Why does research matter to young people? Through taking part in real research, students tell us they have: 🔎 Explored their own research questions 🌍 Made a real impact in their local community 💡Learnt more about careers in STEM 📈 Worked with real scientific data

We want to change the culture in UK education so that every young person experiences real research. Help us build the case for change, so that every young person has the opportunity to take part in real research whilst they’re at school. #STEMEducation #AuthenticResearch

We asked students and teachers about the impact of our Research and Innovation Framework pilot project: 🧬 "Anyone can do science and be a scientist" ⬆7.1% 👨‍🔬 "People like me work in STEM" ⬆13.9% 🚏 "I know more about the different routes into a STEM career" ⬆23.2%

That’s all of the schools and colleges we work with wrapped up for the summer holidays! Teachers, researchers, supporters, policy-makers and change-makers: thank you so much for working with us to bring research into classrooms across the UK. We’ll see you in the new academic year :)

Every young person should have the opportunity to take part in real research. Getting Started with Research is a new set of free resources to help schools bring research into the classroom, regardless of starting point. Sign up to be the first to access: researchinschools.org/getting-started/

Definition: Investigative Research Projects (IRPs) These are experiences which aim to be an accurate and authentic portrayal of science. This includes designing a research question and collecting and analysing data as well as reporting results. #STEM #Education #GlossaryIRIS

📢 ✨ Introducing: Multi-Messenger, a project where students become astronomers – analysing real telescope data. Developed in partnership with University of Portsmouth and GOTO Observatory. Watch the introductory video: youtube.com/watch?v=uG09wTOkNHs&t=10s #IRISProjects #Astronomy #EduSky

Introduction to Multi-Messenger

In this project, students explore multi-messenger astronomy, an emerging field that combines electromagnetic observations with data from gravitational wave detectors. They analyse real data from GOTO telescopes and learn how to identify interesting tran...

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What’s it like at the IRIS student conferences? It’s like this! 🎉 Thank you so much to all of the students, teachers and guests who joined us in Manchester and Exeter, helping to make it one of our most inspiring conference seasons yet! https://researchinschools.org/iris-student-conferences-2026/

When students take part in genuine research, they build confidence and develop valuable skills so they are ready for life beyond the classroom. We're working towards a future where every young person experiences real research. #STEMEducation #AuthenticResearch

We're pleased to be recognised in @royalsociety.org's recent Science for Society report as an example of enquiry-based science education in action. When young people take part in real research, they build skills and confidence and see themselves as scientists. Let's build on what works.

We are very sorry to share that the IRIS London Student Research Conference due to take place on Thursday 25 June 2026 is cancelled. All confirmed attendees have been notified and you can read the full update on our website: https://researchinschools.org/2026-london-conference-cancelled/

Thank you to everyone that joined us at our first two #conferences in Manchester and Exeter! We’ve had a brilliant time learning about all sorts of research projects, from the impact of global warming on microorganisms to investigating different hand-drying methods in school. 📍 Next stop – London.

An amazing first conference in Manchester 🤩 Students shared their research with others, building connections and confidence. We’ve seen and heard so many impressive posters and conversations – thank you for joining us! 📍 Next stop – Exeter. #Conferences

We’re in Manchester for the first IRIS conference of the year! These #conferences give students the opportunity to share their amazing research with peers from other schools and the wider academic community. Director Jo Foster shares her warm welcome 📷 #STEM #StudentResearch

We’re looking forward to welcoming students and teachers from across the UK next week! With around 800 young researchers joining us in three different cities, its gearing up to be our biggest conference season yet. Here are some throwbacks to last year’s conferences!

Our Carbon Researchers project empowers students to tackle the climate crisis in their own schools. A group of students from Swanwick Hall School looked at reducing their paper use as a starting point in helping their school become net zero. #WorldEnvironmentDay

Dr Neil Garrido, one of IRIS’ Regional School Engagement Leads has had an article published in the Journal of Chemistry Education! 🎉📚 It explores how providing authentic research opportunities can have a positive impact on students, focusing on one of our IRIS projects: DNA Origami.

🎬 Behind the scenes We’ve been doing lots of filming in May – checking in with schools, preparing for a new project and working on our Getting Started with Research videos! #ResearchInSchools #STEMEducation #IRISProjects

“It didn't just teach me about science; it also taught me about teamwork and how to pose and create my own research questions.” Student-led research projects don't just deliver and consolidate knowledge. They also build skills in ways that the current curriculum alone cannot.

IRIS projects are cross-curricular, spanning subjects from geography to computer science. 🌍💻 Many schools use #IRISProjects to enrich student’s learning by taking part in authentic research. Explore our projects: https://researchinschools.org/projects/

Designed in collaboration with @rsc.org and the Queen’s University Belfast, our #GreenerFragrances project introduces students to the use of chemistry in improving industrial practices. It plays an important role in sustainability and helps reduce their impact on the environment.

We’re busy preparing for conference season! Last year, nearly 700 students attended conferences in Exeter, Manchester and London, sharing 243 research posters. 💡 94% students felt inspired about STEM careers 🫶 100% teachers rated conferences as good/very good

From classroom learning to real-world impact 🌍 Year 8 students from The King's Academy took part in our Wild Things project, looking at whether bug hotels could increase biodiversity at their school. Students doing IRIS projects don’t just learn about science, they become researchers.

We have linked up with @britsciassoc.bsky.social so that eligible schools can submit their IRIS projects for a free CREST Award! More information on CREST Awards: https://www.crestawards.org/secondary-further-education/ Teachers can send us a message for info on how to submit an IRIS project.

🔬 Definition: Science Identity Science identity is how someone connects with science & its community. Engaging in real research at school helps students see themselves as scientists. Take a look at our glossary to explore more definitions of key terms: researchinschools.org/iris-glossary/

We asked students and teachers about the impact of our Research and Innovation Framework pilot: 🧬 "Anyone can do science and be a scientist" ⬆7.1% 👨‍🔬 "People like me work in STEM" ⬆13.9% 🚏 "I know more about the different routes into a STEM career" ⬆23.2%

Young people can use real satellite data to track environmental change 🌍 Previous students on this project looked at how pollution affected toxic algae growth. Explore satellite science in your school: https://researchinschools.org/projects/earth-observation #EarthDay #IRISProjects #EduSky

We asked students who had done a research project about their journey. ⭐️ 87% said research can be hard but is rewarding 🧩 78% reported stronger problem-solving skills ✍️ 81.6% rated their planning skills as good/very good Read our skills blog: https://researchinschools.org/building-skills-for-life

Do you or your students have a great idea for research that requires microscopic investigations? Students from Liverpool Life Sciences UTC previously looked at why some people are bitten by insects more than others. Thanks to our partners for this incredible opportunity for so many schools.

We asked students and teachers about the impact of IRIS projects on students’ attitude towards STEM careers: 💡 "I know what it is like to work in STEM" ⬆73% 🌳 "Students more aware of jobs and careers in STEM" ⬆96% 🫶 "Students more aware of diversity in STEM" ⬆94%