Nuffield Science Bursary Placements
The Centre for Widening Participation offers summer placements for science students who have been awarded a Nuffield Bursary. In the past placements have been offered in Rural Science, Biological Sciences, Environmental Science and Earth Science.
The Nuffield Foundation offers bursaries to year 12 students. The scheme helps students to take part in science based projects in universities, industries or research institutions during the summer holidays
2011 Students
This year six students spent from 4 to 6 weeks over the summer of 2011 working on diverse research projects, with two students given the opportunity to go abroad to research.
Isabella Ashford (Ysgol Penglais School)
'Pilot study on the effectiveness of immersive display technology for parallel coordinates'
Rachel Evans (Ysgol Penweddig School)
'Using Sunspot Movement to Determine the Diffential Rotation of the Sun'
Jamie Hopkins (Llanidloes High School)
'Analysis of Transformational Leadership '
Mared Hopkins (Ysgol Uwchradd Tregaron)
' Population genetics in horses'
Duncan Horne (Ysgol Penglais School)
' Miniature ocean Observation Platforms (Moops) and the Analogue Boomerang Control System '
Wai Lee Lai (Ysgol Penglais School)
2010 Students
This year seven students spent five weeks over the summer of 2010 working on diverse research projects.They were able to live in (Pantycelyn Halls of Residence) and take part in an extensive sports and social programme, with a number of other young people on the Summer University.
Dylan Bale (Ystalyfera School, Pontardawe)
'Investigating quality traits in the bio-energy crop Miscanthus using molecular techniques'
Michael Burgum (Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi)
'Determining the best combination for sowing Chicory with Perennial Ryegrass and Red Clover for maximum Dry Matter Yield and quality forage of Chicory'
Nuffield 2010 - Michael Burgum
Jessica Herrity (Stanwell School)
'An investigation into how vegetation type affects the possibility of a land slide with reference to the River Teifi mass movement'
Nuffield 2010 - Jessica Herrity
Carys Jones-Williams (Radyr Comprehensive School)
The Relationship between Muscle Dysmorphia and Body-Image'
Nuffield 2010 - Carys Jones-Williams
Bradley Thomas (Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi)
'UV Fluorescence of Chloraphyll based faecal markers in Sheep using spectral imaging'
Nuffield 2010 - Bradley Thomas
Jack Thompson (Heolddu Comprehensive, Bargoed)
'Finding the Speed of the Sun's Rotation'
Sam Walton (Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy)
'Graph Visualisation in a Hemispherium'
2009 Students
Four students spent four weeks with us in the summer of 2009 .
Nazir Ahmed (Welshpool High School)
Worked on a project (with IBERS) to devise and improve on a cultivation metion in vitro for Ciliates (protozoa present in the equine gut). THis would further the research team's work of improving the digestion and metabolism of feeds in the gut of horses.
Nuffield poster - Nazir Ahmed
James Beasley (Welshpool High School)
Worked on a prohect (witht the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences - IBERS) to investigate the effect of differing atmospheric levels of CO2 on different straings of Frankia growth. Frankia is a nitrogen fixing bacterial which grows on the roots of actinorhizol plants in a symbiotic relationship. In this project Frankia associated with alder trees were used.
Nuffield Poster - James Beasley
Samantha Sullivan (St Cyres Comprehensive)
Worked on a project witht he Psychology Department to discover how Welsh-English bilingual Speakers use grammatical gender. For example, does having a grammatical genter with in a language affect gognitions in Welsh and also does the mutation system affect linguistic processing.
Nuffield Report - Samantha Sullivan
Laurence Williams (Welshpool High School)
Worked on a project (with IBERS) to look at Rumen protozoa (present in gut od steers) taken from animals fed on two different dients : half on a straw concentrate mix of barley, rolled wheat, molasses and rapeseed meal (and therefore free of chloroplasts), and half on fresh cut grass. The feeds were analysed, as were rumen liquid and solid, including DNA extraction.
2008 Students
In 2008 we had three students who carried out research projects in Biology (bioluminescence), Rural Science (colour and pollination effects) and Environmental Science (mine waste remediation).
2007 Students
- Elin Jones, Ysgol Bro Ddyfi, Machynlleth, "Re-growing Frankia from long-term poor storage conditions"
- Rhiannon Watson, Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, Abertawe, "Flower Colour in R.acris (meadow buttercup) & R.repens (creeping buttercup)"