Big Bang Prize winners announced
Seren Hopkins wins one of the two WCSIM Prizes in Big Bang Fair
PONTYPRIDD HIGH SCHOOL TAKES THE YOUNG SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT MAKER AWARD TOP PRIZE AT THE BIG BANG COMPETITION
Seren Hopkins from Pontypridd High School was honoured with the Young Scientific Instrument Maker Award at The Big Bang Fair.
Seren in year 12, wowed the judges with her project ‘Auto-inflatable car roof-tent’. As part of the project, Seren created a 1/3 scale prototype for a pneumatically powered, automatic, inflatable car roof tent with the aim to provide people who travel often with an easy to assemble and comfortable shelter to allow them to rest and relax in a safe place on top of a vehicle. It’s aim was to also avoid predators and pests, as well as providing travellers in uninhabited areas with a safe place to take shelter.
The Young Scientific Instrument Maker Award recognises a project that demonstrates the practical application of a scientific and engineering methodology to a real-world problem. Seren will receive £500 and a certificate. Seren will also have the opportunity to become a SIM apprentice, where she will be linked to an experienced senior mentor who will support and mentor her throughout her studies until university graduation. As an apprentice, she will also be eligible for a bursary of £500 per year for each year of her undergraduate course for a maximum of four years.
Seren was chosen from over 300 young people from across the country to be a finalist of The Big Bang Competition, an annual contest designed to recognise and reward young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), as well as helping them build skills and confidence in project-based work.
The finals usually take place at The Big Bang Fair each March but when that was cancelled in light of the coronavirus, the team at the Big Bang Fair asked finalists to submit a video presentation from which 50 STEM professionals with specialisms across a range of areas including astronomy, antimicrobials, health monitoring, underwater acoustics and toxicology identified the winners.
The winners of GSK UK Young Engineer and GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year will be announced in early April.
Congratulating Seren, Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, which organises The Big Bang Competition, said:
“The judges have been blown away by the quality of entries from all the finalists – not only for their brilliant new ideas but for how eloquently they spoke about them in their videos that were submitted. We’ve also been really impressed with all of the students for their passion and resilience in taking part this year in spite of the hugely challenging circumstances, including some students being in self-isolation during the process. Huge congratulations to Seren whose innovative project stood out for special recognition.
“It certainly bodes well for the future that the scientists, engineers and inventors of tomorrow are already producing such astute and creative project work – congratulations to all those involved.”
Professor Ken Grattan, Master, Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers (OBE) said: “The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers is delighted to be associated with and support the Big Bang Fair, echoing its outreach to young people interested in STEM subjects, especially the exciting and challenging areas of instrumentation today, seen in sensors, control, software and systems engineering.”
“Thank you to the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers for supporting The Big Bang Competition.” Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK
For more information and to enter next year’s Competition visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/competition
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