Calling all younger engineering research workers

NESTA is calling for talented early career researchers from across the world of science to join in to with up-and-coming researchers from different disciplines, in the Crucible programme

NESTA is calling for talented early career researchers from across the world of science to enter its Crucible programme, which aims to stimulate innovation by bringing together up-and-coming researchers from different disciplines to develop new ideas and explore the wider potential of their work.

Now in its fourth year, Crucible is open to researchers working in science, technology, engineering, medicine, science policy, or social science who are at an early stage in their career.

This could include post-doctoral researchers, recently appointed lecturers or researchers working in industry, a research institute or similar.

As well as evidence of an interest in collaborating with researchers from other disciplines, NESTA is looking for candidates with an interest in science and society or science policy, and proven involvement in areas beyond their research such as working to improve public engagement with science, writing for non-specialist audiences or participating in a special interest group.

Applications will be accepted from 22 March until 30 April 2007.

The 30 applicants selected by NESTA will participate in three residential Lab weekend designed to act as a spring board for the researchers to take risks and embark on new collaborations across disciplines.

The Lab weekends will provide a creative environment in which the researchers are free to experiment and develop relationships.

Centred around three themes, the labs will specifically encourage participants to:.

* see their own research and roles as scientists in the wider context of society and explore how collaborations in science and technology can address some of science and modern society's big challenges.

* examine the culture of research that exists today, identify in what ways this may limit or hold back innovation, and explore ways to overcome this, with a particular focus on facilitating collaboration across disciplines.

* develop the individual skills and attributes that NESTA has found are characteristic of innovators, namely: self-belief; self-awareness; collaboration, teamwork and communication; and risk-taking.

Previous projects that have emerged from Crucible range from the on-going collaboration of a biophysicist with a synthesis chemist towards the development of novel hybrid biomimetic nanomaterials to Sense-Sational Science, an interactive exhibit and the result of a collaboration between 10 different researchers, which launched at London Zoo in Science Week and takes a more creative approach to teaching children about how animals use their senses.

Commenting on the programme, Helen Gresty, executive director of innovation programmes at NESTA, said: "The UK produces some of the best scientific research in the world but early specialisation in our education system can lead to disciplines working in isolation.

We believe we can further improve our capacity for innovation if we bring researchers together to stimulate new and exciting collaborations across disciplines.

As issues like climate change become ever more pressing, creating these kinds of opportunities for collaboration promises not just economic gain, but social benefit".

Gabriel Cavalli, Lecturer in Materials Chemistry in the School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at the University of Surrey, who participated last year, said: "Not only did Crucible help me to see the wider context of my work - making me better able to argue the case for it - it made me realise the way I could work with researchers in different disciplines to come up with more compelling research projects and approaches.

I would urge everyone with an interest in furthering their research to apply".

Kathy Sykes, NESTA Trustee and Professor of Sciences and Society at Bristol University, added: "For science, technology and innovation to flourish researchers need to talk with - and listen to - the public more.

It's great that the NESTA Crucible programme reinforces the importance of public engagement in our most talented researchers".

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