SET for Britain, a series of poster competitions hosted in the House of Commons, was held this year on 18 March and The Physiological Society were proud to be a part of a collaboration running the event. The aim of the competition is to help politicians understand more about the UK’s thriving science and engineering base, and reward some of the strongest scientific and engineering research being undertaken in the UK.
The event involved 180 early stage or early career researchers, who had their posters judged by professional and academic experts. Each category – engineering, biological and biomedical sciences, physical sciences (chemistry) or physical sciences (physics) – awarded Bronze (£1,000), Silver (£2,000) and Gold (£3,000) prizes.
Jonathan Ashmore, President of The Physiological Society, said, “The standard, as always, was very high and just being selected to present marked a significant achievement and excellent work. I do hope that this inspires not only those attending, but also other early career scientists to continue to explain and communicate their work and its impact. The Physiological Society was delighted to be able to support this event and ensure Parliament remains aware of the central importance of science to the UK.”
SET for Britain was established by Dr Eric Wharton in 1997. Following his untimely death in 2007, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, with support from The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Institute of Physics, the Society of Biology, The Royal Society of Chemistry, The Physiological Society and the Society of Chemical Industry are working together to further his legacy. This year, financial support was gratefully received from BP, Airbus/EADS, INEOS, AgChemAccess, Essar, the Institute of Biomedical Science, GAMBICA and WMG.
Andrew Miller MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said, “This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers. These early career scientists are the architects of our future and SET for Britain is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”
And the Biology winners were…
Gold: Joanna Brunker, 26, a PhD student in the Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering at University College London, for her research into a new imaging technique called ‘acoustic-resolution photoacoustic Doppler flowmetry’ which can provide new insights into the behaviour of tumours.
Joanna said, “I am delighted that my research was so well received. Winning this medal makes me all the more determined to continue with my research so that I can make a difference to our understanding and treatment of tumours.”
Silver: Nick Morant, 30, a scientist in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath, for his research which describes novel DNA polymerase for use in DNA detection, a technique used during the recent horsemeat scandal.
Nick said, “I feel very privileged to come second in the year that SET for Britain has seen a record number of applications.”
Bronze: Nicola Hemmings, 28, a post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Animal and Plant Science at the University of Sheffield, for her research on diagnosing fertility problems in critically endangered birds, with techniques that are now helping to improve the breeding success in several conservation projects.
Nicola said, “It was a fantastic opportunity to attend SET for Britain – I was delighted to be given the chance to talk about my work to a wider audience and engage with politicians. Winning a prize is particularly rewarding as it proves that I have been successful in communicating the importance and value of the work I am doing to a non-scientific audience. Ultimately, these are the people who are funding my research, so if I can persuade them that it’s worthwhile, then I’m winning!”