Eligibility
Any student in grades 9-12 can initiate a CTB project of their choice as an individual or in a small team of no more than 10 students by registering on the CTB website (www.chinathinksbig.com) and participating in a paper submission.
Both English and Chinese can be used for your paper as well as your communication with us and the coach. This does not mean everyone in CTB must be bilingual. You can choose to only participate in the Chinese National Conference if you have no intention to extend the work to the English-speaking world. Or, you can find teammates fluent in English and balance the workload. Remember, CTB is not a language challenge. What we look for are the ideas behind the languages you use: your creative discoveries and practical results.
Project Selection Criteria
Projects in CTB vary greatly in types and fields. You are welcome to start from your own interests and your project thesis can be interdisciplinary. In the process of completing the project, you can give full play to your personal academic advantages and show your unique perspectives and insights in the thesis, from a more energy-efficient roof-top garden design to a documentary on the life of migration workers, to a machine-learning empowered scheduling system for traffic lights. It seems impossible to compare the achievement level of these projects. In fact, CTB does not only look at the depth of the achievements themselves. We care also about the impact it has made as well as how you have arrived at creating the solution. Therefore, CTB adopts a holistic approach to judging.
The world is changing rapidly, and we encourage you to record innovative discoveries and practical results in the form of paper by referring to the scientific methodology. These are the things you will need to succeed in college and your career and these are the things we measure at CTB.
Academic Quality
- Does the project show a strong understanding of relevant academic materials?
- Have the correct, rigorous research methods been employed?
- Does the project incorporate appropriate forms of data collection and analysis?
- Is there a clear conclusion that states and explains findings and limitations?
Innovation
- Are there meaningful original contributions that go beyond pre-existing work?
- Does the project demonstrate an understanding of similar innovations and solutions?
Feasibility, Viability and Desirability
- Is it sustainable to facilitate implementation and/or the results of the project can be tested through experiments?
- Can the impact of the project be judged by establishing a reasonable measurement standard?
- Is the research method or innovation action technically feasible, sustainable and evolving?
Quality of Achievements
- Do the project’s achievements reflect professional-level skills?
- Does the form of the achievement appropriately reflect the needs of the topic?
- Has the team attempted to enact real implementation beyond mere plans?
Ability to Present and Defend
- Are the contents and achievements of the project clearly stated and presented?
- Are participants able to successfully answer on-site review questions?
In addition to the above considerations, students’ educational backgrounds will be considered, and special consideration will be given to the groups with disadvantaged educational resources and/or groups from remote areas based on the discretion of the organizers.
Benefits and Opportunities
Certificate of Participation
Teams that complete the submission process and are successfully selected to participate in the National Conference will receive a certificate of participation from the CTB Organizing Committee. Teams participating in the CTB Standard Program or CTB Guided Program will receive a certificate of completion upon completion and submission of their final paper, and teams participating in the CTB National and CTB Global Conferences will receive an additional certificate for their academic exploration and achievements.
Selection for Digital Library and CTB Proceedings
Papers that pass the review and evaluation by CTB paper review committee will be included in the CTB Digital Library and CTB Proceedings as your first academic publication, which will become a strong point on your resume and can be used to prove your academic research and collaboration abilities to universities in the future.
Exchange with international experts and scholars
At the CTB National and Global Conferences, you will represent the young generation of junior scholars. There, you will communicate and discuss with international professors and scholars, relevant industry experts, and front-line senior practitioners in your field of research, learn about the cutting-edge developments in your academic field and its application in the industry, and gain deeper insights such as future research opportunities and academic resources.
Coaching Training and Certification
Outstanding instructors, coaches, and mentors from participating schools will be eligible for the Outstanding School Organization honor and the Outstanding Coach honor, and will be invited to attend CTB coach training.
Make an Impact in Your Community
The research you conduct throughout your CTB journey can serve as a strong foundation for an actionable plan to solve a real problem in your community. Once your research ideas are formulated, the doors are open to a wide variety of possibilities for social impact based on the work you’ve done.
Alumni Network
In key schools across China, former CTB participants and
alumni have formed associations to better foster student
involvement with CTB. This year, the CTB organizing committee
will continue to accept applications for new chapters,
providing support and educational resources, yearly planning
and relevant course materials, and other resources to
encourage student research, innovation, and creativity. At the
end of each semester, outstanding associations, presidents,
and core club members will be recognized.
By joining our alumni network, you will have the opportunity
to become friends with thousands of talented alumni who share
your spirit of innovation and inquiry, and who may even become
your teammates in college and even in the workplace in the
near future.
