Applications now open for our STEM Insight Week

Applications are now open for our next STEM Insight Week, which takes place over half-term from 24–28 October. We have an exciting week planned to help Year 10 students gain insight into STEM working life, and to inspire their path into STEM careers.

For the first time since the pandemic, our STEM Insight Week will be taking place 100% in person, giving pupils a fantastic opportunity to interact face-to-face with people working in cutting-edge science and innovation in our region. The week’s programme will include a number of visits to STEM businesses as well as skills workshops to enhance pupils’ preparation for their next stage of academic and career development.

Business visits

We are delighted that businesses across different STEM fields have partnered with us so that students can visit businesses on-site to gain some hands-on experience and first-hand knowledge of STEM working life. Our partners are from fields such as data analytics, cyber security, biomedicine, particle physics, and more.

Students curious about biomedicine, drug development and therapeutics will be keen to hear from two partners based at The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation, Samsara Therapeutics and Human Centric Drug Discovery. The vibrant team at Samsara Therapeutics are using new knowledge about the biology of a process of cellular renewal, called autophagy, to create new drugs for treating certain genetic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders.

Data experts at Human Centric Drug Discovery are improving drug discovery by using data more effectively. With their expertise in developing, analysing and combining data, they are drawing data from stem cell research, large-scale genetics studies, and population health, to discover safe and effective drug targets for neurological diseases.

Those interested in natural sciences will appreciate learning more about the work of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The museum has a busy and important programme of research, teaching and events focused on the sciences of the natural environment, while also housing a wonderful collection of natural history specimens.

Those intrigued by the deep down world of particle physics will be excited to learn more about Diamond Light Source, the national synchrotron (a type of particle accelerator) science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.

And if it’s the cyber world behind our screens that students find fascinating, they will be excited by their interactions with Sophos, who are experts in cybersecurity. They’ll learn more about how companies like Sophos are working to keep us safe online.

How to apply

The week is open to all Year 10 students studying in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The programme will run from The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington, daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

To apply, please download the application form, complete it and return to [email protected].

For more information, visit our webpage or email [email protected].