Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S22387/01
Title:	Materials Matter!
Principal Investigator:	Reid, Professor G
Other Investigators:	Evans, Professor J Attard, Professor G
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Arnewood School Canford School Freelance Science Communicator Queen Mary's College Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing
Department:	Sch of Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Southampton
Scheme:	PPE PreFEC
Starts:	30 June 2003	Ends:	29 June 2005	Value (£):	41,232
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project will form a key component of a much wider programme of activities developed within the Chemistry Department in Southampton for outreach into schools It is vital that the trend in declining numbers of students studying science at A-level and beyond is reversed. We will tackle this by targeting pupils at Key Stage 3 which is a critical decision making point. Many pupils are turned off science at this time due to its perceived difficulty, an uninspiring syllabus and a lack of awareness of the relevance of scientific research to our society. Under this project we will develop a set of practical workshops (and associated resources) focusing on 5 distinct strands of chemistry under the generic theme of materials with a function. These will form the basis of a roadshow to go to local schools, providing a stimulating perspective on the role that chemical research plays in the development and properties of products familiar to us in our everyday lives - including liquid crystal displays in G3 mobile phones, zeolites in eco-friendly washing powders and super-absorbant polymers in disposable nappies. The involvement of research students in the design of the workshops and in delivering factual scientific information in layman's term will lead to additional long term benefits.A series of high quality graphical images in the form of posters and postcards will accompany the experimental/demonstration component.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.soton.ac.uk