Royal Society of Biology

Calling all secondary school teachers! Have you signed up to the Biology Week Spelling Bee yet?

Literacy is a key factor in an individual’s success in science exams. When learning science, students encounter a huge number and variety of new words, that aren't commonly used outside of science classrooms. This competition allows them to practice accurate spelling of those words.

The competition, organised by Jon Hale and supported by RSB grant funding, is fully adaptable to support your students and maximise uptake.

Key things to note:
- The competition is open to all secondary school students across the UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man.
- If you are based a little further afield your students are welcome to take part but are not eligible for physical prizes.
- It begins in late September, with an asynchronous final during Biology Week on Friday 16 October.
- Final registration will close on 16 September.

Find out more and register today! buff.ly/MRPzlU4

“I felt happy to see animals because they are kind.”

In the latest edition of the Journal of Biological Education, a study looks at how zoological environments can shape primary school students’ engagement with science.

Read the article: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00219266.2025.2523345

How do secondary school students think about food webs? Can we help them shift from focusing on individual organisms to populations?

A study, published in the Journal of Biological Education, looked at whether introducing an age-appropriate population concept could act as a stepping stone to "more sophisticated descriptions of (in-)direct effects and population dynamics in food webs."

Read the article: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00219266.2025.2502381

There's only 4 days left to apply for one of our 2026 Outreach and Engagement Grants!

This grant, exclusively for RSB members, is for funding of up to £1,000 towards a citizen science survey, event, or activity. We are looking for projects that will run between 8 October 2026 and 30 May 2027.

These projects should collect data to address clearly defined, engaging, and accessible scientific questions, while promoting public engagement with biology and inspiring audiences through the wonders of biology.

📆 Applications close Monday 6 July

Find out more, including T&Cs: www.rsb.org.uk/oe-grants

Check out this new podcast from our Strategic Partner, the Society for Experimental Biology!

Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a biologist, discussing their career journey, motivations, challenges, and experiences both inside and outside the laboratory. The first two episodes are available now, with more episodes to follow throughout the year.

Find out more 👇

We are excited to introduce Living Biology, the new
from the Society for Experimental Biology, exploring the people, ideas, and discoveries shaping experimental biology today.

Through in-depth conversations with researchers across disciplines, the podcast highlights the human stories behind scientific progress: from fieldwork to lab breakthroughs.

🎧 For the launch, we are releasing not one, but two episodes to kick off the series.

Listen here:
www.sebiology.org/ressources/seb-podcast.html

Join us in discovering the voices driving experimental biology forward.

Have you taken part in our Photography Competition public vote yet?

This year, our Photography Competition entrants explored the theme of 'Colours of Nature'. We have shortlisted the entries, and now it’s your turn to help decide the winners! Check out the shortlist below 👇

📆 The vote will close at midnight (UK) on Wednesday 1 July.

Vote now: www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSBphotovote