We need YOU! – Be part of the IYPT in Crystals Project.
Are you keen to help inspire a new generation of scientists, strengthen your CV and be in with a chance of being crowned the winner of our IYPT in Crystals project? If so, we might have the perfect opportunity for you that should only take an hour or two!
In 2019 the United Nations declared the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) and there is community project being run by the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) as well as the British Crystallographic Association (BCA) that is aimed at inspiring a new generation of scientists through the periodic table and the wonders of crystallography. The IYPT in Crystals project aims to collate information about each element and an associated crystal structure allowing people to see inside those crystals and to celebrate the amazing science that has been made possible through crystallography and the periodic table.
This is a community driven initiative, so it needs volunteers to help contribute to the project. All you need to do is choose your favourite element, find out some fun facts about it and find a crystal structure containing or related to the element. The project team will provide you all the information you need to get you up and running so no previous experience in crystallography or in-depth knowledge of the periodic table is needed. Not only will you be helping to communicate science, you will also be featured on their “Contributors” webpage and so can use this experience toyou’re your name out there and strengthen your CV. You can see an example featuring the element Gallium here. The IYPT in Crystals team is also working with expert educators to help others use this resource in education by creating additional worksheets and educational material based on these pages so it can be used in schools, science festivals or uniform groups. So, through this project you can help inspire a new generation of scientists. Please contact the CCDC if you are interested in volunteering by emailing hello@ccdc.cam.ac.uk and do it soon to bagsy your favourite element!
By contributing an element you will also be in with a chance of being crowned champion of the IYPT in Crystals Project. The CCDC will hold a competition so people can vote for their favourite element page from the IYPT in Crystals project. More information can be found here.