Sarah Dickson, a PhD student at Newcastle University, attended Parliament to present her Aura CDT research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of the STEM for BRITAIN final on Monday 6th March, and secured the bronze award in the biological sciences category.

Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said:

“This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.

 “These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”

Sarah’s poster on innovative monitoring of dolphins and porpoise at offshore renewable energy developments using a novel underwater acoustic system was judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.

Sarah was shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament and compete in the biological sciences category.

She also had the opportunity to discuss her research with MPs from across the UK, including Chi Onwurah – MP for Newcastle Central and Shadow Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation.

On attending the event Sarah said:

“It was great to be part of the STEM for Britain 2023 final and to have the opportunity to discuss my research with expert judges and MPs from across the UK. I am also delighted to have won the bronze award in the biosciences category.”

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society, the Nutrition Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with sponsorship from Dyson Ltd, Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, AWE, British In Vitro Diagnostics Association, the Society of Chemical Industry, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, and the Biochemical Society.

You can read more about Sarah Dickson’s research here.

Adapted from a Royal Society of Biology press release, with thanks