Aiming to enhance European competitiveness in soft matter 
research and innovation, the pan-European project EUSMI invites teachers to participate in a science Demonstration Competition together with their science classes.

Soft matter, as opposed to solid matter, is a class of materials which is often very responsive to mechanical forces and/or temperature changes. They are mostly built from mixtures of polymers, colloids or surfactants with suitable solvents. EUSMI’s ambitious networking program aims to efficiently communicate new soft matter research findings to the community. Educating the next generation of scientists and developers requires engaged teachers able to formulate creative and imaginative ways of effectively explaining and illustrating the phenomena in chemistry and physics that this research and development is based upon.

We hope to engage teachers (of students aged 13-18) who can share their favourite methods of demonstrating the chemistry and physical properties that are so important for our field. Via these demonstrations, our ambition is that teachers all over Europe will inspire each other to use and further improve upon these educational materials for the benefit of all our students and therefore the future of the field. For the three best contributions there are the following prizes for the respective class to win: 1st place: 1.000 €, 2nd place: 500 €, 3rd place: 250 €.