The Big Bang Competition entry deadline has been extended

The deadline for entries to The Big Bang Competition has been extended to Monday 4 April (5pm). This extension will allow for more projects to be entered into the Competition while providing more time for competitors to make the final touches on their project.

Inquisitive young people with an idea to invent something to transform people’s lives or use scientific research to find solutions could win the prestigious title of UK Young Scientist or UK Young Engineer of the Year.

The winners of The Big Bang Competition will be announced at The Big Bang Fair, taking place for the first time since the global pandemic disrupted normal life, from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 June 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham.

Bethan Padbury, Event Executive at EngineeringUK and a previous winner of The Big Bang Competition, said: “The Big Bang Competition helped me find my confidence in ways that I didn’t get from school. I felt like I could succeed in bringing my ideas to life and making something that before only existed in my head. I found out I could stand in a room of industry professionals and explain my work to them. The Competition made me feel strong and capable and I could see myself with a role in STEM in the future.”

Projects can be on any topic in the field of STEM, from health to the environment and from computing to design and technology. They can be conducted using simple everyday items or carried out in a scientific laboratory, in school or at home, it’s all about the idea and the enthusiasm behind it.

Curious students have produced projects to investigate better management of health conditions like diabetes or obsessive-compulsive disorder or how STEM can improve the world around them such as biodegradable plastics. Others have created prototypes of 3D printers, life-saving jackets and apps. Last year’s winner Kaede Sugano (GSK UK Young Engineer of the Year) from Rugby developed a website that compares package holidays using a novel algorithm that she created. Kell Johnston (GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year) from Hexham, Northumberland won for a project that aimed to determine whether ‘willow water’ extract could be used to promote root growth for a range of different plant cuttings.

Previous winners of The Competition have gone on to enjoy a range of achievements on the back of their successes – including, getting backing from businesses for their projects, setting up their own businesses, taking part in conference presentations to industry professionals as well as appearing on the television and radio shows to talk about their projects.

The Competition is open for entries until 4 April – students and teachers should find out more and enter here (thebigbang.org/competition) . Entry guidance can be found on the Big Bang website, and students can discover top tips here.