clearly.
- Shows good quality artistic skills and imagination, giving the poster visual appeal.
- Uses minimal words (try using fewer than 25 words). The judges will favour entries that give a visual message without the use of a lot of text.
- Can be easily read from a distance.
Rules for Posters:
- The poster must be on one of the titles listed above. Please ensure this title is clearly identified on your entry.
- The poster must be the work of one person (no group entries or unacknowledged assistance by an adult).
- NEW FOR 2026: The poster must be original and the student’s own work. Students may use reference materials for inspiration, but copying text, images, or graphics directly from other sources is not permitted.
- The poster must be original.
- The poster must be on lightweight card no larger than 51 cm x 65 cm. No corflute, glass, wood or other heavy frame or backing permitted.
- The poster must not weigh more than 200g.
- The poster may be a collage of other pictures or made using computer assisted graphics. All images and graphics need to be attributed.
- The poster must be flat (no three-dimensional material attached).
- NEW FOR 2026: You must include a short written statement (around 100 words) outlining:
- the message the poster is intended to convey;
- acknowledgement of any reference materials;
- any AI prompts used, as per the Oliphant Science Awards AI Policy.
In presenting your poster entry:
- You must securely attach your Identification Label (your Coordinator will give you this label) to the back of your entry.
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