13th December, 2006, The Daily Telegraph

The 2006 Awards Launch Article

By Lambert Courth

Science is fascinating, science is changing our world and society needs ever more scientists to create better lives for us all. Paradoxically, however, interest in science has been waning - science is dropping down the agenda in schools, universities are finding it harder to attract the best students to science and science companies are asking where their next movers and shakers in research are coming from.

That's why no one entering this competition should underestimate its importance. Your writing must not only explore and explain but enthral the readers of this newspaper. Pick a subject you can be passionate about, decide upon your story and give it as much fire as you can.

You could help raise the profile of subjects like chemistry, biology, engineering or physics. To some, they might seem un-glamorous. But their impact on society is immense. Without new and emerging technologies like nanotubes, intelligent polymers, and massive computational power to make sense of DNA, life today (and tomorrow) would be very different.

There's no magic solution that will guarantee success for those who enter this, the nation's most prestigious science writing competition. But you can improve your chances by keeping a few things in mind:- take just 700 or so words of crisp, vigorous English to discuss science or technology in an entertaining, informative and original way while being concise and accessible to non-specialists.

The aim is to write something suitable for publication on this page. It needs a good "intro" to grab the reader's interest and to be up-to-date. Try to use journalistic methods, such as seeking an interview with a scientist (in person, by e-mail or phone) in addition to drawing on published papers and media accounts. Be accurate and evaluate each source of information in terms of its originality relevance, worth and veracity. Take particular care when it comes to information on the internet.

Finally, pick a good topic. How you go about finding one is up to you, although you could start by looking at the web site of our fellow sponsors, The Royal Society. On the site of Bayer, my company, there is plenty more to write about.

Worldwide, we employ about 95,000 people and generate annual sales of over £20 billion. We also invest well over a billion pounds a year in research and development.

Each year we hire scores of young scientists who help us develop new products in healthcare, agriculture, performance materials, polymers and more besides. They also help to manufacture products more efficiently and cut our impact on the environment. As a result, we have lighter, safer cars, more fruitful crops, improved data storage, better medicines, happier families, better services, improved quality of life - and more fun.

Restoring old masters more efficiently, self-healing automotive coatings, forgery-proof information storage and personalised medicine. These topics of Bayer's research, and thousands of others, are out there waiting for you to explore, then explain to a wider audience.

Follow this advice and you could see your article in print, win cash prizes and have unprecedented opportunities to hone your skills with work experience. This year, we are also offering a £500 prize to the school that submits the best entries.

Good luck!

Lambert Courth is the CEO of Bayer in the UK/Ireland. See www.bayer.com

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