Events, meetings and conferences

See also our UK directory of Science Festivals

New events this month:

Public consultation events on the Advanced Diploma in Science

9 February – 4 May 2010
 The Diploma in Science is an exciting new qualification for 14-19 year olds being designed to give young people a foundation in scientific theory and the practical skills necessary to meet the global challenges of tomorrow. Representatives from awarding bodies, colleges, schools, universities, employers and other organisations interested in shaping the new Diploma in Science are invited to participate in the consultation events running between 9 February and 4 May 2010. Please visit the website for full details on how to register: www.sciencediploma.co.uk.

Latest news and events for the International Year of Biodiversity 2010

March 2010
 Plenty of planning and events are underway for the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 including Biodiversity Day, the 2010 Target and Beyond for Lepidoptera conference in March, Kew’s Tropical Extravaganza, World Wetlands Day, and the launch of Brighton & Hove’s Big Nature. For full listings and news updates visit www.biodiversityislife.net

Top of page

Want to know what it’s like to be a science journalist?

Application deadline: 2 March 2010

The British Science Association Media Fellowships 2010 let you experience first-hand how science is reported by spending 3-8 weeks with a national press, broadcast or internet journalist on a summer placement, working with them to produce accurate, well informed news pieces about developments in science.

Come away better equipped to communicate your research to the public and your colleagues. Learn to work within the constraints of the media and develop writing skills that could make journal articles and funding applications easier and more concise.

You are eligible to apply for the scheme if you:

Hosts have included The Guardian, Nature, BBC News and the Times.

For details about the scheme, including an online application form, visit http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/mediafellows

Top of page

Professional Development Workshops at the Exploratorium
Institute for Inquiry, San Francisco, U.S.A.

Fundamentals of Inquiry: 2-6 March 2010
In this five-day workshop you will explore ways to support classroom teachers in moving from structured, hands-on science with teacher-prescribed directions to a more inquiry-based approach allowing students to raise and investigate questions.
For information visit www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/workshops/
or email Chris Koenig at ckoenig@exploratorium.edu

Building spaces for the future – FREE seminar offering practical support to school redesign projects

3 March, Royal Society, London
‘Building spaces for the future’ is a FREE event that will draw on recent research by Futurelab about young people’s view of what learning spaces should look like in the future to offer practical support to Local Authorities, schools and those going through building programmes such as BSF and PCP. It will help you to ensure that the buildings and spaces that you create will still be functional in the future and will take into account what education should look like in the future rather than what it is now.
To register for this event which is to be held at the Royal Society in London on 3 March 2010 (10am–12pm), please contact events@futurelab.org.uk and for further information, go to www.futurelab.org.uk/ events/listing/buildingspaces.

Top of page

2010 Celebration of Science, Technology and Society across the Commonwealth

8 March, 2010
The Commonwealth Foundation and its partners invite you to be a part of the 2010 Commonwealth celebrations around the theme ‘Science, Technology and Society’. Join in the network of Commonwealth governments, organisations and associations taking part in this exciting new high profile initiative to promote the contribution that science and technology has made, and continues to make, to our society. More details of how your activities can be included in their online calendar of events can be found at www.commonwealthday.org or contact e.dcosta@commonwealth.int to register your interest and receive copies of the flyer.

Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair

Manchester Central from 11-13 March 2010
Following the outstanding success of the inaugural Big Bang Young Scientists & Engineers Fair in London in 2009, organisers are now planning a bigger event in Manchester in March 2010.
www.thebigbangfair.co.uk

Top of page

NSRC National Science Education Leadership Development Forum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

17 March, 2010

In conjunction with this year’s National Science Teachers Association Conference, the theme for the NSRC forum is Designing Effective K-12 Science Education Professional Development Programs which will discuss current research on effective methods and scalable models in science teacher professional development. For more information about the forum’s focus, agenda and location please visit their website - http://www.nsrconline.org/pdf/Forum2010.pdf

Top of page

Sustainability - where are we going?

Two specialist conferences for trustees, CEOs, senior officers and educationalists hosted by The Living Rainforest.

Strategic pathways to sustainability in the public education sector
Wednesday 24th March 2009, 10AM-4.30pm

Embedding Sustainability
Practical pathways for operational and educational practice in public education organisations
 Wednesday 22th September 2010, 10AM-4.30pm

www.livingrainforest.org/explore/conferences2010

Dialogue Academies: Funded staff training

This call is to invite participants for the last academy at Centre for Life, Newcastle on 20-21 April, with part 2 of the course on 14 June 2010.

ASDC in collaboration with At-Bristol and five other UK science and discovery centres are delighted to offer funded dialogue and facilitation training to professional science engagement staff.  The costs of travel, accommodation, food and training will all be covered for all  participants securing a place at the academy.  The first 3 academies took place with great success in Bristol in September, and Thinktank and Glasgow in January.
The academies are targeted at all visitor-facing staff who organize or deliver dialogue events, or would like to start involving visitors in dialogue.  We urge staff to seize this excellent opportunity which will also enable your staff to network and see other centres. 
Travel will be paid from any part of the UK to any academy. Up to 5 members of staff can apply from each organisation.  Information can be found at www.dialogueacademy.org.uk

Top of page

Science Communication Conference

24 and 25 May, 2010, London
 ASDC encourages its science & discovery centres’ members to attend this national science engagement conference funded by The Wellcome Trust. The Conference addresses the key issues facing science communicators in the UK and each year brings together people who are involved in public engagement. It is also well attended by many policy makers and Government staff.
The theme for the Conference will be ‘Audiences for engagement’ and can involve experts from other disciplines who have engaged successfully with certain audiences, not necessarily about science. For full details please visit the British Science Association’s website who are hosting the event.

Annual Ecsite Conference

Dortmund, 3-5 June
Earlybird registration fees are available until March 19th for the Ecsite conference in June and the online registration will be opening later this month. For full details of dates and fees visit the conference website www.ecsite.eu/index.php?p=7218

Top of page

Wildscreen Wildlife Film Festival

10-15 October 2010
The next Wildscreen Wildlife and Environmental Film Festival is 10-15 October 2010 in Bristol, UK. For information, visit the Festival page on the Wildscreen website: www.wildscreen.org.uk

Top of page