France Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition for French high school students. The mission of this initiative is to make young students aware of the major functions of the brain, to create vocations and to give them a better understanding of neurological and mental diseases.
Presentation
Paris Brain Institute, as an international institute of excellence in research on the nervous system, has been the official organizer of the French edition of the France Brain Bee Olympiads since 2019.
These Olympiads focus on neuroscience knowledge and its challenges, but also aim to dispel the misinformation that unfortunately circulates all too often about the brain and related diseases.
Organized in English, these olympiads allow students to develop their knowledge in neuroscience, but also to strengthen their skills in the language commonly shared by researchers around the world.
By participating in this competition, students will also have the opportunity to meet the professionals and experts of the Brain Institute, to ask all their questions and to think about a possible future direction in scientific careers.
The competition consists of the following four events:
Written test
In this one-hour test, students will be asked about 30 multiple-choice or open-ended questions about neuroscience.
Diagnosis of patients
In this one-hour test, participants act as physicians and will attempt to analyze and diagnose the pathology of 6 fictitious patients (10min per patient).
To pass this test, several resources are available:
- A descriptive video showing certain motor and/or other visual symptoms of the patient;
- A case report consisting of a short description of the patient's condition as told by the patient/family/doctors;
- A scratch sheet on which students can set up medical tests to obtain valuable clues to diagnose the pathology of the fictitious patient. Be careful, however, to select the most relevant tests to earn the maximum number of points!
Neuroanatomy and Neurohistory Testing
In the section on neuroanatomy/histology, students should try to name all the structures presented in the syllabus provided by the Brain Institute and assign them a general function. Structures must be identified by several means such as photos, brain models, schematics, or microscopic brain sections.
Question and Answer Test live
For the five best pupils selected in the first three tests, a final question and answer section will have to be overcome in order to be selected. On this occasion, students will be asked 15 questions live on the Olympiad stage.
Information on applications
Beginning with the 2025 edition, participation in the Olympic Games will be subject to a bidding process.
Each participant must submit a cover letter explaining their interest in the registration form.
In addition, it is mandatory to designate a teacher as a reference.
This teacher will be responsible for supervising the participant’s participation until the day of the competition.
The registration period is generally from early September to mid-January.
Applications will be evaluated and responses (positive or negative) will be sent by e-mail by the end of January at the beginning of February.
For information on the application dates for this edition click here:
https://catalogue.openbrainschool.com/learn/courses/98/application-to-take-part-in-the-2025-neuroscience-olympiad
Conditions de participation
- Les élèves ne doivent pas être âgés de plus de 19 ans au moment de leur participation aux Olympiades.
- Seuls les élèves inscrits dans des établissements d'enseignement situés sur le territoire français peuvent participer.
- Les élèves étrangers étudiant dans des établissements d'enseignement sur le territoire français sont également éligibles.
- Les Olympiades se dérouleront à l'Institut du Cerveau.
- Les épreuves ne se déroulera pas simultanément en présentiel et en ligne.
Vous n'habitez pas en région parisienne ? Nous pouvons vous aider
Nous avons le plaisir de vous proposer une aide financière pour couvrir une partie des frais de voyage liés à votre participation aux olympiades.
Nous comprenons que les frais de déplacement peuvent parfois constituer un obstacle, c'est pourquoi nous avons mis en place cette initiative afin d'alléger ce fardeau. Que vous veniez de près ou de loin, notre objectif est de faciliter votre présence et de vous permettre de profiter pleinement de cette expérience enrichissante.
Si vous avez des questions concernant les conditions de ce soutien financier ou tout autre détail logistique, nous vous encourageons vivement à contacter notre équipe.
Pour nous contacter : education@icm-institute.org
To best prepare you for the Olympics, Paris Brain Institute has a new flexible two-stage training program with a wide variety of content and activities.
Introduction to Neuroscience:
This training plan is intended for people new to the field of neuroscience.
For more information, click here: https://catalogue.openbrainschool.com/learn/learning-plans/6/parcours-dintroduction-aux-neurosciences
Neuroscience Olympics: Training Programme
This training plan will help you prepare for the Neuroscience Olympics.
For more information, click here: https://catalogue.openbrainschool.com/learn/learning-plans/5/neuroscience-olympiad-full-program-for-hight-school-student
Resources and activities for teachers
Are you a teacher?
Paris Brain Institute offers many ideas for activities to create enthusiasm and animate your class around the France Brain Bee Olympiads.
Click here to discover these activities: Resources and activities for teachers
International Neuroscience Olympics
The France Brain Bee Olympics are part of the International Brain Bee (IBB), a competition created in 1998 in which students from all over the world compete.
A specific preparation programme is offered to the French representative, notably through a one-week internship at Paris Brain Institute.
For more information on the International Olympiads: https://www.thebrainbee.org/
