Two SEPnet students win a week’s Cosmonaut Space and Leadership Experience at the Yuri Gagarin Training Centre in Russia

To mark Tim Peake’s momentous visit to the International Space Station, SEPnet and the University of Kent’s School of Physical Sciences recently launched their own space initiative.

Physics students, Kieran Hashmi (Queen Mary University of London) and Greg Smith (University of Kent), have been selected to participate in a week’s cosmonaut training in Star City near Moscow.  The opportunity, sponsored jointly by SEPnet and University of Kent, will enable them to develop their team building and communication skills using the same equipment as the real astronauts.

Students from SEPnet partner universities were asked to submit 2-minute videos describing an investigation they would like to send into space. The winning videos were selected by a panel of 6 SEPnet partner judges. 2 runners up, Holly Stemp (University of Surrey) and Jonathan Bensusan Bash (University of Sussex) were awarded prizes of £500 each towards career development training.

The judges were impressed by the quality of all the applications and the students’ very creative use of visuals and good scientific knowledge. You can view some of the shortlisted videos here:

• Kieran Hashmi, Queen Mary University of London – How microgravity affects thermal conductivity of a ferrofluid
• Greg Smith, University of Kent – A solution to showering in space
• Holly Stemp, University of Surrey – Magnetic field investigations using worms
• Jonathan Bensusan Bash – composting food waste in space

Public Engagement Grants available

Aim:  To support researchers in engaging the public with their research, SEPnet is offering small grants to support an individual or to provide resources for their project.

Concept: Many researchers have good ideas for engaging the public with their research but do not have time and/or resources. Other would like to undertake some preliminary dialogue with the public to inform their Pathways to Impact in their next grant application

Solution:

Either:  A small grant to support an individual – a PhD student after submission but before the viva or before starting a post doc position, or an ECR between contracts – to work with the Outreach Officer to explore opportunities for research impact, to develop, deliver and evaluate a project, or to undertake preliminary engagement with potential stakehoders to inform a Pathways to Impact document.

Or:  a small grant to provide resources to develop, undertake and evaluate an engagement project.

The engagement activity may include but is not limited to debate, workshop, training (but not teaching/school resources), display, festival, business breakfast, performance, focus group.

Process:  A short written statement outlining the nature of the underpinning research, initial ideas for public engagement, how the target audience will be engaged and how the project will be evaluated.  Include a justification for the resources requested and submit to Averil Macdonald (a.m.macdonald@reading.ac.uk).

It is recommended that applicants consult with their Outreach Officer to discuss ideas.

N.B. This grant is specifically for engaging the public with research and not for outreach activities or development of teaching resources.

Deadline:  The process is on a first come first served basis with a deadline of 15^th February 2016 for final proposals.