Lizzie won the Materials Zone in June 2012, here’s how she spent her money:

In the year since I won the Materials Zone of I’m A Scientist, things have been really busy for me and it’s often been tough for me to find time to think about science communication! However, I have managed to do a few things with my prize money:

University of Manchester, Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WiSET)

The promotion of science and engineering to girls is something I’m pretty passionate about, and having been involved with WiSET during my time at Manchester Uni I thought it was only fitting for them to receive some of my winnings. I donated £100 to them, in order for the society to be able to afford a coach to take a group of 50 female students from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences to tour a local industrial facility, which will hopefully inspire them to go on and pursue a career in science and engineering after they finish their studies.

University of Manchester, School of Materials

This is the school where I am currently studying for my PhD, and it has a rich history of scientific outreach activities. Rather than trying to organise a huge event all on my own with no special contacts or knowlege, I’ve donated the money to the Outreach team of this department who put on many activities every year in the Greater Manchester area, quite a few of which I’ve helped out at in the past and hope to continue doing in the future!