AWE physicists celebrated at STEM for Britain 2025

Two aspiring physicists from AWE were recently honoured as finalists at the prestigious STEM for Britain 2025 event, an annual competition which provides a unique platform for early career research scientists, engineers and mathematicians to present ground-breaking work to policymakers, industry leaders and academics.

This is the third year AWE has sponsored the event, demonstrating our continued commitment to supporting the strength of UK STEM and help foster innovation and growth in these fields.

Max Merrett and Wayne Lack, both AWE Theoretical Scientists, joined over 120 of the UK’s brightest emerging STEM research finalists in Parliament, captivating MPs and expert judges with their pioneering research projects.

The winning Gold prize in the Physics category was awarded to Max for his research on regional characterization of earthquakes and underground explosions. This research is pivotal to supporting the UK’s obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. To view Max’s winning poster, see here.

Max said “The STEM for Britain event at the Houses of Parliament was a great opportunity to showcase some of the work being done at AWE. I spoke to the MPs for Reading West and Mid-Berkshire, and Newbury, as well as industry sponsors, university professors, and fellow research scientists. I am grateful to have won the gold medal in the physics category, and to further be put forward as a finalist for the Westminster Medal.”

AWE’s second finalist, Wayne Lack, AWE Physicist, presented his research which, in collaboration with the University of York, explores new methods of storing and managing data in high-performance computing compared to traditional methods. To view Wayne’s poster, see here.

Wayne said “I felt honoured to be a finalist at this event, and it was fantastic to see the judges and the MPs in attendance take a genuine interest in everyone’s hard work. I made several new connections and got to see such a fascinating and diverse range of research being carried out. Congratulations to Max who thoroughly deserved the award for his work!”

AWE Chief Scientist, Rob Lock, said: “Congratulations to both Max and Wayne for their outstanding research contributions and representation of AWE at STEM for Britain 2025. Early career researchers are vital to the vibrancy of UK STEM. This event is a fantastic opportunity to champion this community and engage directly with policymakers to secure the funding necessary to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs. Thank you to the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee for hosting such a valuable event.”

Congratulations to both of our finalists and to the best of luck to Max who, as a gold category winner, now goes forward as a finalist for the Westminster medal.