FameLab
FameLab is the largest, public facing, science communication competition and training programme in the world. FameLab® is a registered trademark of Cheltenham Festivals, who created the programme in 2005.
About FameLab
Thanks to a 15-year partnership with the British Council, FameLab has run in over 40 countries across the world together with more than 200 local partner organisations. This vibrant global network brought together over 40,000 scientists and engineers who were able to engage with international audiences.
Aims of FameLab
- Encourage and enable science-related researchers to communicate their work with the public in an engaging and exciting way
- Create an active, international community of science-related researchers who are confident and skilled in communicating their research with the public
- Facilitate an international network of trainers and institutions sharing resources, best practice and opportunities to support science communication
- Find and support the next generation of Cheltenham Science Festival speakers
The Competition
Researchers from across the globe gather online or live to compete to vie for the title of world’s best science communicator.
They’ll have just 3 minutes each to communicate their research to a global audience and an expert panel of judges. The winner is the speaker who best demonstrates FameLab’s three C’s – Content, Clarity and Charisma.
FameLab UK – Regional Hub Organisations
Cheltenham Festivals works closely with partner organisations who will be recognised as a Regional Hub Organisation for FameLab in their region of the UK. These partners will be trained and equipped with all the resources they need before beginning recruitment. Participants will apply centrally by selecting the hub nearest to them.
Hub Organisations will then run training for all applicants in preparation to take part in their Regional Finals. Regional winners go on to compete at a FameLab UK Final, hosted live at Cheltenham Science Festival. The FameLab UK winner will also represent the UK at the FameLab International Final.
Application to take part in FameLab UK open in October 2023.
We are delighted to welcome our new FameLab UK Regional Hub Organisations for 2023-2024.
East Midlands: University of Nottingham, University of Lincoln, University of Leicester and Nottingham Trent University, East of England: University of Cambridge, North East: Teesside University, North West: University of Liverpool (UoL) and University of Salford (UoS), Northern Ireland: Science Festivals NI, Scotland: University of Aberdeen, South East: KMTV Ltd, The South-West: Plymouth Marjon University, Gloucestershire & the West Midlands: University of Gloucestershire.
Apply to become a FameLab UK Hub Organisation now.
FameLab International – Country Host Organisations
Cheltenham Festivals works closely with international partner organisations who will be recognised as a Country Host Organisation for FameLab in their country. These partners will be trained and equipped with all the resources needed before they begin recruitment. Each country will run FameLab independently while still supported by Cheltenham Festivals. National winners then go on to compete at the FameLab International Final hosted online in November.
We are delighted to continue FameLab with international partners for 2023.
Australia: Foundation for the Western Australia Museum, Czech Republic: Charles University, Germany: Bielefeld Marketing, Italy: Psiquadro, Malaysia: Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Republic of Korea: KOFAC (Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity), South Africa: South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) - a business unit of the National Research Foundation and Jive Media Africa, Switzerland: Life Science Zurich, BioScience Network Lausanne and Graduate Center University of Basel and Thailand: The National Science Museum. FameLab Academy International also continues in Australia: Foundation for the Western Australia Museum and Qatar: Qatar National Research Fund.
If you would like to become a FameLab International Country Host Organisation, please get in touch with us by email.
FameLab Academy
FameLab Academy is the sister to FameLab. It takes the same successful format and adapts it to a secondary school context.
FameLab has been a great chance to meet inspiring people who are doing and communicating wonderful research around the world. Learning from each other, encouraging each other and building networks that will last into the future has been a brilliant experience, and one that I’ve been very lucky to be a part of. Tim Gordon, FameLab International Winner 2019
