Competition regulations

REGULATIONS FOR THE PALLADIUM GLOBAL SCIENCE AWARD
(hereinafter referred to as the Competition)

1. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

1. 1.1. Application for Participation in the Competition (Application) – A submission form available on the Competition’s website to be completed by the prospective participant and accompanied by supporting documents in accordance with the rules established by the present Regulations. Applications must be submitted personally and cannot be submitted on behalf of a third party.
2. 1.2. Competition Procedures (Competition) — An annual cycle of the Competition consisting of the following main stages: application submission, international evaluation of applications, selection of winners, and the awarding of prizes.
3. 1.3. Palladium Global Science Award — An annual scientific competition aimed at identifying cutting-edge ideas, research and developments, as well as future prospects in the field of palladium applications. This includes the creation of new methods for using palladium, significant improvements in technical and economic performance with palladium, and fostering research on innovative uses of palladium in technologies. The Palladium Global Science Award competition is governed by these Regulations.
4. 1.4. International Expert Council (Jury) – A group of experts with professional knowledge, experience, and the authority to conduct the international evaluation of applications, assess them, and decide on awarding prizes to the winners in the respective nominations.
5. 1.5. International Evaluation of Applications – A stage in the competition procedures during which each application is assessed by independent international experts (hereinafter referred to as Experts). The results of the evaluation are documented in an expert report.
6. 1.6. Nomination – A grouping of research and development directions in palladium applications, structured according to the principle outlined in Clause 2.3 of these Regulations.
7. 1.7. Competition Award Set (Award) – Includes a stylised statuette, a winner’s diploma, and the monetary component of the award (Prize Fund).
8. 1.8. Competition Operator (Operator) – The legal entity responsible for the preparation, organisation, and summarising of the Competition, awarding winners, and promoting the Competition via modern media outlets, in accordance with these Regulations.
9. 1.9. Winner Selection – The stage of the competition procedures concluding with the International Expert Council’s (Jury) decision to award prizes to the participants with the highest total scores. The decision is formalised in a protocol signed by all participating Jury members.
10. 1.10. Competition Partner – An individual or organisation providing informational, organisational, or financial support for the Competition. The General Partner of the Competition assumes a primary role in supporting and promoting the Competition on both a regional and global scale.
11. 1.11. Competition Winner – An honorary international title awarded to a scientist from among the participants for outstanding achievements in scientific ideas, research, development, and future prospects in palladium applications.
12. 1.12. Regulations for the Palladium Global Science Award (Regulations) – A document defining the terminology and rules for conducting the international scientific competition on palladium applications, determining the Competition’s results, awarding winners, and regulating other legal matters arising from the Competition.
13. 1.13. Prize Fund – The monetary component of the award established by the Operator and distributed among the winners based on the decision of the International Expert Council (Jury) and in accordance with these Regulations.
14. 1.14. Total Score – The sum of scores assigned by the Experts of the International Expert Council (Jury) according to established evaluation criteria for each application. The Qualifying Total Score is the threshold score determined by the International Expert Council (Jury), reflecting the quality of the application submitted.
15. 1.15. Competition Participant – An individual who has submitted an application for the Competition and has been approved by the Operator to proceed to the international evaluation stage. Only individuals submitting applications on their own behalf are eligible to participate; participation on behalf of or in the interest of third parties is not permitted.

2. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. 2.1. The Competition is held to attract the attention of scientists and the international scientific community to new developments related to the use of palladium in advanced materials and high-tech applications, unique pilot projects, and the improvement of existing technological processes.
2. 2.2. Applications for participation in the Competition must present new scientific ideas, research, and developments involving palladium-containing materials with unique properties that have the potential to create new industrial applications of palladium in the following industries, including but not limited to (application categories):
   1. 2.2.1. Classical and alternative energy.
   2. 2.2.2. Metallurgy.
   3. 2.2.3. Chemical technology.
   4. 2.2.4. Nanotechnology.
   5. 2.2.5. Medicine and biotechnology.
   6. 2.2.6. Electronics and microelectronics (including information display devices).
   7. 2.2.7. Electrical engineering (including energy storage and accumulation devices).
   8. 2.2.8. Construction technologies.
   9. 2.2.9. Environmental technologies (including water and air purification).
3. 2.3. Applications for participation in the Competition are accepted under the categories listed in Clause 2.2 of these Regulations and are further divided into three Competition nominations:
   1. 1) New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Development;
   2. 2) New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Article;
   3. 3) New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept.
4. 2.4. The number and content of the application categories, as well as the Competition nominations, may be adjusted by the Competition Operator and will be announced in the official call for applications.
5. 2.5. The goals of the Competition are as follows:
   1. 2.5.1. To promote scientific research and development into applications of palladium by engaging scientists, researchers, and specialists to integrate new palladium-based technologies into addressing contemporary global challenges.
   2. 2.5.2. To encourage (incentivise) leading scientists, engineers, researchers, and experts from different countries to develop materials, technologies, and equipment using palladium for the benefit of humanity.
6. 2.6. Participation in the Competition is open to individuals regardless of nationality, race, citizenship, gender, age, religion, or social status.
7. 2.7. The following individuals are ineligible to win the Competition:
   • Members of the International Expert Council (Jury);
   • Employees (contractors, subcontractors) or individuals dependent on the Operator or Partner of the Competition;
   • Participants submitting the same application in repeat years;
   • Posthumous participants.
8. 2.8. The monetary portion of the award (Prize Fund) is determined annually by the Operator and is announced in the official call for applications.
9. 2.9. The official and working language of the Competition is English.
10. 2.10. In informational materials and advertisements for the Competition, the Operator and Partner of the Competition may be mentioned jointly or separately.
11. 2.11. Intellectual property rights to copyrighted works, inventions, or other articles of industrial property remain with the participants of the Competition. By participating, participants do not transfer these rights to the Operator, Partner, or any third party.
12. 2.12. In the event of force majeure circumstances, including natural disasters, armed conflicts, pandemics, cyberattacks, or decisions (regulations, acts) by government authorities that impede the Competition’s implementation, the Operator reserves the right to modify the timelines and procedures for the Competition stages as stipulated in these Regulations.

3. ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION

1. 3.1. Applications for participation in the Competition are accepted annually within the timeframe established and announced by the Operator.
2. 3.2. The Competition process is an annual cycle consisting of separate stages: acceptance of applications for participation, international expert evaluation of applications, selection of Competition winners, and awarding of winners.
3. 3.3. The application submission stage lasts no more than 180 (one hundred and eighty) calendar days. The exact dates for submitting applications are determined by the Operator within this timeframe and are announced in the call for applications.
4. 3.4. Applications may be submitted by scientists, experts, and researchers holding positions in scientific and research institutes, universities, and other specialist research organisations. Individuals engaged solely in administrative and/or organisational activities are not eligible.
   For the purposes of the present Regulations, administrative or organisational activity is taken to refer to planning, organising, directing, overseeing and coordinating various aspects of an organisation’s work and does not include systematic or methodological studies carried out in order to obtain new knowledge or confirm existing theories.
5. 3.5. Applications must be submitted through the application form available on the Competition’s official website and must comply with the following requirements:
   1. 3.5.1. For the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Development nomination, the application must include:
      • Documentary evidence of the applied nature of the development (e.g., test protocols, implementation reports, or other supporting documents);
      • Documentary confirmation of the applicant’s authorship (e.g., an official letter from the organisation or other relevant document);
      • A patent for the development or its individual elements (if available);
      • Published scientific articles or conference abstracts (if available);
      • A detailed description of the development, including a clear and unambiguous formulation of its compliance with one or more categories listed in Clause 2.2 of these Regulations;
      • A CV containing the applicant’s full name, contact phone number, email, academic titles, awards (if any), achievements, and positions held (including previous places of employment).
      • Applications may also include international and/or national patents, evaluations from relevant agencies/committees/research centres, or letters of recommendation. Applicants may submit documents confirming applications for patent registration or manuscripts of scientific articles accepted for publication. Applications will be given greater consideration if they include an analytical review similar to the one required for the New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept nomination (as outlined in Clause 3.5.3 of these Regulations).
   3. 3.5.2. For the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Article nomination, the application must include:
      • A scientific article and a justification, providing a clear and unambiguous explanation of the relevance of palladium applications in accordance with the categories defined in Clause 2.2 of these Regulations;
      • A CV containing the applicant’s full name, contact phone number, email, academic titles, awards (if any), achievements, positions held (including previous places of employment), and a list of key scientific publications.
      • Both published scientific articles and those accepted for publication with official confirmation are eligible for submission. Applications accompanied by an analytical review, similar to the one required for the New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept nomination (as outlined in Clause 3.5.3 of these Regulations), are given greater consideration.
   4. 3.5.3. For the New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept nomination, the application must include an analytical review with relevant references, comprising:
      • A description of the proposed product (type, functionality in the device or technology), the role and advantages of palladium, and the challenges the proposed palladium-containing product addresses;
      • An expert assessment of the palladium content in the proposed product and a forecast of its potential recovery rate through recycling;
      • An approximate assessment of the market size for the proposed product and a trend forecast;
      • An analysis of the competitive advantages of the product compared to existing alternatives in terms of cost, key properties, and service life;
      • An analysis of the product’s implementation prospects (timeline estimates considering the complexity of development, testing, and potential additional investments if the proposed product is not final, e.g., a catalyst);
      • A CV containing the applicant’s full name, contact phone number, email, academic titles, awards (if any), achievements, positions held (including previous places of employment), and a list of key scientific publications (if available).
   5. 3.6. Participants submit their applications in accordance with the categories listed in Clause 2.2 of these Regulations, while adhering to the application requirements specified in Clause 3.5 and considering the evaluation criteria outlined in Clause 4.11 of these Regulations.
   6. 3.7. Applications and accompanying documentation must be submitted in English.
   7. 3.8. By submitting an application, participants agree to the terms and conditions of the Competition as established by these Regulations. Participants explicitly give their full consent to participation in the Competition and to the ongoing use of their name (in full and in short), a description of their scientific work, invention, discovery or article, and their photographs and other images as winners of the Competition during events, in informational materials, and in press releases and advertising materials from the Operator or Partner, including in the aftermath of the event and in the promotion of future editions of the Competition. They also agree to the use (processing) of their personal data (including but not limited to collection, storage, processing and transmission), and the publication of their interviews and quotes in the media. Consent to the use (processing) of personal data is provided for the entire duration of the Competition and on an ongoing basis until consent is revoked.
   8. 3.9. The Operator will review applications that comply with the requirements outlined in Clauses 3.5–3.7 of these Regulations. Applications received are streamlined into one of the three nominations specified in Clause 2.3 of these Regulations.

   4. INTERNATIONAL EXPERT REVIEW OF COMPETITION APPLICATIONS

   1. 4.1. Participant applications that meet the requirements of these Regulations are forwarded by the Operator to the International Expert Council (the Jury) for an international review and selection of the Competition winners.
   2. 4.2. The international expert review stage is conducted within the timeframe established by the Operator and must not exceed 30 (thirty) calendar days.
   3. 4.3. The composition of the International Expert Council (the Jury) is formed from Competition Experts, consisting of 5 (five) to 7 (seven) Experts, and is approved by the Operator for an indefinite term. Members of the Jury are selected from among full-time staff of leading international universities, R&D centres, scientific organisations, and laboratories in the fields of chemistry, materials science, energy, metallurgy, and related areas. They must also meet the following criteria:
      • • Publication of thematic scientific articles in international journals ranked at least Q2;
        • Demonstrate proven experience in leading scientific teams or schools.

      The International Expert Council (the Jury) comprises all Competition Experts. The activities of the Jury are managed by the Chairperson, elected for a two-year term by the Operator from among the members of the Jury.

      If the Chairperson is unable to fulfil their duties during a meeting, the Jury may, by a majority vote of those present, appoint a substitute Chairperson for the meeting.

   4. 4.4. The Operator may annually rotate up to 3 (three) members of the International Expert Council (the Jury). Decisions regarding the rotation and approval of the new membership are made by the Operator through internal regulatory acts.
   5. 4.5. Grounds for the rotation of Jury members include:
      1. 4.5.1. A voluntary request to leave the Jury.
      2. 4.5.2. Inability to perform the duties of a Jury member due to health reasons.
      3. 4.5.3. Violation of any obligations outlined in Clause 4.8 of these Regulations.
   6. 4.6. Members of the International Expert Council (the Jury) receive remuneration for evaluating applications and selecting winners. The remuneration amount is determined by the Operator.
   7. 4.7. Members of the International Expert Council (the Jury) have the right to:
      1. 1. 4.7.1. Access all necessary information regarding the Jury’s activities and Competition procedures.
         2. 4.7.2. Obtain comprehensive details about the scientific works, articles, and materials submitted by Competition participants and review their content.
         3. 4.7.3. Make decisions and take actions related to the Jury’s activities and meeting outcomes.
         4. 4.7.4. Propose improvements to the Jury’s activities and Competition procedures.
            1. 4.8. Members of the International Expert Council (the Jury) are required to:
               1. 4.8.1. Comply with these Regulations and other governing documents of the Competition.
               2. 4.8.2. Maintain confidentiality regarding the Jury’s activities, the personal data of Competition participants, Competition procedures, application discussions, and decisions made.
               3. 4.8.3. Attend all Jury meetings and official events related to the Competition upon invitation by the Operator.
               4. 4.8.4. Keep Jury decisions regarding the Competition winners confidential until the official announcement as set out in these Regulations.
               5. 4.8.5. Avoid actions, statements, or comments that could harm the reputation of the Operator, Partner, or Competition.
            2. 4.9. Upon receiving an application, the Operator conducts a preliminary review to ensure compliance with these Regulations.
            3. 4.10. Applications that pass the preliminary review are forwarded to the International Expert Council (the Jury) for an international expert evaluation.
            4. 4.11. During the international review stage, applications in the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Development and New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept categories are evaluated based on the following criteria:
               1. 1) Novelty;
               2. 2) Scientific and technical feasibility (including timelines and development/implementation potential);
               3. 3) Market prospects (including market size, dynamics, and ESG compliance);
               4. 4) Competitive advantage (in terms of cost, key properties, and lifespan compared to existing alternatives);
               5. 5) Readiness level (stage of application readiness for practical use);
               6. 6) Application quality (completeness, thoroughness, and logical substantiation).

               For the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Article nomination, applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

               1. 1) Novelty;
               2. 2) Scientific and technical feasibility (including timelines and development/implementation potential);
               3. 3) Scope and advantages of the application;
               4. 4) Readiness level (stage of application readiness for practical use);
               5. 5) Application quality (completeness, thoroughness, and logical substantiation).
            5. 4.12. An expert is prohibited from evaluating an application if they:
               1. 4.12.1. Are or were in an employment, financial, or partnership relationship with the participant;
               2. 4.12.2. Contributed to preparing the application;
               3. 4.12.3. Are or were related to the participant;
               4. 4.12.4. Have co-authored publications with the participant.
            6. 4.13. Experts review applications, assess them based on the evaluation criteria, and compile expert reports with total scores. Applications in each category are ranked in descending order of total score. The participant with the highest total score in a category is declared the winner. In categories with two winners, the second winner is the participant with the next highest score.
            7. 4.14. The composition of Experts, expert reports, discussions, and decision-making processes within the Jury are strictly confidential. Breaches of confidentiality will result in disqualification of the application and/or removal of the offending expert.

      5. DETERMINATION OF COMPETITION WINNERS

      1. 1. 1. 5.1. The winners of the Competition are determined by the International Expert Council (the Jury) in accordance with the procedures established by these Regulations.
            2. 5.2. The decision on awarding prizes in the Competition is made by the International Expert Council (the Jury) at its meeting within 10 (ten) calendar days after the completion of the international review of applications.
            3. 5.3. A meeting is considered quorate if at least 2/3 of the members of the International Expert Council (the Jury) are present. Online meetings are allowed, provided strict confidentiality conditions are adhered to.
            4. 5.4. At the meeting of the International Expert Council (the Jury), the Chairperson, or the designated substitute, presents the individuals who have received the highest total scores according to the expert reports in each category. The Chairperson will propose for approval the candidacies of 2 (two) participants as winners of the Competition, competing for the 1st and 2nd places in the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Development and New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Article nominations, as well as 1 (one) participant as the winner in the New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept nomination.If 2 (or more) participants have identical total scores, the candidacies of these participants in the category with identical scores are put to a vote by the International Expert Council (the Jury). The vote will determine the winner based on the most promising applications of the current year, in accordance with the criteria established in these Regulations.

               Before the vote, the Experts listen to the Chairperson, and when supporting any participant with identical total scores, they take into account the maximum alignment of the applications with the evaluation criteria (Clause 4.11 of the Regulations), thereby voting for the winner. The winner is determined by the majority vote of the members of the International Expert Council (the Jury) participating in the voting. Each member of the International Expert Council (the Jury) has one vote and cannot abstain or avoid voting. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson’s vote, or that of their substitute, is decisive.

            5. 5.5. If the applications submitted by participants in any nomination do not reach the minimum Qualifying Total Score as determined by the International Expert Council (the Jury), indicating the level of the application according to the established evaluation criteria (Clause 4.11 of the Regulations), the International Expert Council (the Jury) will decide that there are no winners in that category for the current year. The monetary portion of the Prize Fund allocated for that category will be carried over to the following year’s Competition without being paid out.
            6. 5.6. The outcomes of the meeting of the International Expert Council (the Jury) are documented by the Chairperson or their substitute in a protocol detailing the decisions made, which is signed by the members of the Jury participating in the meeting. Any objections regarding the meeting procedure and the documentation of the decisions are to be resolved by the Chairperson on the same day. The decisions made by the International Expert Council (the Jury) are final and cannot be revisited or cancelled.

      The names of the winners in the respective categories are announced by the representative of the Competition Operator or the Chairperson of the International Expert Council (the Jury) within 5 (five) calendar days after the meeting of the Jury.

      6. AWARDING OF COMPETITION WINNERS

      1. 1. 1. 6.1. The awarding of the Competition winners takes place either as an independent event or as part of the agenda of international forums, conferences, sessions, and other specialised events of an economic, scientific, technological, or educational nature.
            2. 6.2. The winners of the Competition are entitled to a prize package (Clause 1.7 of the Regulations). The diploma and statuette for the Competition winners are presented during the awards ceremony. The monetary part of the Prize Fund will be distributed among the winners as follows:
               • Winners in the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Development nomination receive $120,000 (one hundred twenty thousand US dollars) for 1st place and $60,000 (sixty thousand US dollars) for 2nd place;
               • Winners in the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Article nomination receive $80,000 (eighty thousand US dollars) for 1st place and $40,000 (forty thousand US dollars) for 2nd place;
               • The winner in the New Palladium Applications: Best Applied Concept nomination receives $50,000 (fifty thousand US dollars).
            3. 6.3. The monetary prize (Prize Fund) will be paid to the winners within 30 (thirty) calendar days after the Competition awards ceremony. In case of cancellation or postponement of the awards ceremony, the monetary part of the prize will be paid to the winners by the end of the year of the Competition.
            4. 6.4. If a winner of the Competition refuses to accept the award, including the monetary prize, or fails to allocate the prize in the interests of science or education by the end of the year of the Competition, the monetary portion of the prize, allocated to that winner, will remain the property of the Operator and may be used to cover the Prize Fund for the next year’s Competition.
            5. 6.5. The Operator will announce the date, time, and location of the awards ceremony no later than 10 (ten) calendar days before the event. The winners will participate in all scientific and educational activities, including specialised discussion platforms conducted with the Operator’s involvement or on its initiative.
            6. 6.6. The winners must personally attend the awards ceremony and deliver a brief speech about their work and participation in the Competition.
            7. 6.7. The winners of the Competition will be mentioned in all informational materials and press releases of the Operator and/or Competition Partner about the Competition and the achievements of the winners at the discretion of the Operator/Competition Partner, without the need for consent from the participants and/or winners.

      7. WINNERS OF THE COMPETITION AND SUPPORT AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY

      1. 1. 7.1. The rights and obligations of the Competition winners, as well as the payment of the monetary portion of the prize (Prize Fund), are regulated by a contract that the winner signs with the Operator.
         2. 7.2. The winner of the Competition must, within one year after the award ceremony, participate on a voluntary basis, in agreement with the Operator, in the following:
            1. 7.2.1. Participate in an extended interview for the Operator, through media outlets selected by the Operator, or at a press conference summarising the Competition;
            2. 7.2.2. Participate in two public events (lectures, forums, conferences, congresses, symposia, and other events with scientific, economic, or international significance) conducted by the Operator or at the Operator’s invitation;
            3. 7.2.3. Inform the Operator about any events they plan to attend, published articles, interviews, books, and provide relevant photo and video materials, quotes from speeches, and textual materials related to the Competition winner’s scientific activities.
            4. 7.2.4. Winners in the New Palladium Applications: Best Scientific Development nomination must prepare scientific articles based on their research and development results and, in coordination with the Operator, submit them for publication in international scientific journals.
         3. 7.3. As part of the participation in the awards ceremony or events at the Operator’s invitation, the winner will be provided with the following support by the Operator:
            1. 7.3.1. Travel expenses for the winner and one accompanying person will be reimbursed, as well as accommodation in a hotel not lower than a 4-star level for the duration of participation in the Operator’s events, taking into account the necessary time for arrival and departure.
            2. 7.3.2. Transportation services for the entire duration of participation in the Operator’s events.
            3. 7.3.3. An assistant will be provided to the winner for programme coordination and to facilitate interaction with the Operator.
         4. 7.4. Services received by the winner on their own initiative or without prior coordination with the Operator, including additional services (room service, minibars, bars, laundry, dry cleaning and ironing, concierge services at hotels, phone calls, internet services, business centre usage, meals outside the programme, exchange or purchase of travel documents without the Operator’s approval), will be paid for by the winner independently, and the Operator will not provide compensation for these services.