Manchester Grammar School’s Head of Science Graham Curtis says that Britain still leads the way in producing ground breaking research scientists.
Presenting two Sixth Form students with the Gold Crest Award for Research Science sponsored by the Nuffield Foundation, he highlighted Britain’s continuing success in developing innovative ideas.
James Derrick, 18, from Didsbury won the prestigious award for his work in developing semi conductors using leadantimony sulphide while assisting scientists at Manchester University.
Kit French, 17, from Cheadle, achieved the gold standard for his research on laser photonics to design runway debris detection systems with North Wales firm Optic Technium.
Graham said:
Britain still has many world class centres of research both in universities and in high tech science companies and our future probably depends on our ability to convert our ideas into economically viable manufacture.
Graham, from Withington, who joined MGS in 1972 and will retire at the end of the academic year, added: As we can see with James and Kit, our schools continue to produce first class scientists and our universities, particularly Manchester, attract bright young minds not only from this country but internationally, but there must be a concern that future governments will only fund commercial projects and there will be no money for blue skies research, from which we get so many of our best ideas.
He continued: The Gold Crest Awards are a great example of education and industry working together. The Nuffield Foundation sponsors top students across the country to work for four to six weeks on cutting edge research projects. It gives the students an opportunity to work on practical science projects in way they could never do in classroom laboratories with tailor made equipment to achieve real and not just theoretical standards and it gives the working scientists another pair of eyes and hands.
James, from Fog Lane, Didsbury, who after taking Maths, Further, Maths, Physics and Chemistry in the MGS Sixth Form, wants to study Physics at Imperial College, London, said: It was a privilege to work on chemical vapour deposition techniques to produce solar cells. I felt it was genuinely important work.
Kit, from the Downs, Cheadle, who wants to study Materials Science at Cambridge, said: It was a great opportunity to work with Optic Technium on the design of runway debris detection systems. I thought it was not only important work but had a potential in the world-wide market place.
CAPTION: Graham is pictured with Kit (centre) and James
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