FAQ
- Who is eligible to participate?
- What does it cost to participate?
- What are the benefits of participating?
- I do not live in Lansing. Can I still participate?
- How can I register?
- What is the format of the Brain Bee?
- How can I prepare?
- Are there sample questions available?
- What are the differences between local, national, and international brain bee competitions?
- How many brain bees can I participate in?
Who is eligible to participate?
All high school students, including home-schooled students, are able to participate
in the Brain Bee at MSU. Individuals must be between 14 and 18 years of age at the
time of the competition.
What does it cost to participate?
There is no cost to register for the Brain Bee at MSU.
What are the benefits of participating?
Everyone who particpates in the Brain Bee at MSU will receive a certificate of completion.
The winner of the Brain Bee at MSU competition will receive $700 toward travel costs (airfare, hotel, and registration) for the student and a guardian to attend the National Brain Bee Competition.
The Second Place winner will receive $200.
The Third Place winner will receive $100.
The winner of the National Brain Bee will receive $1500, a paid summer internship with an esteemed neuroscientist, and a trip for two to the International Brain Bee Championship.
International Brain Bee prizes include scholarships, travel awards, trophies and research assignments. Currently, the winner of the International Brain Bee Championship will be awarded $3000, a summer research fellowship with an acclaimed neuroscientist, and a traveling trophy for display at his or her school. The second place finisher will receive $2000, and the third place finisher will receive $1000
I do not live in Lansing. Can I still participate?
Individuals that do not live in the Greater Lansing area can still participate in
the Brain Bee at MSU. However, other brain bees do exist in Michigan, so those individuals
should determine if another local bee is closer.
How can I register?
Registration is quick and easy.
What is the format of the Brain Bee?
The Brain Bee at MSU will consist of three rounds of competition. Session I will be
a multiple-choice written exam. Session II will be an oral question and answer session.
Session III will be the Championship Round. Further information can be found on our
Event Overview page and our Event Rules page.
How can I prepare?
The best way to prepare for the Brain Bee at MSU is to study the Brain Facts (PDF or audio book), a booklet published by the Society for Neuroscience.
All questions will be based upon information found in Brain Facts. Neuroscience research is constantly updating our knowledge of the brain and nervous system, but to make our competition fair for all students, only content covered in Brain Facts will be considered correct. Information based on other sources cannot be accepted.
Are sample questions available?
The International Brain Bee website provides a few sample questions for brain bee participants.
What are the differences between local, national, and international brain bee competitions?
The questions used in local brain bees will be based on material found in Brain Facts, a booklet published by the Society for Neuroscience. Most local bees consist of only written and oral questions.
The National Brain Bee will cover material from Brain Facts as well as Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain (a booklet published by the British Neuroscience Association) and information that can be found in a basic neuroanatomy or neurophysiology textbook. The National Brain Bee will consist of written and oral questions as well as neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnoses.
The International Brain Bee will use the same study materials as the National Brain Bee and will have similar testing sessions.
How many brain bees can I participate in?
Each individual may participate in one local brain bee per year. Students are only
allowed to participate at the national and international level one time.