Westmeath’s budding scientists have benefited to the tune of €19,150 in the last eight years towards their participation in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
BT awards grants up to €1,500 per school per year to groups who have to travel to take part in the annual showcase in the RDS in Dublin.
The company announced a €75,000 accommodation grant this week. Since introducing the scheme in 2006, BT has distributed 1,115 grants to over 330 schools across Ireland, amounting to a total figure of €488,700.
To date, schools in Westmeath have received €19,150 in financial aid from BT under the grant scheme.
The BT grant offers more incentives for the competition and allows an ever increasing number of young people from both rural and urban areas spanning 32 counties to participate in the 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 2015 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place in the RDS, Dublin from January 7-10, 2015 and the closing date for entries is October 1, 2014. There are over 120 awards to be won including the prestigious BT Young Scientist and Technologist of the Year which was won by Paul Clarke of St Paul’s College, Raheny in January this year.
In addition, BT is offering 60 participating students the opportunity to take part in BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamps in Dublin and Belfast, an intensive commercialisation skills programme that helps students transform their ideas into a real business opportunity.
For more information on the exhibition and for details on how to enter, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com or follow the exhibition on Twitter @btyste.
