Competition launched to develop an app that empowers women in STEMM

The Rosalind Franklin app competition has been launched by University College London to develop mobile apps to empower and recognise women as leaders in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine).

The organisers want to hear from everyone – whether they are a complete novice with a great idea, a wannabe coder or a seasoned app developer.

Apply at the competition website before 4 January 2016. Shortlisted applicants will pitch their ideas to a panel of high-profile judges, including: Baroness Martha Lane Fox, founder of lastminute.com; Professor Rachel McKendry, director i-sense; Andrew Eland, director of social impact engineering, Google; and Professor Dame Athene Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge.

Winners will receive tech goodies and a place in UCL Mobile Academy 2016, which provides support with progressing digital ideas.

The competition has two different challenges: To develop mobile phone apps to empower women in STEMM; and to recognise leading women in STEMM who have pioneered apps for research and societal good.

Prof McKendry said: "Empowering women to become leaders in STEMM is not just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do and will make the UK more creative, competitive and prosperous. Join our national app competition to recognise a new generation of women leaders and change cultural perceptions of women in the digital space."

Today, there are more mobile phones than people on the planet and over 100billion app downloads a year. The organisers are inviting teams and individuals from all backgrounds to take advantage of this digital revolution to reach out to a global audience through apps, empower and recognise a new generation of women leaders and change public perceptions of women in the digital space.