The science world’s equivalent of Pop Idol starts on the 10th November with the launch of FameLab™ – a national competition to discover the new faces of UK science communication. The initiative is the brainchild of the Cheltenham Science Festival in partnership with NESTA (The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and supported by Pfizer, The Daily Telegraph and Channel 4.

Taking inspiration from some of today’s best science ambassadors such as Sir Robert Winston, David Attenborough and Susan Greenfield, the nationwide hunt aims to find a new generation of talented science communicators who can inspire and excite public imagination. While the talent search element of the project promises much entertainment (with entrants being given just 3 minutes to impress a panel of judges) it’s clear that the competition itself has a more serious underlining role to play within the science community.

‘This is a really important initiative,’ said patron and Nobel laureate Sir Paul Nurse at the launch in the English National Opera’s new Sky Bar in London. "FameLab™ will help to move public communication more to the centre of the scientific agenda and give real encouragement to those thinking of communicating science.  Good communication is essential to maintaining public confidence in science. There’s a lot at stake here: if the public does lose confidence then support will be lost. If we don’t talk about science there may be no science to talk about.”

FameLab™ aims to address these issues. The competition is open to anyone (aged 18 years and above) working in science, including practising scientists, teachers, technicians, and private and public sector employees. There is no application procedure; those interested just need to turn up at one of the regional heats being held in Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, London and Belfast. (Dates and venues are listed in editor’s notes). 

On the day, individuals will be given just 3 minutes to impress the judges with an entertaining, engaging and informative talk for a non-scientific audience.  This will enable the judges to narrow the field and invite back successful entrants to give a 5 minute presentation on an entirely different topic in the afternoon.  After this tough process, 12 finalists will then be short listed and receive two days of intensive training before the final on the 11 June at the 2005 Cheltenham Science Festival.

The overall winner will be given broadcasting time on Channel 4, a UK tour of speaking events and £2000 prize money.

The judging panel includes Robert Winston (Professor of Fertility Studies and BBC Presenter), Simon Singh (author, broadcaster and NESTA Trustee), Roger Highfield (Science Editor, Daily Telegraph, author and broadcaster), and Simon Andreae (Head of Science and Education at C4). 

"Comparisons to Pop Idol will be made", said Simon Singh author of Big Bang and Fermat's Last Theorem, "but I am no Simon Cowell. I simply want to encourage scientists to develop their talents.

When I grew up in the 1970s, there were lots of TV scientists, such as Heinz Wolff, James Burke, Magnus Pyke, Miriam Stoppard, Johnny Ball, and Patrick Moore, but there seems to have been a decline in high profile science commentators over the last decade. FameLab™ will hopefully find the household names of the future."

Jeremy Newton, NESTA Chief Executive, says: "Good science communication is absolutely essential in engaging the public in current debates and thinking. Without it a whole new world of discovery and advancement goes missing in the public consciousness. Contentious subjects such as GM or nanotechnology need to be better illuminated and opened up for informal debate and we have to rely on the scientific community to rise to this challenge.  NESTA hopes that FameLab™ will unleash a new generation of talented communicators who can inspire and excite their audiences and help them better understand the world they live in."

Notes to editors

• NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) investing in innovators and working to improve the climate for creativity in the UK.

• Established in 1998 and set up with an endowment from the National Lottery (£200 million, raised in 2003 to £250 million), NESTA invests the interest to support UK innovation. Since May 2000, when the programmes first opened, NESTA has spent over £58m on programmes supporting 675 awards. Visit www.nesta.org.uk to find out more.

• NESTA has a dedicated Media Room on its web site where news releases like this are easily available and where journalists can subscribe to receive any future releases. Other information, including high-resolution images to download and Communications contact details, are also available at www.nesta.org.uk/mediaroom