Imperial College London's 'Science in Medicine School Teams Prize 2024' now open for entries

The National Heart and Lung Institute, the British Heart Foundation’s Centre of Research Excellence at Imperial College London, are offering the 4th Annual ‘Science in Medicine School Team Prize’ to engage sixth form pupils with science in medicine. Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK are pleased to sponsor the Scleroderma and Raynaud’s Prize, which challenges students to prepare an ePoster with a novel vision on how to promote the health and well-being of individuals with the conditions.

The competition invites sixth form students to compete in teams for a financial prize in one of the five contests on offer - 'The Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK Prize', 'The British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Prize', 'The Lung Prize', 'The Vasculitis UK prize', or 'The Global Health Prize'. 

If you know a 6th form student who is studying science at A-level and interested in learning more about Scleroderma and Raynaud’s, get them to talk to their science teacher about participating in the SRUK Prize, and read more about the competition here. The deadline for submissions is Monday 1st July, 5 pm.

In 2023, Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK Prizes were awarded to teams from Newham Collegiate School, Kings School Canterbury and Watford Grammar School. 

The Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK Prize

The Scleroderma and Raynaud’s Prize is sponsored by SRUK, and challenges students to prepare an ePoster with a novel vision on how to promote the health and well-being of individuals with Scleroderma and/or Raynaud’s. Teams are welcome to submit an entry focusing on any relevant topic, and suggestions are:

• Drug interventions to prevent or treat scleroderma and/or Raynaud's.
• Early diagnosis of scleroderma and Raynaud's.
• Monitoring of scleroderma disease activity.
• Non-pharmacological treatment of scleroderma and Raynaud's.

Instructions

• Teams should submit an ePoster demonstrating an innovative idea(s), a striking ePoster design and original illustrations.
• The poster should focus on a particular topic rather than the disease area in general.
• Teams can choose whether to address a local, national, or global issue.
• Teams are free to choose the design of the poster but are advised to describe clearly what problem is addressed, the anticipated innovation(s), and steps along the way to implementation.
• The judges will be looking for evidence that the vision considers affordability, availability, and acceptability in translating science and/or engineering towards improved health.
• Teams are advised to indicate how each member contributed to the poster so that teamwork can be scored.
• The poster should be pitched to communicate to non-experts, for example fellow sixth form students.
• The ePoster should be submitted in Landscape format as a pdf file, via the submission portal on this page.
• The size of the ePoster should be suitable for a print-out size as an A0 (not larger than 84 cm (height) and 118 cm (width))
• Please submit two versions of the posters, one with and one without identification of the educational organisation.
• Submission must be done via a teacher based in a UK School.

Short-listing

• The submitted version without the identification of the educational organisation will be scored by the short-listing panel.
• Judges will evaluate each of the following domains:
  • Definition and importance of the problem
  • Scientific and technological approach
  • Novelty and vision
  • Feasibility
  • Insight into testing efficacy
  • Affordability and availability
  • Social acceptability
  • Poster design
  • Original illustrations
  • Evidence of teamwork
  • The top scoring teams in each of the five contests will move on to the finals event.

Finals Event

• For each prize, the top scoring teams from the short-listing will be invited to present their posters at an online finals event, to be held in late September – early October.
• Short-listed teams will be asked to give a Power Point presentation lasting seven minutes, which will be followed by three minutes questions and answers. Judges will score the same domains as used for the short-listing.

Awards

• Prizes for each contest are £3000 - 1^st, £2000 - 2^nd and £1000 - 3^rd and are intended for supporting science-related activities in the winning schools.
• Shortlisted teams will be offered the opportunity for online mentoring session with an academic.
• Prize-winners may be invited to submit blogs on their submissions.
• All team members will receive certificates of participation.

Submission deadline Monday 1^st July, 5 pm.

Find out more details about the contest here, including further instructions on how to enter.