The Summer Science Exhibition is the Royal Society’s flagship public engagement event which takes place in July every year at the prestigious home of the Royal Society in central London.
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The exhibition showcases the cutting edge science shaping our future and features 21 exhibits from teams of researchers from across the UK.
Each year over 13,000 members of the public, including 2,500 school students, visit the Summer Science Exhibition. Many more are reached through coverage on TV, in the media and online.
We are looking for enthusiastic researchers with a passion for engaging the public to take part in the Exhibition. We welcome proposals from researchers both in academia and industry, and encourage collaborations, as long as the project lead is UK based. The Exhibition provides a unique opportunity to engage with a diverse audience and raise the profile of your research with the public and key influencers, including policy makers, the media and potential funders.
The Summer Science Exhibition enables you to build lasting benefits for yourself and your team. Previous exhibitors improved their skills in communicating complex scientific research with a non scientist audience, as well as having increased impact and confidence when communicating with their students, research teams and funding bodies. The Exhibition is also a great opportunity for your research group to work as a team, to build a valuable skill set for future careers and to foster a strong team spirit. The exhibit you create can also be used to take your engagement to science centres, festivals, museums and community events in the year after the Summer Exhibition. To learn more about the event first-hand, please see our case studies of previous exhibitors.
The Schools programme runs alongside the Exhibition each year, during which around 2,500 students (aged 14–18) and their teachers visit the Exhibition. This provides a fantastic opportunity for exhibitors to engage with a diverse young audience and inspire the next generation of scientists. There are also two dedicated sixth form sessions that enable A level students (aged 16–18) to learn about the skills used in the researchers’ work and to find out more about career paths in science.
Find out more about exhibiting at the Summer Exhibition
"An amazing experience - extremely rewarding to have the opportunity to explain to the wider public what our work is and why we are doing it."
"I would highly recommend taking part in Summer Science, for the exposure it has given our research, and for the fantastic experience of connecting with visitors and getting direct feedback."
"One of the most enjoyable and satisfying outreach opportunities that I have ever taken part in. The range of background of visitor is so wide that almost each encounter brings up something new."
"It was a fantastic experience both in terms of the week itself but also for the skills portfolio that we developed as a team. As team leader I would now feel confident taking on big projects and in my own abilities to lead and direct."
The Exhibition team are on hand to provide support and guidance throughout the application process. If you have any questions, please contact us on exhibition@royalsociety.org or call on +44 20 7451 2582.