University

You may think that now you're at university the time for STEM summer camps, workshops, masterclasses and taster days are far behind you, but there are still a few available to you, such as the European Space Camp or volunteering at the British Science Festival. These could help you get just that little bit more experience you need to get an internship or even job offer. At the very least they should be a fun experience.
Please note, this website will focus on smaller, less well known opportunities where possible - and I will not be posting internship opportunities since there are simply far too many to list and are usually fairly simple to find on employers' websites (if you are searching for internships, have a look at companies/ organisations in fields you are interested in and find their careers page).
For the full list of university STEM opportunities, click on the '5 University' tab above.

Telegraph UK STEM Awards 2016

The Telegraph runs an annual STEM competition for students, in which you could win £25,000 and a bespoke mentoring programme.

Students should enter their ideas for one of five categories: Design in the Built Environment, Energy, Healthcare, Innovation or Aerospace.

The deadline is the 15th February 2016. For more information and to enter, visit their website.

London International Youth Science Forum 2016

The London International Youth Science Forum is a two week residential event for young scientists (aged 17-21) from across the world, taking place between the 27th July and the 10th August 2016. Participants will have opportunities to attend talks and demonstrations; visit industrial sites, research centres and universities; and take part in a varied social programme.
The cost of attending LIYSF is £1,695 per student - however participants are encouraged to find sponsorship to help with these costs. An additional CERN visit is available at an additional cost. The application form is very simple - you only need to find a referee to confirm your enthusiasm for science and taking part in the programme.
Students must:

• Have a good understanding of written and spoken English
• Be studying science and have achieved or preparing to take exams for university entrance

For more information and to apply, visit their website.

International Astronomical Youth Camp

The International Astronomical Youth Camp is a three week residential astronomy camp held in Germany from the 24th July to 13th August 2016 for those aged 16-24. Participants have the opportunity to carry out their own mini research project as part of a small team, take part in a range of social activities, and meet like-minded people from around the world.

You could learn about photographing the night sky, how to construct devices to aid astronomy, and all about atmospheric science, or discover the history of astronomy and the mysteries of the sun, or even put your programming skills to the test! There's something going on at IAYC for every young scientist or astronomer.

The application form is fairly simple, and should be sent by the 10th April. Applications sent after this date will still be considered if spaces are left, but there is a late application participation fee - so get your application off now!

The fee is 690 euros (not including transport costs) or 750 euros for late applications.

For more information and to apply, visit their website.

Applications for the European Space Camp 2016 NOW OPEN!

 Having been very privileged to be a participant in 2013, I hope that many of you will apply to take part in the European Space Camp 2016. Held on the Andoya Rocket Range in Norway for one week in July, participants will be able to experience all aspects of a real rocket campaign, including preparing the rocket, telemetry and launching their own sounding rocket. Additionally, they will have lectures from world experts, build model rockets, take part in a range of social activities, and see demonstrations on topics such as different types of rocket engines.

For me, it was an absolutely fantastic experience - I made many new friends from around the world (although it says 'European' Space Camp, anyone from any country can apply), learnt all about Space Science and Rocket Physics from experts in their fields, and had countless unique experiences such as being the Principal Investigator for a real rocket launch and swimming in the freezing cold Arctic Ocean.
The application process is a little more complex than for some of the other summer camps, reflecting how competitive it is to get in. You will need an up to date CV (make sure you highlight previous STEM summer camps, masterclasses, work experience, academic achievements and awards, competitions and any examples of where you have promoted STEM subjects or shown teamwork and leadership skills); reference from your school (I just asked my tutor to modify my UCAS reference, but if you are now a university student you may need a more up to date reference); and your GCSE/AS/A level certificates (whichever is most recent). Additionally, there are several questions on the online application form - make sure you give yourself plenty of time to plan your answers rather than applying the day before the deadline like me!
Katie Prescott (participant 2013)
 To apply, you need to be aged 17-20 on the 31st December 2016, be interested in Space and Rocket Physics and be fluent in English.
The deadline for applications is the 1st April 2016, but don't leave it to the last minute! Apply now online at their website.

Chemistry World Science Communication Competition 2016

Write an article (800 words) on the theme of "Public Attitudes to Chemistry" to win up to £500, have your work published in an edition of the Chemistry World magazine, and be involved in a 'special assignment' with Chemistry World and AkzoNobel.

The competition is open to students, post-grads and early career scientists anywhere in the world - excluding professional science writers.

There are two rounds to the competition - the first of which requires sending in your article, while the second involves an artistic/ creative presentation of your topic to an audience in March.

The deadline for submitting your article is the 8th January 2016.

For more information, visit their website.

SET for Britain Competition!

Early-stage researchers (including MSc/ PhD students) can enter their research as a poster into the SET for Britain Competition!

The competition is divided into five areas:

• Biological and Biomedical Science
• Chemistry
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics

The poster presentation event will take place in London on the 9th March 2015. The deadline for submitting a poster is the 5th December 2014 at 5pm.

As well as being invited to attend the poster presentation, finalists could win up to £3000.

For more information and to apply, visit their website.

British Science Festival

The annual British Science Festival will take place this year in Swansea from the 6th - 9th September 2016. Open to science enthusiasts of all ages, there are a huge range of talks, workshops and general science fun on offer - and events are very cheap or even free to attend! Some events are very popular and require pre-booking - so check out the programme on their website now!

I attended the British Science Festival in 2013 in Newcastle as part of their student bursary programme. It was an absolutely fantastic week - I was inspired by a huge range of scientists, as well as making many new friends. For more information on what I got up to last year, see the Blog section of this website.

Learn to Programme (age 9-11)! Volunteer to run a Code Club (older people)!

Code Club is a fantastic organisation organising and providing resources for small after school "Code Clubs" around the UK.

If you're a student, join your local Code Club to learn how to programme computers in a fun and interactive way! You can complete a variety of short projects, such as creating games or webpages, in order to learn how to use Python, CSS and HTML code.

If you're a university student with some knowledge of coding (you don't need loads of experience!) volunteer to help out at a local Code Club to gain great transferable skills for your CV, keep your coding skills refreshed, and have fun!

If you're a primary school teacher, think about setting up a Code Club as a fun after-school activity for your students, or use the Code Club resources in your IT lessons. Programming is a really useful skill to have, and the younger you start to learn any new language (and code is the language of computers) the easier it is! These fun projects are a great way to introduce your students to the idea of actually controlling a computer and understanding how it functions, rather than just how to write word documents.

For more information, visit their website.

AstroCamp!!!

AstroCamp is a star party in the Brecon Beacons which happens twice a year - the next camp is the 7th - 10th May 2015. Anyone interested in astronomy is welcome, you do not need to be an expert or have any expensive equipment. There is a great social scene too so you can chat to other enthusiastic people and enjoy the atmosphere.
For more information and to book tickets, visit their website.

Renishaw Gap Year Placement

Renishaw, a leading metrology and spectroscopy company, is looking for pre-university students planning on studying Physics, Mathematics or certain Engineering disciplines the following year. Placements could involve working in research, design or manufacturing, and you would also have the opportunity to discover more about potential careers in the Engineering sector. Additionally, there may be opportunities for sponsorship through your degree and a place on their graduate scheme.
The placements are all being held at their Gloucester sites, and participants are required to have their own transport as well as permission to work in the UK.
It is not stated on their website whether or not the placement is paid or covers travel expenses - therefore I would recommend contacting them to discuss what they would offer, since there is a question on 'expected salary' in their application form.
For more information and to apply, visit their website.

Wide range of free public STEM lectures at Imperial

Imperial College, London, is offering a wide range of usually free STEM (and related subjects) lectures for the public. These are often presented by experts in each topic, and would be great to mention on a college or university application as well as being interesting and informative.
Places are generally limited and offered on a first come first served basis, so make sure you remember to register in advance!
For more information and to book, visit their website.

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge

Every year, the online Cambridge Chemistry Challenge takes place from November to June. Each month, a new set of cryptic Chemistry quiz questions is released and Chemistry enthusiasts worldwide of all ages compete to answer the questions as quickly as possible. There are monthly and overall leaderboards, and the competition is surprisingly fierce! It is a great fun competition requiring not only good chemistry knowledge but also good Googling skills and ability to spot subtle clues in the questions! If you need any hints, there's usually a popular Student Room thread but make sure you have go at the questions yourself first!
There's also a popular Lower Sixth paper, which is sat in schools in June each year - if your school doesn't already do it, ask! This is a great thing to add to your UCAS form, and the top scorers will be invited to attend a residential camp at the University of Cambridge at the end of August! For past papers, have a look on the downloads page of their website.
To sign up for this years online competition or look at past quiz questions, visit their website.
I have taken part in the online competition for the last two years, and it has been good fun! The questions don't just test your Chemistry ability but also general knowledge - for example one question required you to recognise pictures of famous chemists while another involved calculating the minimum mass of carbon that would be required to coat the surface of the Earth in a single graphene sheet! Some people take it more seriously than others and stay up all night to complete the questions as soon as they are launched (midnight), but most of us wait until the next morning! You have a whole month to complete each set of questions, but the longer you leave it the lower your score. 
I did the Lower Sixth paper last year, and it was surprisingly challenging! It is similar to the Maths Challenges and Chemistry Olympiads in that it is a fun competition requiring you to really understand the subject and apply your knowledge to very unfamiliar situations. Even if you don't achieve a Gold award, it's still good to mention your participation on your UCAS form as it shows an interest in the subject outside of your A level qualification. The residential camp also sounds amazing!
Katie Prescott (participant 2012-13)

FameLab Science Communication Competition

To enter this great competition, simply give a three minute presentation on a science, engineering or maths topic in an engaging way for a non-specialist adult audience.

You must be a science student or researcher aged 21 or over to participate.

You have the option of attending a regional heat in one of several locations across the UK during January and February. The winners from each heat will then go to the final.

There are informal training sessions to give you advice on the competition and the presentation offered at all locations.

The judges are looking for content (your presentation must be scientifically accurate), clarity (good structure and communication of the science) and charisma (you must be enthusiastic and excite the audience).

For more information and to enter, visit their website. If you live outside the UK, there are also FameLab competitions being run across the world - click here to see if your country is participating.

Science and Society Lectures at the University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool is offering free lectures on Science and Society for anyone to attend! Examples of lectures coming up soon are 'Why should the UK invest in fundamental discoveries such as the Higgs particle?' and 'women in science', by expert scientists. These lectures not only address some key issues about science and its role in society, but if you are think of applying for a STEM degree they would be great to mention on your UCAS application!
For more details and to book, visit their website.

Year in Industry Scheme

If you are in the last year of A levels (or equivalent) and are taking a gap year or are an undergraduate student, have a look at the Year in Industry Scheme. They offer 9-12 month placements in STEM companies - excellent for your CV or UCAS form!

They have recently partnered with leading travel companies BUNAC, Coral Cay Conservation, Raleigh International, Coral Cay Conservation and Projects Abroad to offer the 'YINI Combo' where you can combine a placement with travel abroad. Participants also take an accredited management training course and have the option of completing a maths qualification provided by Loughborough University.
Not only is this a fantastic experience, but you also get PAID!!! Additionally, a quarter of participants are sponsored through their degree and even more are offered holiday work.
For more information, see their website.

RSC Public Lecture Series

Want to further explore your interest in Chemistry? The RSC are holding monthly lectures on a wide variety of topics, usually free to attend - either at their Chemistry Centre in London or as a 'live webcast' online. Early booking is recommended as they are very popular! Recordings of previous lectures are also available to watch online. A wide range of topics are covered, and attending or watching one would be a great addition to a college or university application.
For more details and to book, visit their website.