The Make-A-Difference! Programme, established in 2014 within the Faculty of Natural Sciences, has expanded its reach with the integration of the Faculty of Engineering. This collaboration aims to provide students with the resources and mentorship needed to create impactful, low-cost technologies that address real-world issues.
Professor Omar Matar, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We're delighted to further support the Make-a-Difference! Programme. Ensuring Imperial students have the space and support to develop their entrepreneurial ideas for real-world problems is a priority for the Faculty of Engineering and we hope that our students continue to sign up to and benefit from the programme.”
Emma Mattin, Make-A-Difference Programme Manager and Education and EDI Coordinator, highlighted the significant contributions of engineering students since 2015. “Engineering students have played a vital role in the success of the Make-A-Difference! Programme, having been able to participate since 2015. Working alongside students from other faculties, including many successful partnerships with FoNS teams, they have contributed to numerous finalist and winning teams,” she said. “We are delighted to welcome them as a formal partner in the programme, helping even more students from across Imperial to develop their innovative ideas, build valuable entrepreneurial skills, and make a meaningful difference to wider society!”
Over an eight-week summer placement, participating teams will have access to lab resources, funding, and mentorship. The deadline for team registration is Friday 22 January 2026, with proposal outlines due by 12 February 2026.
The 2025/26 programme winner was announced earlier this month. Kalyb, a team comprising Flynn Li, Kaiqi Song, and Yubo Gao from the Department of Life Sciences, alongside Bella Zheng from the Department of Physics, received the £7,000 prize for their low-cost, electricity-free device that records freeze events during vaccine transport.
Undergraduates interested in participating but without a fully formed idea or team can attend upcoming ideas workshops. A women's only workshop is scheduled for Wednesday 18 November, from 13:00 to 15:00. Additional workshops will be held on Thursday 19 November (17:00 - 19:00), Tuesday 24 November (17:00 - 19:00), and Wednesday 2 December (17:00 - 19:00).
