The Royal College of Science Union’s annual science communication competition, the RCSU Science Challenge, is always of interest to our members, and all the more so for those of us with school-age children or otherwise involved with schools. So we are delighted to give you early information about this year’s competition.
The RCS Union opened the competition on Monday 15th December 2025 and it has a submission deadline of Sunday 15th February 2026 at 17.00. If any of your kids decide to get involved this coming year, we wish them the best of luck.
(And, as soon as the date and location of the Awards Ceremony for the 2026 RCSU Science Challenge is settled, we’ll pass on the details here.)
Hard at work are RCSU President, Jack Swires, Chair of the Science Challenge, Aadhavan Balachandran, Deputy Science Challenge Chair, Shama Sasikumar and the rest of the organising team, along with our very own Jenni Munroe.
This is the twentieth year of the RCSU Science Challenge (which started life as the ‘RCSA Science Challenge’ of course, back in 2006). It is an important outreach and public engagement activity that the RCSA founded, funded and nurtured. Once again in 2026 the RCSA’s participation is to pose ‘The RCSA Question‘. And we wish our Jenni Munroe all the best with setting and judging her challenging question which is:
“Creatively use AI tools and your own perspective and ingenuity to explain a scientific concept, breakthrough, or discovery that personally inspired you or led you down a different path.”
“Critically discuss where you hope this field of science might lead in the future.”
“Briefly explain which AI tools you used and what you used them to do.”
And DO NOTE: The RCS Union is looking for further sponsorship, so if you or your employer could be sponsors for the RCSU Science Challenge this year, then PLEASE GET IN TOUCH and let’s talk about it.
(If you like our outreach and engagement activities and the support we offer to our students why not help us do more? Sign up for RCSA membership here, and your annual subscription will be a great help, or consider making a donation to the RCSA Trust here. With no staff and no building costs or other outgoings, you can be assured that every penny of your donation will be gratefully received and faithfully applied to assist the students of the Royal College of Science).
You could donate any amount you wish, but why not donate £100 right now?