Introduction of OTDT

National Association for Student Research

The National Association for Student Research (OTDT) was established 75 years ago as the national professional organization for the student research movement in Hungarian higher education. Its primary mission is to support students’ research, coordinate academic student research groups, and provide a consistent, transparent framework for these activities. Essentially, the OTDT creates and maintains the framework within which university students’ independent research can be presented and evaluated in an organized manner, at a high professional standard, and with a unified approach, with particular emphasis on organizing the OTDK and ensuring the quality of the research papers and their evaluation.

To ensure the fulfillment of the above objectives, the OTDT establishes professional guidelines and a framework for student research group activities at higher education institutions in Hungary and cross-border institutions. It operates, coordinates, and develops the higher education institutional Association for Student Research (TDK) network, whose members include the Association for Student Research (TDT) chairs and TDT referents of institutions, faculties/faculty-level units, and departments, as well as supervisors, reviewers, and panel members of institutional TDK conferences. This network of thousands of members ensures that approximately 13,000 students each year can present their TDK works at higher education institutions, of whom 4,000 to 5,000 participate at the National Student Research Conference.

The OTDT organization plays a key role in maintaining and developing the framework and quality assurance. Members of OTDT, the Executive Board, and the section committees of the scientific fields help ensure that TDK research groups operate within institutions in accordance with the jointly formulated principles.

As part of its quality assurance efforts for institutional student research groups, the OTDT operates an administrative system for recording student research  data, which contains information on the student research groups at various institutions; furthermore, the National Student Research Conference is organized through this system.

National Student Research Conference

The National Student Research Conference (OTDK), held every two years, is the largest academic gathering in Hungarian higher education, where students who have produced the most outstanding TDK works can present their findings, and where generations of young researchers have taken their first important steps in their professional careers. The OTDK is also more than 70 years old; in 2027, the OTDT and selected higher education institutions will organize it for the 38th time in 16 scientific sections.

However, the unique value of the OTDK lies not only in the research works presented and the results achieved, but also in the professional and personal connections that are forged during the nearly one-and-a-half-month-long conference series. Young talents from various institutions and scientific fields have the opportunity to meet one another, learn about each other’s research and ways of thinking, receive feedback on their own work, and initiate conversations and collaborations that may become a defining part of their future professional paths. The true strength of the OTDK lies (in part) in the fact that, in addition to showcasing outstanding achievements, it builds a community: it brings together young people united by curiosity, the search for answers, and the creation of new ideas, and it offers them a real opportunity to meet professionals who can inspire them, show them new perspectives, and help them take their next professional steps.

OTDK results are used in a wide range of applications and evaluations; therefore, the OTDT regularly provides data to sectoral authorities, higher education professional organizations, higher education institutions, as well as OTDK participants, reviewers, panel members, and organizers.

Talent Passport

OTDT’s goal is to bridge the gap between high school and university talent development programs; for this purpose, it established the Talent Passport Program, under which young people who perform well each year in high school competitions (the National Secondary School Academic Competition, the National Science and Innovation Olympiad, Dennis Gabor High School Scholarship) are given the opportunity to join the TDK as soon as possible. In addition to the Talent Passport Program, the OTDT also works to encourage as many high school students as possible to get involved in TDK research at higher education institutions, and then to participate in the OTDK and present their own research findings. The Talent Passport also plays an important role in helping outstanding students become more familiar with domestic higher education institutions before making their decisions about further study. By now, more than 100 high school students regularly participate in OTDK conferences with their research papers, and approximately 500 Talent Passports are awarded each year at events organized through professional partnerships.

Tamás Roska Scientific Lectures

To promote careers in research, the OTDT established the Tamás Roska Scientific Lecture series, which aims to showcase successful doctoral career paths to OTDK participants. Doctoral students who have already passed their comprehensive exam, as well as recent PhD/DLA graduates, are eligible to apply for the Tamás Roska Scientific Lecture. At the end of the two-round evaluation process, one young researcher is selected from each OTDK section to deliver the Tamás Roska Scientific Lecture. The selection process involves the vice-presidents of the OTDT, the OTDT’s section committees, as well as representatives of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the National Doctoral Council. To ensure that the lectures maintain a consistent standard, the OTDT provides training for the winners of the competition.

Academic and Professional Awards and Honors

The OTDT has long established and awarded prizes and honors to recognize students and the faculty members who support them. The highest student honor is the Pro Scientia Gold Medal, for which first-place winners of the OTDK are eligible to apply. The Gold Medal for Excellence in Supervising may be awarded to supervisors, reviewers, panel members, and TDK referents for long-term, successful work in TDK. The Honoris Causa Pro Scientia Gold Medal and the OTDT Golden Badge were established to recognize those who actively support the TDK, while the Antal Máriás Memorial Medal honors the most distinguished senior masters. The OTDT Communication Award may be granted to journalists and communication professionals whose work contributes to raising awareness of the TDK. The Excellent TDK Organizer Award serves to recognize staff members who organize scientific student association activities at higher education institutions and their faculties.

Innovations Since 2022

The OTDT strives to ensure that the TDK continues to evolve while preserving its traditions and values. Since 2022, the following innovations have been introduced:

A) innOtdk: The goal of the innOtdk program is to assess the innovation potential of research results generated through TDK activities and, where relevant, to support their development. Given that OTDK covers all scientific fields, it is gratifying that the first innOtdk call for applications attracted a particularly large number of social innovation applications in addition to those in traditional innovation areas.

B) Premium Science Communication Program: This program, open to first-place winners of the OTDK, offers participants the opportunity to develop their communication skills by working alongside talented young people from other scientific fields. The Premium Science Communication Program is thus both a community-building and a professional development initiative.

C) Career guidance programs featuring Pro Scientia Gold Medalists: Pro Scientia Gold Medalists, who are close in age to high school students, hold career guidance discussions in high schools as part of OTDT’s efforts to promote science. OTDT’s partners in the program are the Association of the Pro Scientia Gold Medalists and the TDK Foundation.

D) The OTDT, in collaboration with the TDK Foundation, maintains the tehetsegfel.hu website, which is the largest searchable database of talent development programs offered by Hungarian higher education institutions to high school students. The programs are updated every year, and their number is constantly growing; currently, 89 programs from 23 universities are available on the site.

E) Scientific Communication: The goal of OTDT’s communication efforts is to promote the TDK and OTDK competitions, as well as careers in research. This goal is supported by the “OTDK Portrait Hall” („OTDK Arcképcsarnok”) video series featuring successful OTDK researchers and experts, as well as an active and influential social media presence.

Academic and Professional Collaborations

The OTDT collaborates with scientific and professional organizations in connection with its tasks. The honorary patrons of the OTDK are traditionally the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the minister responsible for coordinating science policy, who also serves as the main sponsor.

The OTDT has signed a cooperation agreement with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences that goes beyond the scope of the patronage duties, with the primary goal—through the launch of joint programs—of ensuring the next generation of researchers, involving young researchers in academic career orientation programs, and supporting young people’s efforts to popularize science.

The OTDT also plays a role in the EELISA international student research project, which can be considered a pilot project for the internationalization of TDK.

The OTDT’s key partners include the Association of the Pro Scientia Gold Medalists, the National Union of Students in Hungary, The Association of Hungarian PhD and DLA Candidates, the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference and its Standing Committee for Talent Support, the Hungarian Association for Innovation, the Association of Hungarian Talent Support Organizations, and the National Talent Support Council.

Legal Framework

Recognizing the importance of the TDK, the OTDK, and the OTDT, Act LXI of 1996, amending Act LXXX of 1993 on Higher Education, established the OTDT as the professional and advocacy body for students engaged in academic student research activities and the faculty members who support them.

The regulations governing the TDK, OTDK, and OTDT are also set forth in Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education; In addition, as of January 1, 2021, the OTDT was granted independent legal personality under the National Higher Education Act, with the Act also stipulating that the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund shall provide the necessary funding for the operation of the OTDT and the organization of the OTDKs.