This month, we welcomed a total of 43 aspiring young scientists from across London to the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University of London, where they had the opportunity to meet researchers, try their hands in the lab and learn more about what it takes to become a scientist. This year, we ran two programmes: STARS and BURSThrough, which seek to break down perceived barriers to higher education and ignite students’ aspirations to pursue careers in science.
STARS (Science Training for Aspiring Research Scientists) is a week-long work-experience programme for A-level students from schools with historically low university attendance. STARS was founded at the BCI in 2013 and has been funded by the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre since 2024. The initiative has expanded to two of our partners in the centre, UCL and King’s College London, who now run their own STARS weeks.
Earlier this year, the STARS team at BCI was awarded the Outstanding Team Award at the Queen Mary Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry staff awards for their exceptional work organising this programme.
2025 STARS students from BCI and UCL celebrating their graduation from the programme.
BURSThrough (Black and Under-Represented into Science Training) is a new one-day workshop for A-Level students from Black or other backgrounds under-represented within the scientific research community. This year’s workshop began with short talks from PhD, master’s and undergraduate students also from underrepresented backgrounds, who shared honest insights into their own journeys into science.
Students and demonstrators working together in the lab during the BURSThrough workshop
Participants then spent the rest of the day in the lab, learning key research skills side by side with PhD student demonstrators, where they could continue their conversations about higher education and career paths.
“I found it very exciting and interesting,” says Hafsa, one of the BURSThrough participants. “We got to spend the day with real PhD students, who are only a little older than us. They gave us real-life advice and told us what they would have done differently in their own journeys.”
Anaiah, another BURSThrough attendee, says: “Meeting the PhD students made me realise that they’re not like the scientists you see in the movies – they’re normal people like us! That makes me feel like I could do a PhD too. It’s achievable.”
Professor John F. Marshall, who founded STARS and BURSThrough, says: “It’s always a privilege to spend the week with our STARS students, and it was a pleasure to welcome another cohort through BURSThrough this year. These curious, enthusiastic young people have so much to offer, but the path to studying science at university can be full of challenges. By offering them inspiration and guidance, I hope STARS and BURSThrough will be a launchpad into fruitful and meaningful careers.”
Participants are selected for both programmes through our collaboration with the Mayor’s Fund for London, a charity that supports young Londoners facing the greatest barriers to opportunity. The Mayor’s Fund’s Accession team works with Widening Participation schools, where students are statistically less likely to progress to higher education, to promote both initiatives.
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