Atmospheric chemistry and air pollution

Students who choose to submit research under this category will explore the chemical processes that occur in the Earth’s atmosphere, the relationship between the atmosphere and the biosphere, exploring the impact of air pollution on the regulation of atmospheric systems, air quality and climate.

Climate change and climate dynamics

This category focuses on exploring the relationship between climate change and climate dynamics, which is the study of climate processes and systems, the factors that disrupt or change the functioning of the system, and understanding how this system evolves.

Energy Resources

‘Energy Resources’ refers to the natural sources of energy that are found on the earth. This includes any form of energy that can be harnessed to produce heat, electricity or used to generate other forms of energy. Students who select this category will look into the impact of harnessing energy resources on the environment, how these resources can be harnessed in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way, or reimagining the way in which these systems function.

Ecology

Ecology is a field of biology that studies the interaction of biological organisms with one another, and their physical surroundings. Students who are interested in this category can explore ecological systems, and factors that disrupt or benefit certain ecological systems, or stimulate ecological evolution.

Environmental management

Students who choose this category will be exploring the key areas of concern with respect to the environment, and look into the systems of environmental monitoring, studying past environmental changes and their causes, identifying possible future patterns of change and identifying a route that increases the benefit of the environment for humans, while reducing environmental degradation due to human activities.

Earth/Space Science

This category includes the exploration of Earth Science, which is the study of the chemical make-up of the Earth and its atmosphere and includes all natural sciences related to it, while Space Science, which looks into study of outer space and all other scientific disciplines that are focused on furthering our understanding of the universe, including space exploration.

Water pollution and conservation

This category looks into water pollution and conservation, which focuses on identifying the causes for contamination of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans and seas, and identifying processes and practices to conserve and protect these resources from irreversible damage.

Water, sanitation, hygiene and health

Students who pick this category will look into exploring the systems that provide communities safe and hygienic access to water for domestic and daily use (including drinking water), and providing access to infrastructure that supports good health and hygiene, without exposing people or their surroundings to waste.

Environmental resource quality (air, water, sediments, soil)

This category specifically looks into the essential resources on Earth (air, water, sediments and soil) and studies the quality of these resources. It also looks into the causes and impacts of the deterioration of the quality of these resources, and solutions for the mitigation of undesirable environmental effects.

Food and agricultural systems

Broadly, agricultural or food systems are the systems that produce crops or livestock for human consumption, and include the social, economic and political relations and facets that are related to those systems. Students who select this category will focus on exploring these systems.