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Bragg Centre for Materials Research

Do you know what a material is? Have you heard of material science? What does it really mean to be a Scientist? What does a Scientist look like to you?

The answers might seem straightforward to some, but the reality may actually be far from what you’d expect.

At the Bragg Centre for Materials Research, we develop the materials of the future which will enable exciting new technologies in areas such as, climate change, medicine, and communication.

Scientific research is an inclusive discussion, open to everyone, and we want to inspire the next generation of students to join that conversation.

New research project:

To do this, the Bragg Centre is developing two parallel campaigns of short videos in a relatable informal style. These aim to challenge preconceptions of what it is to be a scientist and to explore the inter-disciplinary world of Material science.

To frame our videos effectively, we first want to understand what you already think. We are looking to engage KS4 students, particularly those of underrepresented groups, to participate in a discussion about what they believe a Scientist is, and what a material is. These 30-minute focus groups will be conducted via video call during British Science week (w/c 5th March) but may run up until the end of March.

The Scientists will then develop the videos to challenge these perceptions and will seek to reengage with the students in a further meeting in June to explore if their viewpoints have changed as a result.

We believe that scientific research exists beyond the stereotypes and textbooks. Whilst learning the foundations is critical, we want to inspire everybody to explore past subject boundaries.

Further information: 

If you are interested in participating please email The STEM Outreach Team at stem@leeds.ac.uk 

Find out more about The Bragg Center for Material Research here