Vega Science Trust
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| Founded | 1995-2012 |
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| Founder | Sir Harold Kroto |
| Focus | Promotion of Science |
| Location |
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Area served
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United Kingdom and overseas |
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Key people
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Sir Harold Kroto, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof. Edmund Copeland, Trustee Dr. Chris Ewels, Trustee Dr. Nicole Grobert, Trustee Murray Weston, Trustee Gill Watson, CEO |
| Website | www.vega.org.uk |
The Vega Science Trust was a not-for-profit organisation which provided a platform from which scientists can communicate directly with the public on science by using moving image, sound and other related means. The Trust closed in 2012 but the website and streaming video remains active (based at Sheffield University).
Founded in 1995 by Nobel Laureate Sir Harry Kroto and BBC Education Producer Patrick Reams the Vega Science Trust was awarded a COPUS start-up grant from the Royal Society in 1995 and then went on in 1999 to be allocated core funding from the Office of Science and Technology (OST). Starting with recording science programmes for terrestrial television the Vega Science Trust produced a number of programmes such as recordings of Royal Institution Discources which were broadcast on BBC 2 and a set of Masterclasses. In 2001 Harry Kroto was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize - the UK's premier award for science communication 'for his dedication to the notion of working scientists being communicators of their work and in particular for his establishment of the Vega Science Trust whose films and related activities reflect the excitement of scientific discovery to the public'. The Trust went on to co-produce with the BBC Open University a set of science discussion programmes covering hot topics such as Stem Cells, Energy, Mobile Phones, GM Food, Disease, Nanotechnology and Ageing. With the BBC/Open University the Trust also produced with sponsorship from HEFCE Widening Participation Team a set of award winning career programmes featuring young scientists. Both series were broadcast on BBC2.
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