The RCSU Science Challenge

Key Information

Dates:

Competition Opens: Wednesday 12 February 2025
Submission Deadline: Monday 7 April 2025 at 17:00
Awards Ceremony: Saturday 21 June 2025

Eligibility:

The Science Challenge consists of two categories: School Students and Imperial College Students. We're proud to announce that this year the competition will be opened to all Imperial undergraduates and Master's students. We would love to receive an entry from you if you are

• A school student in your last three years of secondary education (Equivalent to UK year 11 - 13).
• Currently enrolled as an Imperial College undergraduate student or Master's student.

Entries are welcome from schools in the UK and internationally. Imperial undergraduates will answer the same prompts as the school students but will be judged separately. While multiple entries will be accepted from each school, only one winner/runner up will be allowed per school per question.

Note: This is an individual competition so we will not be accepting team entries this year

In our RCSU Science Challenge 2025 eligibility document, you can find out accepted entry formats as well as terms and conditions. For Imperial students interested submitting using AI tools please see the Compu-J AI Innovation Prize terms and conditions before submission.

"Science does not exist in a vacuum and science communication allows the translating of knowledge to different fields in order for it to be applicable in our daily lives." - Science Challenge Participant 2021/22 

What will I have to do?

That is a great question, we're glad you asked! The competition involves producing a short piece of fun and engaging science communication that someone without a scientific background can not only understand but enjoy!

Some of the prompts will specify a type of communication (i.e. written, video, etc..) and others will leave it up to you. An indication of what typically constitutes a 'short' piece of science communication is:

• Written entries: 1000 words max.
• Video entries: 3 minutes 30 seconds max. (Schools only, Imperial videos not accepted)

It's often the case that the best (and most fun to make) pieces of science communication are ones that are outside of the box, so we hope this inspires you to get creative!

Why do we do this?

Science is part of everyone's lives in some way or another, but for many people just hearing the word is enough to spark an intense combination of anxiety, anger, and nausea.

A common sentiment is that science is only for scientists to understand; not everyone needs to or even can understand it. We think that couldn't be further from the truth! In reality, science is just the window that lets us see into how all the things around us work and why they work that way. The problem is, with the way that science is presented in popular media, that window gets covered in dust and dirt for most people, making it impossible to see through. The job of science communicators is to clean that window; making what initially seemed distant and unattainable, into something interesting, exciting, approachable and fun.

We hope to inspire those who take part in the Science Challenge to explore, develop and use their scientific skills along with their passion for their corner of science to help others see what all the excitement is about.