Science in Medicine School Teams Prize
From classroom ideas to career inspiration, the Science in Medicine School Teams Prize, run by BHF’s Imperial Research Excellence Award, empowers young people to imagine a career in cardiovascular research, helping to grow a more representative next generation of researchers to power future discoveries.
About the prize
Since it launched in 2021, the Imperial College Science in Medicine School Teams Prize has been giving sixth‑form, or equivalent, students across the UK the chance to engage with science and medicine. Each year, teams of students tackle real‑world heart health challenges by researching and pitching strategies that will save and improve lives from cardiovascular disease.
Over the last 5 years, 1,337 students, forming 289 teams, have taken part in the Cardiovascular Prize, an experience that develops their research and critical thinking skills. The programme was created and is led by Professor Dorian Haskard, emeritus BHF Professor, and Professor Cecilia Johansson. Their vision is to excite students, stretch their thinking beyond the curriculum, highlight the importance of multidisciplinary teams in scientific research, and to inspire careers in cardiovascular science.
The British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular School Teams Prize, supported by the Imperial BHF Research Excellence Award, led the way as the first challenge. It has since inspired other funders to support prizes for research into lung disease, cancer, global health and rare conditions. Across the different prizes, 820 teams have taken part, totalling 3,770 students over the past 5 years.
The success of the programme has exceeded all our wildest expectations and reveals the immense interest that school students have in applying scientific principles towards maintaining cardiovascular health. The initiative would not have been possible without the support and funding from British Heart Foundation.
School Teams Prize founder, Professor Dorian Haskard
This year’s challenge
Each year’s contest asks teams to create an e-poster pitching a strategy that tackles different cardiovascular challenges. The themes of the Cardiovascular Prize vary each year; the 2025 competition asked students to explore the role of diet and nutrition as a science in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. This year’s challenge is to pitch an innovation that uses AI to support the prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Read about last year’s winners on the Imperial College London website.
Students from the Judd School - BHF Cardiovascular Prize 2025 winners.
The Prize encourages students to think about how to best use communication and public engagement to actively promote heart health. Students work together, drawing on different strengths and interests, and are encouraged to think creatively as well as scientifically.
Entries are judged anonymously to ensure ideas stand on their own merit. If they are successful, students can win the following cash prizes to support science-related activities at their schools:
- 1st prize: £3000
- 2nd prize: £2000
- 3rd prize: £1000
Why is it important?
It inspires the next generation of researchers
At BHF, we know that if cardiovascular research is to tackle the biggest challenges ahead, it needs to draw on talent from the widest pool of people. The Imperial School Teams Prize plays an important role in that journey.
By reaching students early, broadening outreach beyond traditional routes and demystifying the pathway into research, the programme helps more young people see how they could be a part of the future of heart science.
The prize focusses on the importance of research, from discovery to the adoption of new treatments, and highlights the need for research to be multidisciplinary and carried out by diverse clinical teams. It also encourages students to explore potential roles for themselves within cardiovascular research. This matters because today’s school students are tomorrow’s researchers, clinicians and innovators.
Since taking part in 2021, Kieran Gill has enrolled to study medicine and wants to specialise in cardiology. Watch Kieran talk about how the prize helped shape their ambition.
It has growing impact in UK schools
Since launching in 2021, the prize has grown rapidly. Over 5 years, the BHF Cardiovascular Prize alone has engaged 289 teams and 1,337 students. Across the full programme, 820 teams have submitted entries across the different prize categories, comprised of 3,770 sixth form or equivalent students.
In total, 3,770 students have been directly involved in developing ideas, posters and presentations, with many more taking part through internal school competitions. Importantly, as the programme has grown, so too has participation from state‑maintained schools and from a wider spread across the UK. This shows the impact of creating opportunities that are open, accessible and judged on merit.
It builds skills and confidence
For students, the prize offers much more than just prize money for the school and certificates. Teachers consistently report that pupils who take part develop confidence, teamwork and critical thinking skills, as well as learning how to communicate complex ideas clearly to a general audience. Many students go on to reflect on the experience in their university applications, seeing it as a moment that helped them picture a future in science, medicine or research.
How to apply
The British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular School Teams Prize is now open for 2026 applications. The deadline for final entries is 3 July 2026.
If you’re interested in finding out more or applying, please visit the Imperial College London website or contact [email protected].
If you have any questions about BHF’s involvement or our wider research inequalities work, please email us at [email protected].