Three new opportunities from the Royal Society of Biology (RSB): grants, photography and Biology Week 2026
If you’re looking for practical ways to bring biology to life, the Royal Society of Biology has shared three opportunities worth popping in your diary. From a student-led outreach day (with grant support), to two photography competitions with cash prizes, to an extended Biology Week in October, there’s something here for classrooms, enrichment, and whole-school celebration.
1) RSB Gopher Science Lab day grants for schools
State-funded secondary schools in the UK (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) can apply to host a Gopher Science Lab day, inviting local primary pupils to your school for hands-on science led by your pre-trained secondary students.
Support includes a grant of £600, access to the Gopher Science Lab online training course, and a teacher mentor to help you train students to deliver engaging practical activities with confidence. Science teachers can email RSB to apply for a grant on behalf of their school.
2) RSB Photographer of Year competitions 2026: “Colours of Nature”
RSB is running two photography competitions in 2026, both themed Colours of Nature. Entries are open 10 March to 5 May 2026. Competition winners will be invited to the RSB’s Biology Week reception in London in October 2026.
- Young Photographer of the Year: open to anyone aged 18 and under (any country). Winner’s prize: £500.
- Photographer of the Year: open to RSB members aged 19+ (any country). Winner’s prize: £1000.
Easy classroom hook: set a “Colours of Nature” mini-brief for students (or your eco/photography club), link it to adaptation, biodiversity, microscopy, habitats or seasonal change, and use entries as a springboard for science communication.
3) Save the date: Biology Week 2026 (8 to 18 October)
RSB is inviting everyone to take part in Biology Week from 8 to 18 October 2026. The theme is “A complete celebration of biology and nature from A to Z” and it’s designed to be flexible, whether you run activities in lessons, plan enrichment, or share events with the wider community.
Take part by creating art and craft activities, joining activities listed on the online calendar, visiting a zoo to learn about conservation, or running your own cross-curricular sequence of lessons and enrichment. If you do get involved, share your plans by tagging @RoyalSocBio on social media, and consider adding your event to the online calendar.
Quick-start ideas you can try:
- A to Z tutor-time challenge: one biology fact, organism or concept per day.
- Biology in a box: simple practical demos students explain to others.
- Nature, climate and sustainability: local biodiversity actions plus classroom science.
- Creative science communication: posters, poems, mini-guides, photo stories, display boards.