The Henry Royce Institute is sponsoring 2021’s prestigious Young Persons’ Lecture Competition, an annual event organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).
The competition is open to students and professionals up to the age of 28, and invites them to deliver a fifteen-minute lecture, judged to a broad range of criteria. Lectures can be on any topic related to materials, minerals, mining, packaging, clay technology, wood science or more generally about engineering.
Each IOM3 Local Society selects one participant to represent them at the regional finals, the winners of which compete in the national competition. From there, participants from across six continents gather for the Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition.
In 2020, the competition was held virtually for the first time, and the global winner was the UK’s Morgan Lowther, a PhD student from the University of Birmingham who had accessed Royce imaging facilities in the course of his research into hip implants.
Past winners of the IOM3 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition have gone from strength to strength within the materials community, using their science communication skills in academia and industry.
Nick Rimmer, Head of Business Engagement at Royce, welcomed the opportunity to support IOM3, saying, “We at Royce are continually looking for ways to support the development of new talent within the materials community, and IOM3’s long-running Young Persons’ Lecture Competition has a fantastic reputation for doing just that.”
Dr Phil Bischler CEng CSci FIMMM, Chair of YPLC Members Board and Head of Judging Panel says, “We are pleased to have the Henry Royce Institute on board with this Institute flagship event. Taking part allows young scientists and engineers to demonstrate their communications skills to a wide audience. This is a vital skill to develop and past participants find that the competition improves their career prospects and has led to many new research or job opportunities.”
In 2021, the first rounds of the Young Persons’ Lecture Competition will also be held virtually, with local heats starting in late January and running until mid-March.
Find out more about the competition, or apply to join a local heat.
