Scholarships incentive for young scientists

SENIOR level students participating in the upcoming BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will now be in with a chance to win an entrance scholarship to their choice of Ireland’s seven universities in the Republic of Ireland, BT has announced.

For the first time, scholarships of €1,000 will be awarded to every fifth and sixth year student that wins first place in either the individual or group categories at the exhibition, whilst a €2,000 scholarship will be awarded to any fifth and sixth year student that wins the overall 2015 BT Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year award.

Fifth year students who receive the entrance scholarship prize will be able to ‘bank’ their award until sixth year, when they make their university applications. The scholarships will be awarded to both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland students who are eligible for the prize.

Commenting on the announcement, DCU President and Chair of the National STEM Education Review Group, Prof. Brian MacCraith, said: ‘On behalf of the universities involved in this scholarship funding, we are delighted to partner with BT in our common goal to encourage and harness STEM learning across the island of Ireland. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is a premier platform for second level STEM engagement and we want to recognise the efforts and enhanced learning experience of those students that participate in the exhibition, as they approach their third level education’.

Colm O’Neill, CEO, BT Ireland, added: ‘Year after year, the exhibition continues to grow and more organisations are coming on board to help with the shared objective to drive science and technology engagement in schools. We hope that this scholarship scheme will not only offer a greater incentive to students to participate in the exhibition but will also provide that crucial link between second level learning and a potential career in STEM through third level education’.

BT also announced today that it was adding two major ‘Educator of Excellence’ prizes for teachers at the upcoming exhibition. A prize of €2,000 each will be awarded to two teachers in both the Biological & Ecological Sciences category and Social & Behavioral Sciences category for their contribution to STEM education through the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.

The exhibition will take place in the RDS in Dublin from January 7^th to 10^th and is open to visitors from Thursday, 8^th. For more information on the exhibition, log on to www.btyoungscientist.com or follow the exhibition on Twitter @BTYSTE.