Rosalind Franklin Women in STEM Conference

The Rosalind Franklin Women in STEM Conference on the theme of Drug Discovery took place between Monday 25th and Wednesday 27th of March 2024.

Students in Library by Dasha Tenditna Nov 2023

This annual conference brings together eighty attendees with the aim of fostering academic discussion among young people. Participants are encouraged to consider the wide-reaching roles of STEM in society.  

This year, attendees will consider the issues surrounding the process of Drug Discovery. Speakers representing a range of views will address this question, following which attendees will divide into groups to discuss the topic further. The conference will conclude in a group session, where each group will be able to share and debate on their ideas. 

All accommodation and food will be provided, and there is no charge for participants. Newnham College will provide public transport travel support for students who are eligible for Free School Meals, or who have spent time in Local Authority Care. 

Who is it for?

The Rosalind Franklin Conference is open to all women in the UK in Y12 (or Y13 in N. Ireland/S5 in Scotland), regardless of school type. The programme is designed to be interdisciplinary. Applications are encouraged from those interested in pursuing a variety of STEM subjects at university, including but not limited to: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Medicine.  

In the event that the programme is oversubscribed, the following criteria will be used for prioritisation of applicants: 

  • Experience of Local Authority Care 
  • Experience of Forced Migration 
  • Eligibility for Free School Meals 
  • Experience of estrangement 
  • Being a Young Carer 
  • Long-term health conditions causing extended absence from education 
  • Receiving a late diagnosis of Special Educational Needs 
  • In receipt of Personal Independence Payment 
  • School low progression to Oxford or Cambridge 
  • A home postcode in a low-progression neighbourhood (POLAR Quintiles 1/2) 
  • A home postcode in the lowest two quintiles of national indices of multiple deprivation 
  • First in family to attend university 
  • Living in Newnham Outreach link areas (Birmingham, Walsall, Redbridge, Enfield, Barking and Dagenham) 

This page will be updated with details of future events. If you have any questions relating to the conference, please email admissions@newn.cam.ac.uk.