Dublin, 18th September 2013: The closing date for entries for the 50th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is fast approaching. Secondary school students from across the island of Ireland are today being called upon to enter the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition by 2nd October..
Building on the positive momentum set with an increase in the number of leaving certificate students applying for a third level placement in a science, technology, medical or engineering discipline, BT Ireland is calling on students to submit ideas and inventions for creating a better future for Ireland..
BT is introducing an additional special prize for the overall winner of the 2014 exhibition. The winner(s) will be flown to Silicon Valley in California, home to some of the world’s biggest technology corporations, to meet BT’s Innovation team, and will enjoy a hosted tour of leading enterprises and business leaders. .
The winner (s) will also receive the BT Young Scientist of the Year Perpetual Trophy, a cheque for €5,000 and the chance to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists..
To further encourage project entries in 2014, BT will continue to offer a helping hand to students from across the country through the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Grant Scheme. To date BT has provided over €400,000 in financial aid, dedicated to travel and accommodation, to help students across Ireland compete. Through 984 grants to over 330 schools across Ireland, BT has administered over €411,000 in financial aid to competing schools..
Ciara Judge, from Kinsale Community School in Cork, and one of the overall winners at the 2013 exhibition said, “This grant scheme was a real help in getting our school to the competition. I had so much fun at the event and felt privileged to meet some of the most intelligent, impressive and influential people from science and technology. My group were absolutely thrilled to win the overall prize and we made so many friends during the week at the RDS. I would highly recommend students to submit their ideas now and enjoy the amazing experience of being part of this exhibition.”.
Schools which are located over 70km from the RDS in Dublin are eligible to apply for a grant of €150 per individual entry or €300 for a group entry, up to a maximum of €1,500 per school..
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is organised by BT Ireland, and is supported by a number of valued partners including the Department of Education & Skills, Analog Devices, Elan, Intel and RTE. The exhibition will take place in the RDS, Dublin from January 8th – 11th 2014. For more information on the exhibition, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com.
