Why not add your events or activities to our national events listing? We welcome events from a range of organisations, whether you are a British Science Association Branch, a charity, a business or a visitor centre and you are putting on an event for the public then we'd like to hear about it!

Events can be about anything, though our listing is focussed on science, technology, engineering and maths events for the public. Please note that while we may accept your event onto our events listing, the British Science Association does not endorse these events.

Our events listing contains events all throughout the year with a focus on National Science & Engineering Week.

Please contact regions@britishscienceassociation.org for details on listing your event

This grant scheme is now closed for applications. For more information about funding for NSEW, have a look at the NSEW guide to funding.

The British Science Association offers grants to certain schools and organisations to help fund National Science & Engineering Week events and activities. We also offer a range of help guides and activity packs to help you plan your events, along with a guide to funding. 

For 2013 there are three NSEW grants available from the British Science Association:

NSEW grant scheme for Wales (closed)

Kick Start grant for schools in challenging circumstances (closed)

NSEW grant scheme for Scotland (closed)

If you have applied for any of these grant schemes don't forget to also register your event on our event listing so you can request free marketing materials and (if a school) be included in our school prize draw. Register your event here.

This year's theme gives a great opportunity to celebrate the ‘everyman’ scientist and inventor and to highlight the science and engineering behind the nation’s favourite gadgets and goods.

Much of the world around us has at some point been invented and everyday problems lead to new innovations to solve them. Explorers of the natural world discover new things every day, from new species to space phenomena.

Invention and discovery is a broad theme encompassing many aspects of science and engineering, which can be interpreted in many different ways at your events and activities. We hope it will inspire hands-on invention challenges and discovery expeditions for people of all ages.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started

What can you invent or discover? - people from all walks of life can turn their hand to invention and  can get out and about and discover the world around them- from programming a new mobile app to finding out about our galaxy.

Inventions that changed the world – celebrating the scientific revolution and showing how it shaped the world around us; from the discovery of gravity to the invention of the internet, from Archimedes to Apple and from penicillin to plastic. What was invented in your area?

The next big thing – what are scientists and engineers working on at the moment? A chance to look ahead to emerging technologies, cutting-edge discoveries and brand new products; from synthetic biology to motion-controlled TV.

Solving the problems facing our planet - from renewable energy technologies to novel food-growing systems and from controlling disease to protecting endangered species.

Undiscovered world – the on-going science revolution: from the discovery of DNA to the first synthetic cell. A chance to explore the discoveries taking place all the time in the deep oceans and remote rainforests.

Medical breakthroughs – from face transplants to combatting tropical diseases, development of treatments and medical discoveries.
 
From the lab to the stock market - the process of research and development in the lab and the workshop and the at-home experimenting that can lead to lucrative new products.



NSEW themes are intended to provide a foundation for your own events and activities, but it is not intended to be the only theme seen during NSEW 2013. If you can't think of an event or activity around the theme then don't worry, you can cover whatever you like in your event.

Previous themes like 'Earth', 'our world in motion' and 'communication' have sparked a wide variety of different events across the UK during NSEW. We hope that 'invention & discovery' will do the same for 2013!
If you have any burning ideas that you're keen to share then please let us know: nsew@britishscienceassociation.org.

Event Awards winners announced!

The National Science & Engineering Week (NSEW) Event Awards aim to reward the passion of event and activity organisers and showcase the very best in public engagement during NSEW.

Any organisation can nominate for an award, whether you are a school running a day of activities or a theatre launching a new production - as long as it takes place during NSEW.

Fifteen finalist events were visited by members of the National Science & Engineering Week Team, and the judging panel have selected the overall winners:

Best Primary School Event
The Incredible Institute of Inventors The GSAL junior school, Leeds
Best Secondary School Event
The Market Bosworth School Year 5 Science Fairs, The Market Bosworth School, Leicestershire
Best STEM Event
To Infinity and Beyond! City College, Plymouth
Best Community Event
Steps to Discovery... Bugs, Birds & Beasties, Rozelle House Museums & Galleries, Ayrshire, Scotland
Best Engineering Event
Ideas Lab, Dixons Allerton Academy, Bradford

Event case studies for these winners and the brilliant runner up and finalist events will be posted here soon so watch this space!

All winners won £600 for running future National Science & Engineering Week activities and events. While we enjoy showcasing and rewarding the outstanding and innovative events in our Awards we would like to also say well done and thank you to all our event organisers, we know how much hard work it is and we are sure there are many great events we don't get to hear about so why not nominate your event next year? The Event Awards 2014 will open in September 2013.

The Event Awards are closed for 2013. Thank you to everyone who nominated their event or activity. Shortlisted nominees will be notified by the end of February.

What are the National Science & Engineering Week event awards?  

If you have a quirky, original or innovative event planned for National Science & Engineering Week then you can nominate yourself for an NSEW Event Award!
NSEW Event Awards aim to reward the passion of event and activity organisers and showcase the very best in public engagement during NSEW. Any organisation can nominate for an award, whether you are a school running a day of activities or a theatre launching a new production - as long as it takes place during National Science & Engineering Week: 14 - 23 March 2014.

Prizes: £600 cash prize to the winner in each category. £200 cash prize to one runner-up in each category.

Categories

• Best primary school event: for events or activities organised by primary schools.
• Best secondary school event: for events or activities organised by secondary schools. 
• Best STEM institution event: For events by those organisations (non schools) participating in STEM engagement on a regular basis. 
• Best community event: For events and activities that include the local community and/or family audiences. 
• Best engineering-themed event: For events and activities that are predominantly engineering themed - this includes designing, building, testing.

Nomination

Before nominating your own events and activities, please do:

• Register your event/activity on the online programme 
• Read the rules 
• Read the category criteria* 
• Check out the Event Award case studies for some examples and great ideas from award-winning NSEW events and activities.
  
  *If your event or activity involves designing, building, testing or anything else related to the application of science or maths, consider nominating it in the Engineering category.

Event Award Rules 2013

Event Award Category Criteria

The branches network attracts a wide range of volunteers with different skills and interests. There is no typical branch volunteer but the following profiles give some insight into the backgrounds and motivations of our outstanding branch volunteers.

Holly Rogers
Science Brainwaves, Sheffield

I'm Head of Events for our branch - this involves coming up with ideas for activities, liaising with speakers and scientific experts, and supporting volunteers as they develop their own events. I also write news stories for our website from time to time, I write our monthly science pub quiz, and I'm quite handy with the video camera. I've been involved around 18 months and am a Science Communication student.  I spend around four or five hours a week on my volunteering - a little more in the run up to a big event. I just can't stay away.  I got involved with my Branch because I was already keen on science outreach from my undergraduate days as a chemist, but at the time it seemed like opportunities were few and far between. Science Brainwaves were really friendly and active, which was exactly what I was looking for! I'm also hoping to work as a science communicator in the future, so this seemed like a great way to get some experience.  I love having the opportunity to try out so many different things - I've spent time with all ages and abilities, and taken part in everything from blogging and craft to cocktail making and extreme sports. You get to meet lots of new people who all love the same things as you, and it's a really welcoming environment to try out new ideas. I can't recommend it enough!

Tim Gabriel
Bradford/Science Brainwaves

I’m a general committee member, I do anything!  So far I have helped develop contacts with schools and colleges, I have created and delivered sessions to enthuse about science, a few years ago I think I was the events organiser!  I started delivering sessions at The British Science Festival almost 10 years ago and then became involved in organising events with the West Yorkshire Branch in about 2007.  The amount of time I spend helping the Branch varies, sometimes with larger events or school related workshops I dedicate a day each week plus preparation time, at other times myself and other members might be corresponding by email, it really depends on the event and the extent of my involvement.  The best bit is you can decide how much of your time you want to give – its voluntary!  I got involved with my Branch becasue it keeps me off the streets and allows me to put my science background to good use.  Sometimes, I have the opportunity to talk about science without the constraints of the school's syllabus or the national curriculum.  I just want to make science enjoyable, relevant and at push, almost ‘cool'.

Share our passion for public engagement and volunteer with a British Science Association Branch.

All British Science Association branches are keen to hear from enthusiastic volunteers who wish to get involved in organising innovative and exciting public events. Running a successful Branch takes lots of different kinds of people - you needn’t be a scientific expert. Non-scientists with an interest in marketing, events management, secretarial work and finance may also find valuable volunteering opportunities with a branch.