Dates and Format

The first round of FBA will be completely online. Registration will be open from September 21st, 2017 to February 9th, 2018. Participants are required to submit the following:

• a one-page research briefing with clear indication of research direction and sources of evidence.
• a one-to-two-minute video of participants talking about the importance of their research topic, addressing the risks and opportunities it can bring to future humanity.

Finalists will be announced on Sunday, February 11th 2018. The finalists will have until March to prepare the following for the final round that will be held on March 3rd.

• an one-page or more, MLA formatted and double-spaced, formal research paper with deep analysis on the issue. Citations of evidence is required.
• an approximately five-minute speech similar to the video of the first round. PowerPoint aid is allowed.

The final round will take place at Newport High School's Library on March 3rd, from 10 am to 1 pm. Research papers are to be submitted the previous night. The participants will be giving their presentation on the stage, and the judge will score them. Speech score will not be immediately announced, and a final score will be calculated based on competition rubrics that can be found on this website. The score will be divided into three parts: 50% from the judge, 25% from other competition participants, and 25% from competition organizers. Note that no person may score for a contestant from the same school. The final score will be announced at the end and awards being given to the winners.