Royce Partner Discover Materials has been successful in securing funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering’s (RAEng) prestigious Ingenious Grant for their project ‘Mapping the future of materials science and engineering’.
The Ingenious scheme prioritises projects that reach diverse and underrepresented audiences including communities in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK and that engage with engineers and people of different genders, ages and ethnic backgrounds.
As part of the project, led by the University of Birmingham, early-career engineers from the Discover Materials Ambassador network will engage with 11-14-year-old school pupils to understand their perception of materials science and engineering and co-create a vibrant graphical illustration of this exciting field of engineering.
These graphics will be showcased at outreach events, including the Cheltenham Science Festival, and made freely available online – leaving a legacy of public engagement and reusable teaching materials that will help inspire the next generation of Materials Scientists and Engineers, and a cohort of newly skilled science communicators.
Dr Chris Hamlett, Discover Materials National Outreach Officer, said:
“It is fantastic that Discover Materials has been awarded this funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering as it will help upskill our ambassadors in science communication. This will give them the skills to share their expertise with 11-14 year olds and work with them to produce cocreated content to inspire the next generation of materials scientists and engineers.”
About Discover Materials
Discover Materials is a collaboration between a group of UK universities’ Materials Science Departments, Royce and other members of the materials science community who work to increase awareness of Materials Science and Engineering amongst school-aged children. As part of this project the Royce supports presence at events such as the Association for Science Educators (ASE) conference, Cheltenham Science Festival, and the Big Bang Fair.
Find out more at https://discovermaterials.co.uk/
