STEM for BRITAIN is an annual poster competition and exhibition run by the Parliamentary & Scientific Committee during British Science Week. Its aim is to give members of Parliament an insight into research work being undertaken in UK universities by early-career researchers. Finalists are invited along with their MPs to the House of Commons for the day, where they present their posters and engage in discussion around their research with MPs, academic judges and representatives from a variety of industries.
I’d highly recommend the competition. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity to network and engage with policymakers. The day was also a lot of fun, well worth the time to make an application. A highlight for me was an exciting discussion with Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, about sustainability and carbon capture research in Nottingham.
My personal motivation for research in this area is Jesus’ call to “love our neighbour as ourselves”, which has given me a heart for those in developing nations who stand to suffer the most from the disastrous effects of climate change and rising sea levels. I was therefore truly honoured to receive 1st place in the Dyson Sustainability Awards. I wish to express a huge thanks and give credit to my supervisors (Andrea Laybourn, Ifty Ahmed, Becca Ferrari), others involved in the research (Amy Johnston, Ed Lester) and the CDT in Sustainable Chemistry.
Find out more about the competition here: https://stemforbritain.org.uk/ and feel free to get in touch with me if you’d like any more info about applying! (john.woodliffe@nottingham.ac.uk)
(Photo credit: The Parliamentary & Scientific Committee and John Deehan Photography)
