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Manchester Science Festival , in conjunction with BIG, are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for The Josh Award 2014.

Established to recognise and support up-and-coming talent in science communication. The award recognises a defining moment in the career of a science communicator; a person who is a practicing scientist or someone who has chosen science communication as their profession. This defining moment could be a game changing project, piece of work, way of working or a key moment of change, creativity, innovation or passion. A defining moment in a career that has transformed science communication practice, inspired others or changed the landscape of science communication.The award provides the opportunity to become the science communicator in residence at the Manchester Science Festival 2014, developing and delivering a new project or event while show-casing best practise in the field of science communication.The winner will receive support to nurture their development in the field and their involvement in the Manchester Science Festival from both the Festival team and the British Interactive Group (BIG), the skills sharing network for individuals involved in the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths.

Applications are welcomed from science communication practitioners who can be full-time, part-time, or practising science communication through various aspects of their jobs, e.g. as a researcher at a University. We welcome applications from individuals and groups. The Award is open to anyone involved in science communication in the UK (and is a UK resident).

About Josh

The Award is inspired by and named in memory of Josh Phillips who was Science Communication Officer at the Museum of Science and Industry. Josh was a much loved, much respected and highly talented science communicator whose outstanding career is commemorated with this award. Josh was also Chair of the British Interactive Group.

For further information, and to download an application form, please visit www.big.uk.com/josh

Monday 19 May, 10am-5pm, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

A BIG skills day designed inspire and develop the skills of those who work with early years groups in a science centre, museum or similar.

Our latest Skills Day, developed and delivered in association with the National Museum of Scotland, will be a relaxed environment for the sharing of ideas and experience. We have three experienced Speakers who will develop your confidence and give you a fresh outlook on early years activities and what they can achieve.

For just £30 for BIG Members including a light lunch.

Book your place NOW here

Registration is open for the BIG Event 2014 in Oxford. You can save £50 on the full conference rate now if you book and pay before 31st March!

Register here

This year BIG is offering 2-3 bursary places to attend the BIG Event taking place at Oxford University Museum of Natural History on 23-25 July 2014.

The bursary provides registration fees for the BIG Event and gives limited travel and accommodation support. This is open to BIG members who are in the first five years of their professional career and have not attended a previous BIG Event.

To apply for a conference place through the bursary, please download the form and guidelines from www.big.uk.com/bigevent14

Deadline for application: Wednesday 2 April 2014 (late applications will not be considered – sorry).

Submission of an article (approx 400 words) for BIG’s enewsletter related to your conference attendance is a requirement of the bursary scheme and expenses will be issued on receipt of the article. We also hope you will be willing to give a hand at the conference where required; this gives you a great opportunity to create links with other delegates.

Please get in touch with me if you have any questions.

Rachel Mason
BIG Event Organiser
0776 039 5585

Registration is now open for the BIG Event 2014 in Oxford. You can save £50 on the full conference rate now if you book and pay before 31st March!

From Wed 23rd to Fri 25th July the BIG Event will be poking around the collections, the nooks and the crannies of the University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

The venue for this year provides oodles of potential for trying out new ideas and is a great place for a meaningful argument and a good rootle in some weird stuff. It was here at the Museum of Natural History that the famous evolutionary debate took place between Huxley and Wilberforce; it houses the University's scientific collections of zoological, entomological and geological specimens. At the Pitt Rivers Museum next door one of the world's finest collections of anthropology and archaeology is held, with objects revealing humankind's extraordinary problem-solving and craft skill from every continent and from throughout human history.

It's a wonderful building; it's not to be missed. Expect some intimate spaces; expect some super Victorian Gothic surroundings.

If that's tickled your fancy and you already have seven or eight sessions you'd like to propose DON'T LET ME STOP YOU. You can go now to the BIG Event session proposal site at http://bigevent.info/ and put your ideas down for us all to chip in on. If you need to mull it over Christmas, we'll be taking session proposals until mid January.

The BIG Event is the British Interactive Group's annual get-together where people in the STEM enagement profession get together (of course) to swap, share, give and try out. It is hosted by a different visitor centre each year and the content and style of the Event changes to suit the surroundings. It's a like a conference, but nicer.

BIG is thrilled to announce that the Little Event returns to Thinktank in Birmingham on Wednesday 8th January. It’s for people who are relatively new to STEM communication, whether they work in a science centre or museum, volunteer for a festival, are involved in university outreach, or do anything else to engage people with sciences. It’s a lot like the BIG Event, but a bit smaller, and all crammed into one busy day. There will be several sessions, each focusing on developing a different skill, delivered by experienced science communicators following our usual hands-on approach.

But of course it isn’t just about the sessions, it’s the people you meet there too. The Little Event presents a great opportunity to meet people from across the UK working in similar roles and sharing similar experiences. The programme for the day will include sessions on Learning & evaluation, Interacting with the public, Managing your engagement project, Presenting and careers.

The price is £45 for BIG members - or non-members will need to join BIG first for £30 for 12 months.

Thanks to generous support from Graphic Science and BIG, we are able to offer 10 bursaries to cover 1 year’s BIG membership, registration fees for the Little Event and £25 towards travel expenses.

For more information about the day - or the bursary application process visit www.big.uk.com/littleevent14

You can follow the comings and goings of this year's BIG Event at Glasgow Science Centre on Twitter from today using the hashtag #bigevent13

Still undecided about whether to attend this year's BIG Event in Glasgow? The time is now. With only 10 places left, the final programme is available to view and download from our website.

If you are a member of BIG, you will have received an email in your inboxes inviting you to vote for candidates standing for election to a position on the Executive Committee 2013/14. Please use your vote wisely - it will make all the difference.