Secondary school teachers will get a chance to bring exciting research projects into their classroom and share them with their students as Science Foundation Ireland begins the unique 2008 STARS (Secondary Teacher Assistant Researchers) programme that invites them to embark upon lab research during their summer holidays.
The STARS programme has a list of research topics that nine third-level institutes including Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway, University of Limerick and Dublin City University have submitted and which potential STARS can apply to take part in.
These projects cover all areas of science, technology and engineering research ranging from the impact of social media on the privacy of secondary students to quantum computing to wireless sensor systems.
The aim of the programme is not just to cultivate interest in the sciences in second-level education and encourage school leavers to consider the world of scientific research but also to give those in the teaching profession new skills which they can pass on to their students.
Secondary teachers taking part in the programme will spend 6-8 weeks of their summer holidays as part of a research team, for which they will receive eight weeks salary. The deadline for STARS submission is 22 February 2008.
By Marie Boran
