Opportunity: The Shell and Institute of Physics Award for the Very Early Career Woman Physicist of the Year, cd 26 February 2010

From the Institute of Physics: Applications are now being accepted for the Very Early Career Award 2010, the closing date for applications is 26 February 2010. For more information about the 2010 award and how to apply please download the poster and application form.

The Women in Physics Group annually invite applications from women at the start of their careers in physics who have made a substantial contribution to the subject and may also have undertaken activities to support and encourage others in the field. The prize is awarded annually to a woman who is within three years of completing her undergraduate degree in physics and who is either working as a physicist or is engaged in postgraduate study.

The winner will receive £1,000 donated by Shell and an award certificate at a major Institute of Physics Women in Physics event. As well as providing recognition of the winner's work through the prize money, the award will also provide valuable networking opportunities. Applicants therefore must be working in the UK or Ireland.

The Very Early Career Woman Physicist of the Year Award seeks to recognise the work done by physicists who are embarking on a career in physics and to promote the career opportunities open to people with physics qualifications.

Opportunity: TSB announces £13m crop protection R&D competition, c/d 25 Feb 2010

The Technology Strategy Board has announced a new competition with £13m available for industry-led projects that will help growers respond to the challenge of increasing crop productivity whilst also reducing the environmental impact of crop production.

The competition opens on January 18th 2010 and aims to meet existing and new EU regulation on the approval and use of pesticides. This call is relevant to businesses and stakeholders across the agricultural supply chain, including those involved in the following sectors:

• arable crops including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, potatoes and pulse crops
• horticulture
• grasses and forage crops
• crops for biofuels, and other non-food uses
• in the field or protected cultivation

Further information is available at the Technology Strategy Board website.

The Biosciences KTN, which is free to join, can help assist by providing advice on project scope and fit to eligibility criteria; identification of potential collaborative partners; confidential review of draft proposals.

Opportunity: I'm a scientist, get me out of here, c/d 19 Feb 2010

Do you want to get into schools without having to leave the lab? Do you want to be sure there is a real educational benefit to what you are doing? Do you want to develop your communication skills, and possibly get awarded £500?

‘I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here!’ get teenagers talking to real scientists, online, and learning about real science. Students have fun, but also get beyond stereotypes, learn about how science relates to real life, develop their thinking and discussion skills and make connections with real scientists.

You’d be making a difference. And you’d be learning too. Teenagers ask all sorts of questions - from the cheeky to the thought-provoking. They fizz with energy and can be infectious company. The students chose which scientist gets a grant of £500 for public engagement. This means they engage at a much deeper level, because they have a say over something real.

This award-winning event is funded by the Wellcome Trust, to promote public engagement with science. Find out more, or register to take part at http://imascientist.org.uk/for-scientists/