IOM3 Medal for Excellence

We are delighted to announce that Discover Materials has been awarded the 2025 Medal for Excellence by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).

As a UK-wide working group that promotes Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Discover Materials has been a massive group effort so here is a brief overview of where we have come form and some of our highlights.

At a Heads of Materials Science Departments meeting in 2017, a group of early-career academics and outreach officers from nine universities were tasked with increasing application numbers to MSE courses at UK universities. They formed the DM group in 2018 and, supported by the Henry Royce Institute, set up the National Outreach Officer post (2019) and University of Leeds joined the group (2020).

Developing the group

In 2020, in collaboration with the Henry Royce Institute, they commissioned a survey of 2000 16-18 year olds to assess their attitudes towards MSE and investigate what influences their career choices which led to them developing a professionally-produced video to promote MSE to secondary school-aged pupils and in 2021 we established an Advisory board , comprised of academics, school educators, community groups, the Ogden Trust and IOM3, to help ensure that we were working in a affective manner.

To deliver sustained and UK-wide public engagement and outreach, the group established the Discover Materials Ambassadors (DMA) network. Presently, there are over 100 DMAs, largely drawn from students and postdoctoral researchers at the DM Partner Universities network (plus some form outside the DM partner universities). The group provide training and support, and in turn DMAs volunteer at outreach events, deliver school visits and support the Discover Materials working groups.

In 2021, DM published three significant articles in Materials World, providing analysis of the status-quo, including surveys of prospective students (OnePoll), current students, UCAS pathways, and the extensive expertise of the team which has driven a narrative and national strategy for University-led MSE recruitment, outreach and public engagement across the UK. Major outcomes of this work, beyond the DMA network, has been to produce and curate significant parent, teacher and school student facing content to highlight where materials science occurs in the school curriculum and raise the profile of the discipline at much earlier age.

Our achievements to date

Systems-based reform has been core to DM’s strategy, working closely with UCAS in 2022 to set up the first dedicated MSE page, resulting in ~35,000 hits in its first year. This has been instrumental in increasing application numbers to MSE courses from 2,935 (2023/24 with an average of 2,700 between 2019/20 – 2012/23) to 3,660 (2024/25).

Critical to DM’s strategic success is sustained engagement via individual high schools running lessons and science clubs at primary and secondary schools, working with home education groups, and by returning annually to both national (e.g. Big Bang, and Cheltenham Science Festival) and local (e.g. Swansea Science Festival and Malvern Festival of Innovation) science fairs attracting diverse audiences.

Further funding has been secured to extend this work, from UK Space Agency (‘Let’s Move to the Moon’ project) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (to develop a series of science kits –CoCoMicroBox, CoCoBioMater Bag and CoCoElectro Bag – for children to carry out self-directed learning) and the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious Awards (to co-create graphical and video content in collaborations with focus groups of 11-14 year olds across England and Wales to inspire their peers).

DM also seeks out and works with other partners (4wardFutures and The Salters’ Institute) and runs teacher-focussed CPD sessions.

• Dr Eleonora D’Elia (Discover Materials Co-chair and Senior Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London) –  “Discover Materials is unlike most working groups – we’re more than a team; we’re a family united by a shared mission. Regardless of background, experience, or academic level, everyone contributes to making materials science accessible, engaging, and inspiring for all. Whether it’s reaching out to the public, supporting teachers, or sparking curiosity in schools and families, we work together to open up the world of materials. Receiving the IOM3 Medal of Excellence is a reflection of the dedication, collaboration, and passion that drives this incredible community.”

• Dr Liam Thomas (Head of Education, The Salters’ Institute) – ‘The feedback from teachers who have attended these sessions has been overwhelmingly positive.
  They have praised the quality of the content, the expertise of the presenter, and the practical applications of the knowledge gained”

 *The CPD sessions delivered by Discover Materials at the Salters’ Festival of Chemistry