2024 has been a whirlwind year, filled with exciting milestones for the British Science Association (BSA). As we reflect on the past 12 months, we celebrate our achievements and the hard work that made them possible.
We’re proud of our ongoing effort to engage and empower those underrepresented in, and underserved by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Here’s a roundup of our key moments in 2024, as we wrap up the year.
Before we dive in, we’d like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and interest in our work.
The Ideas Fund, which the BSA launched in January 2021 in partnership with Wellcome, has been supporting community organisations in four locations in the UK to connect with researchers in order to improve local mental wellbeing.
Thanks to further support from Wellcome, earlier this year we were able to confirm that the programme’s funding has been extended for another three years up to October 2027, allowing us to continue to work with the projects as well as gather vital evidence and feedback on the importance of community-led research.
You can stay up-to-date on The Ideas Fund website here.
This spring, we welcomed two new trustees to the BSA’s Council – the governing board of trustees for the organisation.
Matt Howard and Neil Greenwood were selected following an open recruitment process and joined the Council from March onwards.
In March, we teamed up with Chi Onwurah MP, who was then the Shadow Minister for Science, Research & Innovation, for a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion in the life sciences at the inspiring Life Sciences Centre in her home city of Newcastle.
The panel sparked key conversations on role models, addressing the STEM skills shortage and exploring why and how organisations should approach equality, diversity and inclusion as strategically as any business decision.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of British Science Week, making the theme of 'Time' in our activity packs and poster competition even more relevant. Time holds special significance when reflecting on the scientific breakthroughs in history. From vaccines to advancements in electricity and our understanding of gravity, science continually evolves, shaping our world and society.
In 2024, we awarded over 178 Kick Start Grants to an estimated 52,000 participants. Additionally, we provided 94 British Science Week Community Grants to support community groups engaging with traditionally underrepresented and underserved audiences in science activities.
Our Smashing Stereotypes campaign returned, celebrating the diverse people and careers in science and engineering. In its fifth year, we highlighted stories from a cosmetic scientist, education app developer and a motorsport social enterprise founder, plus many others who challenge long-standing stereotypes about what it means to work in science.
We worked with several partners on the campaign, including the cosmetics giant, L’Oréal, as well as with longtime supporters, 3M, a leading science-based technology company, and Urenco, an international supplier of enrichment services and nuclear fuel cycle products.
We profiled people working at these companies, as well as others, to highlight the variety of careers available in STEM, giving young people an opportunity to see what could be available to them one day –there are no 'typical' paths to STEM success.
Looking ahead, British Science Week 2025 will celebrate the theme of “Change and Adapt”. Running from 7–16 March, participants will have a chance to explore how all living beings continually evolve to meet challenges, from climate change to global pandemics.
Look out for the full 2025 activity packs in January, and for brand new Smashing Stereotypes profiles in the run-up to the big Week…
DOWNLOAD THE 2025 TASTER ACTIVITY PACKS
This summer, we launched our Sciencewise report, the second in a two-part series exploring public opinion on engineering biology, focusing on food applications, such as crop yield optimisation and cultured meat.
Engineering biology is one of the UK's five critical technologies; according to the Science and Technology Framework these have strategic importance to the UK's economy and standing in research and innovation.
In June, we announced the six community organisations that secured funding through the Community Led Research Pilot, a programme funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This initiative is a collaboration between the BSA, UKRI, the University of Reading, and communities that are new to or traditionally underrepresented in research.
The Pilot empowers community groups by valuing their lived experiences and local expertise, enabling them to conduct research that addresses their communities' needs and priorities.
The six community groups, all based in Reading and Slough, each received grants of up to £9,200 each. They’ll work alongside researchers, many from the University of Reading, to develop and lead their own research projects.
In September, we were thrilled to bring the British Science Festival back to the capital for the first time since 2000, working in partnership with the University of East London (UEL).
In total, the Festival included almost 100 free events across the UEL Docklands campus, UEL Stratford campus and in other Stratford venues, offering talks and activities that entertained, educated, and inspired us all.
From cutting-edge discussions on AI and a genetics-themed bingo session, to a Sonic Spider (a massive spider-inspired musical instrument) and driverless cars. This year’s Festival had something for everyone.
We were honoured to welcome this year’s President of the BSA, senior public health expert and infectious disease epidemiologist, Professor Kevin Fenton CBE.
He was named the second most influential Black person in Britain by Powerlist in November 2020 for his pivotal role against COVID-19 and tackling inequalities. He was also awarded a CBE in the 2022 New Year honours list for services to public health.
Kevin commenced his one-year term with the annual Presidential address – an ‘in conversation’-style event at this year's British Science Festival, hosted by UEL.
In our three-part blog series, we highlighted moments from Kevin’s live Festival interview with journalist Kirsty Lang, as he recalled how early encounters with public health practitioners inspired his career, which has spanned from tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s to COVID-19.
In October, following the UK 2024 General Election, we reconfirmed the APPG on Diversity & Inclusion in STEM, with a group of members both new and old.
The group will be chaired by Samantha Niblett MP, Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire and Founder of Labour: Women in Tech.
We’re honoured to continue providing the secretariat for this vital group ensuring that science is more relevant, representative, and connected to society.
This year, CREST Awards continued to empower young people to explore STEM through more practical, hands-on projects. We’ve seen some fantastic work, from an app tracking links between diet and depression, to prototype facial recognition glasses for people with dementia. Teachers have told us how their students “walk out... head high, feeling a sense of achievement” after a CREST Awards project.
With the introduction of ‘Simply CREST’ funding support in September, we have made it even easier for schools to participate, breaking down barriers to engagement: 52,998 young people have earned a CREST Award this year - 4% more than the previous year.
The Engage Teacher Network has grown to over 2,000 members and continues to expand, fostering a vibrant community of educators sharing resources and best practices.
These milestones reflect CREST’s ongoing commitment to making STEM education more accessible, inclusive, and impactful for students from all backgrounds across the UK.
This winter, we published a report reviewing public perceptions of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), revealing widespread uncertainty about what they are and whether they are safe.
The social intelligence report, produced by the BSA as part of the Sciencewise consortium and commissioned by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to better understand public views on UPFs and identify areas for further investigation in a UK-wide public dialogue.
This month, we published a new evaluation report co-created with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Science Ceilidh revealing the impact that our Highlands and Islands Climate Change Community Grant programme has had over the last three years.
Since 2021, the scheme has supported community groups in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to work with researchers on projects that tackle a local climate change issue that matters to them.
The report shows that community groups carefully managed their budget to achieve their goals. The collaboration between community groups and researchers helped drive local change and increased engagement in research. The programme also enabled marginalised communities who wouldn’t have the opportunity, to participate meaningfully.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CASE STUDIES
In December, we were proud to announce our 2024 Honorary Fellows: science writer and broadcaster Alom Shaha; business leader and former BSA Chair, Gisela Abbam; and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and University of Swansea Professor of Digital Policy, Tom Crick MBE.
Their diverse experience and achievements will play a vital role in advancing diversity, equality, and inclusion in science and society.
We look forward to working closely with them to make science all the more relevant, representative, and connected to society.
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We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the exciting events, activities, and projects from the past year at the BSA. Your support makes it all possible and motivates us to keep going.
From the staff and trustees at the BSA, we hope you have a wonderful festive break, and a very happy new year.
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