TIME Lab Medal 2024

About the Medal

What is time? Time is the key to understanding the movements and rhythms of everyday life. It shapes how we grow, evolve, and balance our ambitions. Time serves as a constant companion on the journey toward excellence, guiding our decisions, achievements, and the pace at which we learn and develop.

In this spirit, the TIME Lab is thrilled to announce the launch of its prestigious inaugural medal 🏅, which will recognize outstanding Honours and Master’s students from TIME Lab. This highly anticipated award will be presented to top-performing students who have demonstrated excellence across multiple dimensions of academic and personal life.

Six exceptional students, who’ve completed their final year, 24-unit research projects under TIME Lab supervision, are in contention. Each of these candidates - Qixiang Chen, Liyun Zhu, Huilin Chen, Dexuan Ding, Jushang Qiu, and Liwen Luo - has demonstrated remarkable dedication to their academic pursuits and personal growth, making them strong contenders.

The winner will gain access to a range of opportunities to enhance their academic and professional growth. These opportunities include workshop registrations and attendance (e.g., TIME 2025 workshop at WWW’25), internships (TIME Lab industry partners), PhD scholarships, and top-up scholarships (covering 3.5 to 4 years, paid through the candidate’s university, e.g., ANU and UNSW). We look forward to celebrating the exceptional individual who will continue this legacy of excellence.

Note that TIME Lab 2024 Medals are set on a merit basis and are not awarded based on a quota.

Understanding the Process

The selection process for the TIME Lab Medal is designed to be both comprehensive and inclusive, ensuring that all contenders are evaluated fairly across multiple dimensions. Here’s an overview of how the selection process works:

1. Submission Phase: Each contender is required to submit a personal reflection material and optionally, a personal showcase material. These highlight their achievements, growth journey, and reflections on their time within TIME Lab, providing a window into their dedication and contributions.

2. Peer Voting: Fellow students within TIME Lab participate in a peer voting process to evaluate the candidates based on their contributions, impact, and interactions. This step adds a community-driven perspective to the selection process, ensuring inclusivity and recognition from peers.

3. Award Committee Review: A dedicated committee, consisting of external stakeholders, reviews all submissions, voting results, and performance data. The committee assesses candidates holistically, focusing on their alignment with the Medal Criteria Breakdown.

4. Deliberation and Decision: During the final committee meeting, all data, votes, and insights are analyzed, leading to a well-rounded decision. The committee ensures that the selected recipient embodies the essence of the TIME Lab Medal values.

5. Announcement and Celebration: The winner is announced, celebrating the achievements of all finalists and formally presenting the TIME Lab Medal to the deserving recipient.

This holistic process ensures that the TIME Lab Medal honors not only academic and research excellence but also the balance, growth, and contributions that make the contenders outstanding individuals.

Submission Requirements [Deadline: 5th January 2025]

Part A: Personal Reflection (Mandatory)

• Visibilty: Committee only
• Format: Free-form submission, which can take the form of:
  • Essay (max: 350 words)
  • Video (max: 1 minute)
  • Visual storyboard or infographic (within reasonable scope)
• Purpose: This confidential submission will be reviewed exclusively by the award committee to gain deeper insights into the candidate’s journey and alignment with the medal’s criteria.
• Prompt: “Discuss a moment where you balanced competing priorities during your research. How did you manage your time and maintain quality in your work?”
• Guidance: You are free to choose the format that best reflects your story and communication style. Whether through a written essay, a recorded video, or a visual representation, your submission should focus on:
  • A specific instance of balancing priorities during your research.
  • The strategies you used to manage time and maintain quality.
  • The insights and growth you gained from the experience.

Part B: Personal Showcase (Optional)

• Visibilty: Committee, peers and public
• Format: Free-form submission, which can take the form of:
  • PDF (max: 1 page)
  • Video (max: 3 minutes)
  • Visual presentation or infographic (within reasonable scope)
  • Any other medium that effectively highlights your achievements
• Purpose: This submission will be displayed publicly, allowing peers and the broader community to recognize the candidate’s efforts and journey.
• Content Suggestions:
  • Key highlights of research, academic achievements, or projects.
  • Personal insights or milestones from their time at TIME Lab.
  • Creative elements, such as visuals or quotes, to reflect the candidate’s unique personality and contributions.
• Note: There are no strict guidelines—choose a format that best represents your story, while adhering to the specified maximum limits.

Submission Form

Candidates need to login into their ANU account to access this form. If the below form isn’t opening, please click here to be redirected to it.

Medal Criteria Breakdown

Research Excellence (40%)

• Examiner Reports (20%): Recognizing students whose research has made significant contributions, with high commendations from examiners.
• Skills Developed (15%): Focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical expertise honed during the research process.
• Publication Output (5%): Though a minor focus this year, publication output remains a valuable achievement.

Life Balance & Personal Growth (40%)

• Work-Life Balance (20%): Demonstrates effective time management, balancing work, study, and personal pursuits while maintaining well-being.
• Lessons Learned (15%): Emphasizes personal insights gained through overcoming challenges and embracing growth throughout the research journey.
• Positivity & Thoughtfulness (5%): Show resilience, hope, and thoughtful engagement with their work and environment.

Contributions (20%)

• Service to TIME Lab (10%): Recognizes involvement in planning, delivering research outcomes, and teamwork within the lab.
• Community Impact (10%): Rewards students whose work has positively impacted the ANU community or addressed real-world challenges.

Timeline

Message to Candidates

Good luck to all candidates! We are proud of your journey and excited to see you continue the tradition of excellence.

Arjun Raj and Xi Ding
TIME Lab 2024 Medal Organizers

Updates