Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

04/03/2025

For our next 🔎 post, we're looking back to the beginnings of particle physics at STFC and RAL.

Taken on the 5th of February 1960, these photographs are from the official opening of CERN's 25 GeV proton synchrotron, featuring the likes of Niels Bohr; founder of the Bohr Model and pioneer of quantum theory, Prof. John Cockcroft; first to split the atomic nucleus, and Oppenheimer; often known as "father of the atomic bomb."

Little did they know at the time, CERN's collaborative developments would lead to:

👨‍🔬 The discovery of The Higgs Boson particle in 2012
🎇 The discovery of The W and Z Bosons in 1983
🌟 The creation of antimatter in 1995

Particle physics has continued to play a huge role in innovation at STFC since CERN's beginnings.

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory once started as a small village located a few miles south of Oxford, and has now become a hub of scientific innovation in the UK that offers worldwide contributions to particle physics experiments.

Read the full story about RAL and particle physics through the link in the comments.

🔎 To check out more of our campaign, where we are exploring the links between science and the humanities, see: linktr.ee/stfcincontext

14/02/2025

Wanting to apply for our work experience, but struggling to start your application? 🤔

Take a look at our top tips to make sure you are getting the most out of your application.

Our work experience programme is a great way to get a flavour for what working at STFC would be like and give you valuable experience as you move forwards in your studies and future career.

Remember - applications close on 28 February! Best of luck and we hope to see you this summer.

Learn more about our work experience programme and how to apply https://stfc-workexperience.co.uk/ 🙌

11/02/2025

🚨 Work experience announcement! 🚨

Applications for work experience here at STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are now open.

If you know somebody who is aged 14-18 and is looking for a work placement between June and August this year, they can apply now.

Roles are available in a wide variety of departments and cover a range of science, technology, computer science, and information technology. We also have placements within teams offering business innovation and other services.

Interested? Next steps:

✅ Visit our work experience website: https://stfc-workexperience.co.uk/
✅ Read all about the programme and what is available
✅ Click ‘apply to Rutherford Appleton Laboratory’ for the application form
✅ Complete and submit applications no later than 28 February

27/01/2025

Discover What's Possible at our Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Apprenticeship Open Evening!

Join us for an inspiring evening at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and explore the incredible opportunities we offer through our Apprenticeship Programme.

📅 Date: Wednesday 12 February 2025
🕕 Time: 5pm to 7pm
📍 Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX

What to expect:
✅ Meet our dedicated team and current apprentices
✅ Get insights into our cutting-edge projects and research
✅ Learn about the different apprenticeship roles available
✅ Find out how you can make an impact and grow your career with us

Whether you're finishing school, looking to change careers, or want to gain hands-on experience while learning, this is the perfect chance to explore your future with us.

Ready to discover what's possible? Follow the link below to secure your spot today!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stfc-apprenticeship-open-evening-rutherford-appleton-laboratory-tickets-1105506873819?aff=oddtdtcreator

16/12/2024

If you were stood next to this photographer in the midst of WWII, you would be knocked back by the growl of Spitfire Rolls-Royce Merlin engines roaring by in the middle of a fully operational runway at RAF Harwell. Today, we stand in a very different position. Following the end of WWII, this site in Oxfordshire has seen many scientific projects, from nuclear fission to the first computers before becoming the UK's leading Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in 1979; now an integral part of STFC.

As part of a new In Context series, we will be shedding light on the history behind the different components that came together to form RAL and the science behind them.

Keep an eye out for more In Context content regarding Art, Literature, History, Philosophy, Geography and Music!
🔎

09/12/2024

Highlighting the achievements of our 2023-2024 apprentices!

Recently we celebrated the incredible work of our apprentices at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Boulby Underground Laboratory at the annual Apprenticeship Awards. These talented individuals have shown dedication, hard work, and a passion for learning.

Check out the photos below to see all our award winners and their amazing accomplishments. 👏

🏆Apprentice of the Year - Phoebe Kellett (RAL)🏆

Highly commended - Darren Mitchard (RAL) and Gemma Morgan (RAL)

🏆Outreach Award - Kalibh Halford (RAL)🏆

Highly commended - Beth Green (Boulby) and Matteo Guarnaccia (RAL)

🏆Impact Award - Myles Crossland (RAL)🏆

Highly commended - Tom Wadsworth (RAL)

🏆Recognition Award - Tom Pool (RAL) + Samuel Spencer (RAL)🏆

Highly commended - Samuel Spencer (RAL)

🏆Peer Support Award - Gemma Morgan (RAL) 🏆

Highly commended - William Brown (RAL), Tony Yarinakis (RAL) and Joel Roberts (RAL)

🏆First Year Rising Star Award Winners - Matteo Guarnaccia (RAL), Kalibh Halford (RAL), William Brown (RAL), Luke Scofield (RAL), Tom Wadsworth (RAL)🏆

A huge congratulations to all of our apprentices for their hard work over the last year! 🎉

See here for more information on our apprenticeship opportunities:
https://stfccareers.co.uk/apprenticeships/

05/12/2024

Ever wonder how art, history, or philosophy connect to the cutting-edge science at STFC?

Stay tuned… Over the next few months, our campaign will explore the fascinating intersection of humanities and science in our everyday work.

Get ready for a fresh perspective!

Follow the journey: https://linktr.ee/stfcincontext

03/12/2024

A Trip Down Memory Lane... Did you know RAL has a library?

After delving into our archive, we've uncovered some very cool images from the iconic R61 building, transporting us back to the 1980s and 90s!

While the 70s remain a bit of a mystery, our collection offers a glimpse into life and work at STFC 50 years ago.

Over the decades, RAL has evolved, but our library still holds it original charm. 📚

Can you spot any familiar features? Check out this incredible aerial shot from 1984; the campus has has spawned lots of new facilities since then!

15/11/2024

We hosted a very exciting event yesterday in partnership with Diamond Light Source, for A-level students interested in pursuing in engineering and science!

In true ’sEngineersWeek spirit, the students got hands-on in workshops exploring the power of solar energy and the structural integrity of model cars, creative coding challenges run by Abbott, a careers fair exploring a range of opportunities, and a tour of the inside of the Diamond Light Synchrotron.

We look forward to having you back soon!

Diamond Light Source

28/10/2024

Science Minister Sir Patrick Vallance officially opened the National Quantum Computing Centre at Harwell Campus on Friday 🎉

The National Quantum Computing Centre is officially open at Harwell Campus! 🎉

Quantum computers harness the science of the very small to vastly increase the current limits of computing power. They could help us discover better drugs, manage our power grids, fight fraud and more.

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) was opened by Science Minister Sir Patrick Vallance at a ceremony on Friday 25 October.

Funded by UKRI and delivered by EPSRC and STFC, it will help the UK stay at the forefront of the global movement to develop quantum computers.

Find out more: https://www.ukri.org/news/science-minister-opens-national-quantum-computing-centre/

09/10/2024

TONIGHT at 5pm: the first of our creative coding workshop sessions with IF Oxford the Science and Ideas Festival is taking place online 💡

Get ready for the Oxford Light Festival by creating your very own moving lantern. Over six weeks, we'll help you build your own creative circuit with sensors that control LEDs and motors.

Can't make it? Sessions will be recorded so you can follow along in your own time!

Find out more and register:

Glow Your Own is also known as GYO and you can register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glow-your-own-six-online-weekly-coding-workshops-tickets-945721347007?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/10/2024

Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day with the future generation of computer scientists!

Today Year 8s and 9s had an exciting computing challenge day and tour of our Scientific Computing Department at RAL. To make it even more special, they received a live mission briefing from our Boulby Mars Lab!

This event was in honour of Ada Lovelace, the visionary mathematician and writer who is often considered the world’s first computer programmer. She imagined machines could do more than just calculations. She recognized they could handle complex problems, like composing music or solving advanced calculations. Understanding that computers could manipulate symbols, not just numbers, was foundational in scientific computing.

We want to inspire these young minds to follow in her footsteps!

Boulby Underground Laboratory