From March 11 to 13, the University of Toronto will host its first Canadian University Life Science Challenge (CULSC).
Organized on behalf of the U of T Department of Human Biology, the three-day competition will test undergraduate life science students from across Canada on various areas of their program. The challenge will be held in New College at the St. George campus.
Teams of up to four students can collaborate to answer questions on anatomy, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, behavioural psychology, neuroscience, and physiology. The more diverse the team’s members in their academic backgrounds, the better advantage the team will have.
Before the first round, teams will be given a practice round to learn the routine. The questioning will imitate problem-solving games like Jeopardy, Brain Bee, and Reach for the Top.
Teams will then be sorted randomly into rooms. In each room, the first team will be asked a 100-level (lowest difficulty) question. The difficulty of the questions is based on first- to fourth-level undergraduate courses. After six rounds of questioning, the three teams with the highest scores will advance to a large auditorium for the final round for prizes.
The top team will be awarded trophies and a monetary award, while the two runner-up teams will be awarded medals. A prize will also be given to the winning team and the winning team’s university. Other prizes will be awarded throughout the competition, such as gift certificates to the most spirited team.
But the competition isn’t the only thing students will have to look forward to. Participants can also enjoy guest speakers in research, two lunches, free time to explore downtown, and social events on Friday and Saturday night. If team members wish to stay downtown, affordable accommodations have been posted online at culsc.sa.utoronto.ca.
Registration has opened and finished. The entrance fee was $40 for four-member teams until February 20. Afterwards, the fee increased to $50 until March 7.
Students can learn more about eligibility requirements, accommodations, registration fees, and more at culsc.sa.utoronto.ca or at the Canadian University Life Science Challenge Facebook group.
