ATOM Festival is proud to lead FameLab Academy Oxfordshire, part of the internationally recognised FameLab initiative that began with the Cheltenham Science Festival. After two successful years nurturing the Oxfordshire competition, FameLab Academy 2026 is now open to a wider range of schools than ever before.

This exciting opportunity invites Year 9 students to develop their science communication skills and confidence through an inspiring, hands-on competition. Working with a STEM Mentor from academia or industry, and supported by their teachers, students will craft a three-minute presentation explaining a scientific topic in a clear, engaging, and entertaining way.

Presentations are judged on content, clarity, and charisma, challenging students to make complex ideas accessible and captivating.

School winners will earn a place at a Science Communication Masterclass and go on to compete in the Oxfordshire Finals in March 2026, held during the prestigious ATOM Festival.

Every 2 minutes, somewhere in the world, a pregnant woman needlessly dies. Often her baby too. This is despite health care workers  and policy makers knowing, for many years,  how to prevent or treat many of the  underlying  problems, often at little or no extra cost.

The avoidable deaths of nearly 300,000  mothers a year represents the largest global public health inequality today.  Although lessons  are being learnt, and solutions put into practice,  progress has been painfully slow, and, in some parts of the world,  is now being reversed.

To  better understand the causes of death and disability, and to describe the barriers to safe motherhood faced by mothers in low- and middle-income countries,  Professor Gwyneth Lewis will use the case of Mrs X,   a  “universal mother”,  to highlight the difficulties she  might  encounter in her journey though  pregnancy and birth. She will show how the lessons learnt from reviewing their deaths have helped save millions of women’s lives in the past 25 years, and the significant challenges that  remain.

2026 is the 80th anniversary of the establishment of "The Atomic", officially the "Atomic Energy Research Establishment" at Harwell.

Originally built in a "rural backwater" to develop UK leadership in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, "The Atomic" has transformed scientific understanding across the whole range of scales, from quarks to quasars and protons to proteins as well as altering local geography and society.

Today ATOM rightly celebrates Abingdon as the epicentre of big science. Not only did Harwell's early work lead to Calder Hall, the first commercial source of nuclear energy, but it developed the standards for nuclear safety, radiobiology, development of radioisotopes for medicine, and more. The Medical Research Council was one of its first clients.

Today the campus includes work ranging from vaccines and the structure of matter to the vastness of space and astronomy.

The talk will show how science and technology have changed our world in the last 80 years and how much of that change can be traced back to Harwell. Harwell @80 is time to celebrate our nuclear heritage.

Presented by Speakers from the Edge

Jordan’s expeditions have taken him across all seven continents and to over 150 countries, from running the coldest marathons on Earth, to rowing across the world’s most dangerous waters, summiting unclimbed peaks, and attempting to be the first person to paddleboard around Britain to name just a few of his intrepid adventures. His journey is one of resilience and purpose. Through these extreme challenges and his life changing experiences, he explores how the great outdoors can inspire better mental and physical well-being while empowering people across the world to dream bigger, push their limits, and create their own path whilst having a positive impact on the world. Prepare to be inspired!

Presented by Speakers from the Edge. Danny Hart is one of Downhill Mountain Biking’s racing elite; 2x World Champion, Red Bull Hardline winner, multiple National Championships winner and 2x World Cup overall silver medal winner, the ‘Redcar Rocket’ has secured his place in mountain biking history, including an iconic first World Championship winning run that is still legendary today. In ‘Won’t Sit Down’, Danny will bring his dry wit and cool composure to take audiences on a journey through his life and impressive racing career and give a glimpse behind the scenes of what becoming a World Champion really takes.