Biowaste

The research paper competition for students has been announced within the framework of the LIFE Waste To Resources IP project implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD), with the aim of promoting understanding of food and organic waste prevention and management issues in Latvia. As part of the competition, students are tasked with developing research papers on topics related to food and organic waste prevention or management issues.

Who can participate?

The competition is open to all students from Latvian higher education institutions in first-level, second-level, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs, who have developed a research paper within the last three years on any food or organic waste management issue, such as waste prevention, sorting, recycling, public awareness, or economics.

What should the research paper be like?

• The research paper should not exceed 20 (twenty) A4 pages (the title page, table of contents, list of references, and appendices are not included in the page count). If the paper developed during studies is longer, it should be revised to fit the competition requirements.

• The visual formatting of the research paper should follow the guidelines established by the higher education institution.

• The research paper must include a section with conclusions and recommendations or suggestions for applying the research results to the development of waste management and a list of the sources used.

• The research paper must be saved in PDF format.

• The research paper must be signed with a secure electronic signature.

How to submit the research paper?

• Fill out the application form for the research paper author(s) and sign it with a secure electronic signature. If the research paper is submitted by a group of authors, the application form should include the details of all authors and be signed by all of them.

• The research paper must be formatted according to the competition’s requirements and signed with a secure electronic signature. If the research paper is submitted by a group of authors, all authors must sign the paper.

• The application form and the research paper must be attached as appendices to the email and sent to the address konkurss@varam.gov.lv.

What is the deadline for submitting research papers?

The deadline for submitting the research paper and application form is April 14, 2024.

How will the submitted papers be evaluated?

All papers will be evaluated based on administrative, compliance, and quality evaluation criteria as outlined in the competition regulations and methodological guidelines for evaluation and point allocation, which we encourage you to familiarize yourself with when preparing the research papers.

How will the winners be announced?

The winners will be announced at the final event of the competition, which will be held in person. An agreement will be made with the winners for receiving the monetary prizes.

How will the winners be awarded?

The winners of the competition will receive a one-time monetary prize:

• First place winner – 1500 euros

• Second place winner – 1000 euros

• Third place winner – 500 euros

The competition results and the winning research papers will be published on the LIFE Waste To Resources IP project website https://wastetoresources.varam.gov.lv/.

We encourage students to take this opportunity to propose new solutions and promote sustainable food and organic waste management in Latvia. Additional information about the competition terms is available in Latvian:

1.     konkursa nolikums;

2.     pieteikuma anketa.

Good luck!