MORE STUDENTS than ever before have entered the competition to take part in the annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
More than 1,600 projects have been entered for the event, with students vying for one of the 500 project places that will go through to the final in January.
This is a record entry for the annual exhibition which has run for more than four decades. The submitted projects involved the participation of 3,712 students, all hoping to win the title as the 2009 young scientist and a prize of €5,000.
The rising numbers of projects showed the exhibition "promotes an enthusiasm for science amongst students", Minister for Education and Science Batt O'Keeffe said. "The sciences are a crucial element to the growth and success of our economy and it is vitally important that second-level students are encouraged to study science subjects for the future development of our economy and society as a whole."
Entries to the competition are up by 14 per cent generally and entries from Northern Ireland are up by 25 per cent, the event organisers said. Entries stood at 669 in 2001.
Students submit projects in four different categories including chemical, physical and mathematical sciences; biological and ecological; social and behavioural sciences; and technology.
Each category has entries at junior, intermediate and senior levels and are submitted as either individual or group projects. There is a parallel Primary Science exhibition that runs separately to the main event.
This year 58 per cent of participants are women, with women typically outnumbering men at the exhibition which takes place as ever at the Royal Dublin Society in Ballsbridge.
BT makes a substantial financial and logistical commitment each year and there are also a large number of other corporate and public sector contributors who help to make the event a success.
The competition provides "a platform for students across the island to express their ingenuity and to build their skills through science, technology, engineering and mathematics", said BT's chief executive officer Chris Clark.
The 2009 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition takes place at the RDS from January 6th-10th next.
More information is available from its dedicated website, www.btyoungscientist.com
