BT has €75K in financial aid for students entering Young Scientist contest

20 Jul 2012

Eileen Reidy from Our Lady's Bower school in Athlone, Co Westmeath

Teams and individual students entering the next BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, and who are based more than 70km away from the RDS in Dublin, can now apply for financial aid from BT’s latest €75,000 grant scheme.

According to BT, grants worth €150 will be awarded to individual entrants who are eligible, while €300 will be awarded to groups who are entering the competition. A maximum of €1,500 can be given to any one school.

The idea of the grants is to help students pay for their accommodation when they are showcasing their scientific and technological exploits at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, which will take place in the RDS, Dublin, from 9-12 January 2013. 

The closing date for project submissions from students is 1 October.

Pictured are Oisin Cavanagh, Orla Walsh and Rory O'Connor from Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare

Oisin Cavanagh, Orla Walsh and Rory O’Connor from Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare

Faye Murphy (15) hails from Kinsale Community School. She said that, via a BT grant, she had the chance to take part in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition last January.

“A group of us spent the week there and it opened our eyes to the opportunities that exist for our future. Everyone thought it was amazing,” said Murphy.
  
BT Ireland’s CEO Colm O’Neill said the company understands the financial challenges schools and parents are facing at the minute.
 
“This grant is an investment in young people, ensuring that they have every opportunity to showcase their talent and can seize the benefits that this exhibition can bring them,” he said.

Interested students can check out the BT Young Scientist Facebook page.

Carmel Doyle was a long-time reporter with Silicon Republic

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