Why join the Royal Institution as a Member?
The Ri is a charity that brings the public and scientists together to share their interest and passion for science. We empower people to explore and get involved. We are a home for science and everyone is welcome.
With speakers who are renowned scientists, engineers and Nobel Prize winners, as well as world-class authors, artists and cultural commentators, our Ri talks, in person and online, are available to Ri Members for free or better than half price.
Membership benefits
All our Ri Members enjoy the following benefits:
- Better than half-price tickets for Ri Talks*
- Free tickets for our Discourses
- Invitations to special events
- Exclusive access to the CHRISTMAS LECTURES ticket ballot**
- Priority booking on select Ri events
- 15% discount on adult workshops and short courses
- 10% discount on Ri venue hire***
- Voting rights and use of MRi as post-nominal letters
- Plus discounts on books and magazine subscriptions
Find out more about our current Ri Member offers.
Annual membership: £85/£68 by direct debit^
Age 18–30?
You can enjoy all the benefits of Ri Membership for only £45/£36 by direct debit^.
How to join
Please follow the steps below to register for your free Ri Membership.
- Register for an account using your university email address
- Once registered and logged in, click on ‘Individual’
- Select ‘This membership is for me’
- Complete your details. Please add your personal email address (i.e. gmail, icloud, yahoo) on this page so that it is different to the one given at registration. Click next.
- Select your membership level (select Ri Member U30 if you are aged 18-29) and start date and click next
- Add promotional code: BC100Ri24 and click next
- Complete transaction
Terms and conditions
- This free adult membership offer is available to 18+ students at Birkbeck, University of London.
- The offer is only applicable on new memberships only and for your first year of membership. Your membership will be up for renewal at standard price 12 months after the date of joining. You will be sent a renewal reminder one month in advance of your renewal date.
- You can cancel your membership at any stage.
- The promotional code is for the use of Birkbeck, University of London students only and must not be shared externally, nor it is applicable on gift memberships.
- This offer cannot be combined with any other offer.
Get in touch with the Ri Membership team
If you have any questions, please contact the Ri Membership team at membership@ri.ac.uk or by calling +44 (0)20 7491 6588 from Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) between 9.30am and 5.30pm.
Why is the membership free free?
The Royal Institution is offering the opportunity for free membership to science students to help nurture their engagement with science. This has been made possible thanks to a generous donation by a close supporter.
Why do I need to enter a different email address to my username?
This is so that the Ri can keep in touch with you after you have graduated. Your Ri account won’t be affected, and your username will remain your university email address. However, all communications, including for example password reset emails will be sent to your personal email address. You can request that your username be changed to your personal email address by emailing membership@ri.ac.uk .
Please follow this link to view the full list of FAQs.