Nutrition Society student member Michelle Clements, a registered associate nutritionist, is attending Parliament to present her biosciences research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN on Monday 6 March.
Michelle’s research focuses on the role of folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins in relation to bone mineral density in older adults, and in the prevention of osteoporosis. Her poster will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.
Michelle was shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament.
On presenting her research in Parliament, Michelle said,
I applied to take part in STEM for BRITAIN as it is a great opportunity to present and discuss my own research, while also providing a unique experience on the day to interact and engage with other early-career researchers from a range of disciplines across the science field. I look forward to hearing how the research findings presented at this event are received by Parliament, and how this could potentially contribute to influencing policy.
Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said:
“This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.
“These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”
Michelle’s research has been entered into the biosciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony. As a member of The Nutrition Society and given the focus on th research, michelle will also be eligible to win the Society’s stand-alone Nutrition Award.
Judged by leading academics, each winner will receive a cash prize with a medal for the gold recipient.
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society, the Nutrition Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with sponsorship from Dyson Ltd, Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, AWE, British In Vitro Diagnostics Association, the Society of Chemical Industry, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, and the Biochemical Society.
2. STEM for BRITAIN
STEM for BRITAIN is a poster competition in the House of Commons - involving approximately 120 early stage or early career researchers - judged by professional and academic experts. All presenters are entered into either the engineering, the biological and biomedical sciences, chemistry, mathematics and physics.
Each session will result in the award of Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates and cash prizes. The Gold winner will also receive a medal. There will also be an overall winner from the five sessions who will receive the Westminster Medal at a special awards ceremony in Parliament in May, organised by the Society of Chemical Industry.
STEM for BRITAIN (formerly SET for BRITAIN) was established by Dr Eric Wharton in 1997. Following his untimely death in 2007, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society, the Nutrition Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, is working to further his legacy.
The event is made possible this year with financial support from Dyson Ltd, the Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, AWE, Warwick Manufacturing Group, British In Vitro Diagnostics Association’ Society of Chemical Industry, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, and the Biochemical Society.
The competition is open to early stage or early career researchers, which includes university research students, postgraduates, research assistants, postdocs, research fellows, newly-appointed lecturers, part-time and mature students, returners, those people embarking on a second career, and their equivalent in national, public sector and industrial laboratories, andappropriate final year undergraduate and MSc students, all of whom are engaged in scientific, engineering, technological or medical research.
