FZI Live
FameLab 2026 – Talking Science
Get out of the lab and onto the stage!
FameLab is an international competition for science communication that has also been held annually in Germany since 2011. In over 30 countries, FameLab brings scientists on stage – and the motto is: “Talking Science.” Karlsruhe is the venue for the southwestern German preliminary round, which will take place on May 8 at the Tollhaus Karlsruhe. The event is organized by the City of Karlsruhe’s Science Office.
At FameLab, young scientists compete against each other with a three-minute presentation and present their topic to a broad audience. They are not allowed to use charts or PowerPoint; only aids they can bring on stage themselves.
Unlike in a science slam, it is not the audience that votes in FameLab, but a jury. The evaluation criteria are content, comprehensibility, and charisma.
There are virtually no limits to the creativity of the participants: to convince the jury, they need a presentation that is factually correct, easy to understand, and, above all, contains the right mix of science and humor!
FameLab is an international competition: the winners of the regional preliminaries (currently Bremerhaven, Dresden, Karlsruhe, Regensburg, and Bielefeld in Germany) will compete against each other in the national final on July 1, 2026, at the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle in Bielefeld. In preparation, the candidates will receive professional communication and media training in Bielefeld on June 12 and 13, 2026. The winner will then represent their country at the international FameLab final in November 2026.
More about the Famelab see also:
Who can participate?
Master’s students, doctoral candidates, and researchers aged 21 and over are eligible to participate in FameLab Germany.
Whether in medicine, computer science, social work, or political science, participants are free to choose any topic from the natural or social sciences.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 15, 2026
Partners
Famelab Karlsruhe is organized by the Science Office of the City of Karlsruhe and supported by the following institutions:
- FZI Research Center for Information Technology
- Atruvia AG
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
- Kulturzentrum Tollhaus
- Nationales Institut für Wissenschaftskommunikation (NaWiK)
- X2E GmbH
The FZI at FameLab 2026
- FZI Executive Director Jan Wiesenberger participates as a jury member in the FameLab regional decision in Karlsruhe.
- In addition, the FZI will present more of its work at an information stand during the FameLab evening.
