![IRIS girls can shape digital future](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Blog-3-Web-page-pic-2-1024x674.jpg)
Girls can shape our digital future—if only more knew it
What do we stand to lose if girls do not play a role in the UK’s digital economy?
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IRIS Student Research Conferences 2024
From hydrogen fuelled travel to building on the moon, students shared exciting discoveries.
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Breaking down barriers, one after another
Georgie Lott shares her success in boosting stem engagement at her former school and what led her to IRIS.
![Student connie working in science lab](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Connie-working-3-1024x684.jpeg)
Science practicals need to push experimental boundaries
IRIS Director sees practicals as a chance to let young people freely explore answers to real-world issues.
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Year 10 students prompt penguin discovery
Year 10 students inspire the discovery of nearly a third of known penguin colonies.
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Anyone can do science—just not me!
Students still struggle to see themselves as ‘science people’. How can we make STEM more inclusive?
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Tribute to Peter Higgs
Peter Higgs – His scientific legacy will continue to inspire curious minds.
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Students unveil the wonders of particle physics
Students learn coding methods and the fundamentals of the Standard Model from leading physicists.
![Bored boy](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Bored-boy-1024x685.jpg)
Students on STEM lessons: important but not interesting
Over half students surveyed don’t enjoy their lessons. What is missing from their learning experience?
![Jo Foster, Director of the Institute of Research in Schools](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/HCT_7191-1024x683.jpg)
Paradigm shift needed to transform attitudes to the sciences
Our director, Jo Foster, talks about the fresh approach needed to truly change STEM education.
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What we’re watching this Christmas: the Christmas Lectures & AI research
We shine a light on AI research, from a tennis ball retrieving robot to simplifying processes.
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IRIS and Queens University Belfast shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award
Our outreach initiative encouraging people from non-traditional backgrounds to enter higher education.
![Two boys smiling at camera, wearing IRIS Buttons at Greener Fragrances event in November 2023](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_7051-1024x683.jpg)
Queen’s University chemistry conference smells like teen spirit
Students share their greener fragrance research with their peers and chemists at QUB.
![IRIS Awards Best Researcher Surayyah Amatul Aziz](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Award-winner-1024x635.jpg)
IRIS alumna becomes published author with cosmic ray research
We share Surayyah’s cosmic ray research paper, recently published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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Future Flight: Pupils join scientific search for aviation climate solutions
A team of UK students work with ZeroAvia engineers to research the practicalities of hydrogen-electric flight.
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IRIS Awards 2023 – Celebrating young researchers and those that inspired them
We reveal the award winners praised last night at the Crick Institute in London.
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Big Data: ATLAS wins physics engagement award
Our collaboration with the University of Oxford and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory takes the prize.
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IRIS London conference: AI ball boys & girls, future hackers & searching for wolf stars
Young researchers travelled from Belfast to Dover to share their research at the London IRIS conference.
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Tracking sewage from space: Cornish student highlights pollution problem
Arthur, a pupil at Mullion School in Helston, uses satellite images to monitor sewage pollution.
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IRIS Manchester conference: robot dentists, Coeliac disease awareness & preventing organ rejection
We highlight a few of the many research discoveries shared by young people at this year’s conference.
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Serving up success: students create AI robot ball boy
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School students’ robot can safely retrieve tennis balls on the busiest of courts.
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The scent of success: IRIS recognised at the Education Awards
Our Greener Fragrances project was shortlisted for an outreach award at the Education Awards.
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Art, science and computer design at a nanoscale
Students visit the University of Leeds to talk research and discover careers in materials sciences.
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10 ideas for lowering carbon emissions in schools
Our director, Jo Foster, offers 10 ways that schools can empower students to become active citizens.
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Leading particle physicist returns home to meet with aspiring young scientists
Alan Barr sets students on a quest to answer some of science’s biggest questions.
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ATLAS inspires the future generation of particle physicists
World-leading particle physicists teach passionate sixth-formers about coding and more.
![young student chemist](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DSC06228-1024x684.jpeg)
The top 10 career choices for teenagers in the UK
Our director Jo Foster explains how doing research can benefit school students’ future careers.
![Student connie working in science lab](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Connie-working-3-1024x684.jpeg)
Women scientists encourage girls to shine bright in science lessons
Women scientists share valuable advice for girls interested in science careers.
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Why we should all love apprenticeships
Jo Foster, director of IRIS, explains why apprenticeships are equally as strong as academic degrees.
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Shattering perceptions of chemistry
Northern Ireland students visit Queen’s University Belfast to kick-start greener fragrance research.
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Give students the tools to achieve
IRIS director Jo Foster shares her ideas on breaking down the barriers to STEM engagement.
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The inaugural IRIS Awards
Our very first awards ceremony to celebrate students and teachers who champion research in the classroom.
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IRIS student wins Young Scientist 2022
14-year-old Connie on why some birds don’t fly and becoming Big Bang’s Young Scientist of the Year.
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Young researchers share their findings at IRIS Student Conferences 2022
From finding evidence of the Higgs boson to showing how recent lockdowns impacted pollution in London.
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Widening STEM access is necessary and far from impossible
Ignore the social mobility tsar’s comments. There’s plenty we can do about diversity in STEM careers.
![Jo Foster](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC06268-1024x684.jpeg)
I am not ‘totally fine’ that only 16% of girls study Physics
IRIS director refutes UK Social Mobility Commissioner’s claim that hard maths puts girls off physics A-levels.
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The National Research and Innovation Accelerator – our plan to open up science for young people
We share our plan to help schools embed a culture of research and innovation in their schools.
![Jo Foster](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC06268-1024x684.jpeg)
Apprenticeship reform starts with the school calendar
Want more young people to join your apprenticeship programme? Consider their schedule, says Jo.
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For young people to ‘get’ STEM, they must see the real-world applications
Sean O’Sullivan, a biotech professional, explains how to get more young people into STEM careers.
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Students share DNA designs at University of Leeds
UK students visited the Bragg Centre to talk research and learn about careers in materials science.
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Apprenticeships will unlock our science superpower
Schools must promote apprenticeships if we are ever to become a ‘science superpower’, says Jo Foster.
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Northern Ireland students join scientists on salty study
Teens work with Queens University to explore ionic liquids and how they could shape the 21st century.
![Student from St John Fisher show reporters a bit about DNA Origami](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG_6913-1024x683.jpg)
BBC Look North investigates student research in Dewsbury
Reporters visit St John Fisher to uncover young students interesting research using DNA Origami.
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Girls in STEM: A cause for celebration, not complacency
Despite postitive GCSE and A level results, gender imbalance still exists in the sciences, Jo Foster.
![Student illustrating DNA Origami](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Showing-sample-Liverpool-Life-Sciences-UTC-130721-768x1024.jpg)
Stuff clay, let’s play with DNA
Could these be the youngest people to construct artificial structures using DNA? Our latest pilot project.
![Students using Natural History Museum's Scanning Electron Microscope](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/NHM-remote-session-Queen-Elizabeths-1024x727.png)
What’s under the microscope? Plastic, worms and flies.
Young people explore interesting objects using the Scanning Electron Microscope.
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Research must be at the heart of science education
Jo Foster argues that research in schools is key if the UK wants to become a science super power.
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UK students decode parasite genome to help prevent childhood infection
Students efforts could support the development of a vaccine to prevent a disease linked to malnutrition.
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CPD to help embed student-led research in schools
Teachers can sign-up for our courses held at the National STEM Learning Centre in York
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IRIS Virtual Conference: Resilience in a tough school year
The top research projects presented by secondary students at this year’s conference.
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Could research reignite teachers’ passion for science?
An evaluation of 50 teachers shows how IRIS projects/student research can improve job satisfaction.
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IRIS launches national STEM framework
Our framework to help leaders develop an effective whole school STEM strategy.
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Where are tomorrow’s scientists?
STEM Director at Chipping Campden School on why investigative work is key to educating future scientists.
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Scottish students inspire penguin discovery
The British Antarctic Survey acknowledged students in their discovery of a new penguin colony.
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Education is at stake
Why it’s more important than ever to get teens involved in real research
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Students make strides on human whipworm genome
Students complete over 8,500 annotations of the genome of the human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura.
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Students given the chance to study the stars at home
IRIS and STFC launch a project to boost the research skills of secondary students while learning from home.
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IRIS cancels conferences
Due to the progression of the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, we must cancel our conferences this spring.
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Empowering more girls into research careers
Lauren Charters on how an IRIS project shaped her career aspirations and helped her get into university.
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Jo Foster on how to help your students shine at science
Catherine Lough, Tes staff writer, talks to Dr Jo Foster, IRIS director, on teaching STEM to students.
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UCL Professor Michael Reiss joins IRIS board of trustees
UCL’s Professor of Science Education joins our board of trustees.
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Higgs Hunters wins University of Oxford Award
IRIS celebrated at the Vice-Chancellor’s Public Engagement with Research Awards.
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IRIS appoints STEM educator Jo Foster as new director
Director of the Nexus STEM Programme, Cornwall School of Maths & Science appointed IRIS Director.
![Left to right: Lavanya and Advika with their tacher Razika from Lampton School contributed annotations of the human whipworm genome](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Left-to-right-Lavanya-and-Advika-with-their-teacher-Razika-1024x768.jpg)
Lampton physics technician wins Gratnells award
Lampton School technician wins Gratnells Science Technician of the Year Award.
![Lauren Charters](https://researchinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Lauren-Charter-umbrella-1024x643.png)
Tes features IRIS student research on mental health
IRIS students research on nature and mental health featured in the leading education publication.
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IRIS awarded Garfield Weston Grant for glacier research
The Garfield Weston Foundation grant will enable IRIS continue to run school hubs ran by a teacher scientist for a year.
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MELT – a polar ice caps project for schools
IRIS and the UK Space Agency launch school research projects investigating the rate of polar ice cap melting.
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It’s Minecraft: teens create replica of CERN
UK teenagers made interactive museum of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in Minecraft.
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IRIS students contribute to tropical disease research
IRIS students stand to become world experts through their participation in Genome Decoders, a research project launched in partnership with Wellcome Genome Campus.
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Transport for London- Bring big data into classrooms
Our new project looks at how TFL uses data to improve millions of people’s journey every day.
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NASA to launch TimPix space radiation project in the U.S.
IRIS is working with NASA to get American students involved in the TimPixproject.
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IRIS students break new ground in science
UK scientists breaking new ground in science and not one of them has so much as a university degree.
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Students research radiation levels in the world’s oceans
Students from a school in Canterbury look to analyse radiation levels in oceans near nuclear reactors in real time.
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Using NASA data to analyse radiation exposure in space
High school students use NASA data to analyse astronaut radiation exposure in space.
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Academics and scientists launch the Institute for Research in Schools
Charity set to change STEM education by empowering young people to join the scientific community.