WIREDGOV

A group of 15-16 year old students have been reporting directly to the UK government, (Tuesday 30th June), on their proposals for how nanotechnology could be used to help meet the future needs of the healthcare sector.

During a two week placement period at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC’s) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory the A-level and GCSE students have been working on the ‘Nanotechnology in Healthcare’ project which involves researching the key areas in the health sector that need addressing, the technologies currently available to do this and how the UK can play a role. It’s being sponsored by STFC’s Futures Programme, which was set up in response to the government’s Grand Challenges, which are a set of key priorities set up to respond to the future demands of society.

The students are gathering information from across Europe to see what’s currently happening in nanotechnology, with the ultimate aim of forming an international collaboration to move towards a common goal. Countries would work together with the joint aim of meeting future health sector needs, with a particular focus on the treatment of diabetes, cancer and cardiology.

The students are leading the project themselves, with each group having a Team leader and an Executive Officer nominated by fellow students. They have the support of STFC research and technical staff, but are very much encouraged to work on their own initiative. The same project was run last year, but with a focus on space instead of healthcare.

On Tuesday 30th June the students presented their current findings, to members of the government’s ‘think tank’ on science and technology; ‘Foresight’, which uses the best evidence from science and other areas to provide guidance for future policies.

“I’m a little bit proud that we’ve managed to take in so much new information and that we get to talk to some quite important people to show them what we’ve spent our time doing. The whole project’s given us a real taste of working in an adult environment and taught us to work in a team”, said 16 year old Caroline Mace` from St Helen and St Katharine school in Abingdon.

Gareth Derbyshire, from STFC’s Futures Programme said; “These students are capable of having a real influence over the way science is developed in the future to meet the ever changing demands of the health service. It is their future in their own hands. We hope the successful completion of these projects will give the students the confidence and inspiration to go on to become scientists who can really make a difference”.

The students will present the final results of their projects to parents and lecturers in a special assembly at the STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire on Friday (4th July).

Notes to Editors

The ‘Nanotechnology in Healthcare’ project is being sponsored by STFC’s Futures programme, an initiative set up in response to the Treasury’s Grand Challenges, which are designed to respond to the future demands of society. The four key priority areas being focused on by Futures are energy, security, healthcare and environment.

The students are all aged 15 and 16 doing either A-levels or GCSEs. They come from St Helen and St Katharine, Aylesbury Grammar, The European school in Culham, Oundle school in Peterborough, King Edward VI Grammar in Chelmsford, Nonsuch highschool in Cheam and Sherfield school in Sherfield.
The presentations at RAL will take place at 4pm on Friday 4th July.

RAL offers one or two week work placements to over 60 students each year, many from local schools and mostly for year 10 students. RAL also has many activities for students and teachers including visits, lectures, events and teacher development courses. For further information please contact Caroline Callard on 01235 445789.

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Please contact the press office for more details

Contacts:

Lucy Stone
Press Officer
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Email: lucy.stone@stfc.ac.uk 
Tel: 01235 445627


Further Information


Foresight

The aim of the government’s Foresight programme is to provide visions of the future using robust science to be used by policymakers to inform government policy and strategy, and to improve how science and technology are used within Government and by society.

http://www.foresight.gov.uk/About/index.asp 

Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange partnerships.

The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:

- The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
- The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
- The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh
The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
The Council is a partner in the UK space programme, coordinated by the British National Space Centre.