September BT Young Scientist 2017 application deadline nears

12 Sep 2016

Eve Mathews and Alina Gull from Loreto Balbriggan with Harry O’Brien and Max McCormack from St Michael’s College. Image via Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography

If you’re a student with aspirations of appearing at next January’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), then you’ll need to get your application in before the September deadline.

The BT Young Scientist competition – as it is commonly known – is one of the largest student competitions in the country with students from secondary schools across Ireland submitting projects that could contribute to life-changing innovations in the years to come.

The winners of BTYSTE 2016 were revealed in January as Maria Louise Fufezan (16) and Diana Bura (15) from Loreto Secondary School in Balbriggan, Dublin. Their award-winning project analysed the effects of enzymes used in animal feed additives on roundworms.

The girls were inspired to investigate if enzymes used in animal feed were in any way harmful to the environment – particularly to these roundworms – when they noticed that they were being used to bulk up meat produce in the EU, where the use of growth hormones is prohibited.

Following this breakthrough that could shake up the European food industry, the search is now on for the next rising star to be found at BTYSTE 2017.

Now affiliated with Gaisce programme

Taking place from 11 to 14 January at the RDS, Dublin, the deadline for applications now approaches with the final date for submissions set for Wednesday, 28 September.

A new feature for this year’s competition will be that students can now dedicate their BTYSTE project work towards achieving a bronze medal as part of the Gaisce, the President’s Award programme.

Now, all planning, preparation and participation will all count towards the Personal Skill qualification, one of the four challenge areas undertaken as part of the programme.

Mari Cahalane, head of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, said, “Each year we see young people take the first step towards becoming entrepreneurs, scientists and technologists, starting out with a simple idea that can blossom into a formal research concept or even a profitable business.

“Our new partnership with Gaisce … provides yet another reason for young people to explore an idea or an innovation, and enter a proposal for 2017.”

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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