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The Science Challenge is back for another year of giving young scientists the opportunity to show off their science communication skills! Keep reading to find out how to enter!

The Science Challenge is the Royal College of Science Union's annual science communication competition. It gives young scientists the opportunity to develop the skills to talk about science in a way that is engaging and fun to people who don’t necessarily have a science background.

The competition involves producing a short piece of science communication, in answer to one the questions set by our guest judges. With exciting prizes and a wide range of interesting questions, perfect for showing off your skills, this year’s Science Challenge promises to be a very exciting competition!

Key Information

Key Information

Dates:

Competition Opens: Friday 1 March 2024
Submission Deadline: Friday 26 April at 17.00
Awards Ceremony: Friday 21 June

How to enter:

This is an individual competition so we will not be accepting team entries this year. Entries are short pieces of science communication, written entries: 1000 words, video entries: maximum 3 minutes 30 seconds. 

Enter the competition now!

Eligibility:

The Science Challenge consists of two categories: School Students and Imperial College Students. We're proud to announce that this year the competition will be opened to all Imperial undergraduates and Master's students. We would love to receive an entry from you if you are

  • A school student in your last four years of secondary education (Equivalent to UK year 10 - 13).
  • Currently enrolled as an Imperial College undergraduate student or Master's student.

Entries are welcome from schools in the UK and internationally. Imperial undergraduates will answer the same prompts as the school students but will be judged separately. While multiple entries will be accepted from each school, only one winner/runner up will be allowed per school per question.

Note: This is an individual competition so we will not be accepting team entries this year

In our RCSU Science Challenge 2024 eligibility document, you can find out accepted entry formats as well as terms and conditions.

"Science does not exist in a vacuum and science communication allows the translating of knowledge to different fields in order for it to be applicable in our daily lives." - Science Challenge Participant 2021/22 

What will I have to do?

That is a great question, we're glad you asked! The competition involves producing a short piece of fun and engaging science communication that someone without a scientific background can not only understand but enjoy!

Some of the prompts will specify a type of communication (i.e. written, video, etc..) and others will leave it up to you. An indication of what typically constitutes a 'short' piece of science communication is:

  • Written entries: 1000 words max.
  • Video entries: 3 minutes 30 seconds max.

It's often the case that the best (and most fun to make) pieces of science communication are ones that are outside of the box, so we hope this inspires you to get creative!



Why do we do this?

Science is part of everyone's lives in some way or another, but for many people just hearing the word is enough to spark an intense combination of anxiety, anger and nausea. 

A common sentiment is that science is only for scientists to understand; not everyone needs to or even can understand it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, science is just the window that lets us see into how all the things around us work and why they work that way. The problem is, with the way that science is presented in popular media, that window gets covered in dust and dirt for most people; making it impossible to see through. The job of science communicators is to clean that window; making what initially seemed distant and unattainable, into something interesting, exciting, approachable and fun.

We hope to inspire those who take part in the Science Challenge to explore, develop and use their scientific skills along with their passion for their corner of science to help others see what all the excitement is about.

Why should I enter?

We think there are too many great reasons to enter the Science Challenge to even begin to count, but here are some of the best ones:

  • You will have the opportunity to discover where the science you've learned from textbooks sits in both science more widely and in society.
  • You will get the chance to develop the skills to communicate science in concise, engaging, and creative ways; a crucial skill for all careers in STEM.
  • Prizes include publication of written work, a trip to the House of Lords and free tickets to the Cheltenham Science Festival*.
  • You will have the opportunity to discuss the areas of science you're most interested in with more freedom (and fun) than an exam question or presentation.