Rosalind Franklin Award Lecture: Bright futures in a dark universe

Watch the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Prize Lecture by Professor Clare Burrage.

About the lecture

The types of matter that form people, planets and stars make up only 5% of the content of our Universe. The remaining 95%, composed of dark matter and dark energy, remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in physics. While dark matter forms halos around galaxies, dark energy drives the accelerating expansion of the universe, yet neither has been directly detected.

Professor Clare Burrage will demonstrate how her research bridges disciplines from particle physics to quantum measurements, from astrophysical observations to laboratory experiments, to probe the dark Universe. Professor Clare Burrage’s work not only advances cosmology through her influential contributions, but also reshapes who is seen as a physicist. Professor Burrage will also speak about her Rosalind Franklin Award project which aims to engage girls of all ages with the joy and excitement of physics, and to inspire the next generation of physicists.

About the speaker

Professor Clare Burrage is a Cosmologist and Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham. She has made influential contributions in the development of theories of dark energy, in particular, she has developed novel astrophysical observations and terrestrial experiments to better understand theories of dark energy and dark matter.

She was awarded her PhD in 2009 from the University of Cambridge and held research positions at the University of Geneva and at DESY (German Electron Synchrotron). She moved to the University of Nottingham on an Anne McLaren Research Fellowship before being awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. Her research has also been supported by a Leverhulme Trust Research Leadership Award. In 2015 she was awarded the Maxwell Medal by the Institute of Physics for exceptional contributions to Theoretical Physics, and in 2023 she received the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in the UK. Her work to encourage and support women in Physics includes organising the first two national Postgraduate Women in Physics Conferences in 2020 and 2025.

About the award

The Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture is awarded for a project to promote women in STEM by an individual with an established track record of very high standing in any area of STEM. The 2025 winner is Professor Clare Burrage for her achievements in theoretical cosmology and her proposed project which aims to inspire and engage girls of all ages with physics.

Attending the event

• The event is free to join, however if attending in person pre-registration is required via Eventbrite for a ticket
• Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually

Attending in person

• This lecture can be attended in-person at the Royal Society
• Pre-registration is required via Eventbrite for a ticket if attending in person
• Doors will open to the public at 6pm BST. As this is a free event, the event will be oversubscribed. Please arrive early to secure your seat, as seating will be allocated on a first-come, first-served bases
• If you can no longer attend, kindly let us know or cancel your reservation through Eventbrite
• Find travel and accessibility information on our website

Attending online

• The lecture will also be livestreamed here and on the Royal Society YouTube channel
• Pre-registration is not required if joining online
• You can take part in the live Q&A via Slido
• This event will be recorded (including the live Q&A) and the recording will be available on YouTube soon after the event

We are committed to making this event accessible to all attendees. If you have any further queries or require additional support or adjustments to facilitate your attendance, please contact diversity@royalsociety.org.