UK Junior Water Prize 2024

Support your students in conducting a water-based research project for a chance to win a trip to World Water Week in Stockholm.

Secondary

Ages 14 to 18+
Online
29 February 2024 to 13 May 2024
Flexible project work
Free

Run by Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.

Check availability

The UK Junior Water Prize (UKJWP) is a national STEM competition aimed at improving quality of life by
addressing the water crisis at a local, regional, national, or global scale.

The competition challenges young people (aged 15 to 20) to take a fresh look at water problems and to
develop a practical and innovative research project.

The UKJWP winner receives a £1,000 cash prize and an all-expenses paid trip to Stockholm during World Water Week (24-29 Aug), to compete in the international final of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP). At the international final they will compete against representatives from more than 30 countries for the US$15,000 award.

The UKJWP runner up wins a £500 cash prize, and all shortlisted applicants are invited to attend CIWEM's annual Flood & Coast conference (4-6 June), where they will meet professional experts from across the industry as well as young practioners just starting their careers.

The competition helps students improve their ability to identify and understand local, national and global
climate issues, conduct independent scientific research, write compelling academic papers, and present findings to industry experts.

Project stages

Consult the full entry guidelines
Choose a topic to research
Decide on a key hypothesis
Collate background information
Conduct experiments & research
Analyse the results
Proofread and finetune your paper

Important dates

Application deadline: 13 May (9am)
Virtual Q&A: 28-29 May
Winner notified: 30 May
Winner announcement: 4-6 June, at Flood & Coast
International competition: 24-29 Aug

Learning outcomes

Improve engagement, interest or enjoyment in STEM subjects
Improve attainment and progress in STEM subjects
Improve awareness and aspirations for STEM-related study and careers

Subjects and topics

- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing
- Design and Technology
- Engineering
- Physics
- Agriculture and food
- Biotechnology
- Electronics, robotics and programming
- Energy and environment
- General engineering
- Humanitarian aid
- Materials, products and manufacturing
- Mechanical engineering, systems and processes
- Medicine and healthcare
- Structures, construction and civil engineering

Gatsby benchmarks

The Gatsby benchmarks are a framework for good careers guidance for schools across all of England and in some areas across the rest of the UK. This experience helps your school to reach the following benchmarks:

Linking curriculum learning to careers
Encounters with employers and employees

Essential skills

The essential skills every young person needs to succeed in education and their future career. Find out more at the Skills Builder Partnership. This experience builds the following skills:

Aiming high - the ability to set clear, tangible goals and devise a robust route to achieving them.
Creativity - the use of imagination and the generation of new ideas.
Problem solving - the ability to find a solution to a complex situation or challenge.
Teamwork - working cooperatively with others towards achieving a shared goal.