GRADflix Award

The GRADflix Award is an annual competition-based scholarship program for graduate students at the University of Waterloo who present their research through video submissions in the GRADflix competition. Students create short videos to communicate their research in creative and accessible ways, competing for monetary prizes based on their communication skills, creativity, and technical quality. The competition awards five prizes annually, with selections made by both an adjudication panel and audience voting. The adjudication panel evaluates submissions on communication (50%), creativity and visual impact (30%), and technical quality (20%). Winners receive cash awards ranging from $250 to $750, distributed as one-time payments applied to student accounts. This award is open to both domestic and international graduate students enrolled in thesis-based master's or doctoral programs at the University of Waterloo. Students who have completed their degree requirements but have not yet convocated are also eligible to participate. Previous finalists who did not win first place may compete again with materially different video submissions. The GRADflix competition provides graduate students with an opportunity to develop science communication skills while showcasing their research to a broader audience, making complex academic work accessible and engaging through multimedia storytelling.