Science for
Development
Special Award at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
Self Help Africa and Irish Aid run the ‘Science for Development’ award which is presented annually at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. The award-winner and their teacher receive a travel bursary for a study visit to Africa, and short-listed entrants are invited to attend a student project showcase.
Our programme is funded by Irish Aid.
Trophy Design Competition
Self Help Africa and Irish Aid are seeking proposals for a new trophy from young designers to be presented to future winners of a special award at the annual BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition – the Science for Development Award.
DEADLINE: Wednesday 19th April 2023.
For enquiries, contact [email protected].
Award
Since 2006, the ‘Science for Development’ special award encourages students to develop projects for BTYSTE that could address challenges, such as environmental and social justice issues, affecting communities in poorer countries of the world.
A travel bursary, sponsored by Irish Aid, is awarded to the winning project.
Showcase
An annual event showcasing projects from the Young Scientist hosted at Iveagh House in collaboration with Irish Aid.
The exhibition includes contributions from students on their projects, guest speakers, and the opportunity for students to discuss their projects with their peers, science educators, technical experts and development practitioners.
Past Winners
Find the full list of past winners here, along with interviews with a selection of winners about their projects, study visits to Africa, further education and careers.
I really enjoyed the first time we visited a primary school near Lilongwe. They wanted to play football and show us their games and dances.
INTERVIEW WITH BEN CONLON
We owe it to society to encourage young people with ideas because they are going to be the people driving this change.
INTERVIEW WITH RICHIE O’SHEA
The judges really do appreciate you having a well-rounded view of your research, and that will make your project stand out.
INTERVIEW WITH RUAIDHRI JORDAN
There are so many things that they could do, so try lots of them… And you can always change your mind!
INTERVIEW WITH TARA McGRATH
BT gives a great chance to get experience… through my projects I had a great opportunity to experiment on what I really wanted to pursue.
INTERVIEW WITH TIMOTHY McGRATH
Webinars
This series endeavours to inspire students to develop project ideas for future Young Scientist exhibitions which benefit communities in the Global South, promote climate action, and take steps towards realising sustainable practices and policies. It also hopes to highlight pathways to possible careers in science.
Each webinar is themed around a category from the BTYSTE and has a panel featuring an exhibitor from the 'Science for Development' showcase, a past winner of the ‘Science for Development’ award, and guest speakers of science and from Self Help Africa programmes.
Our 2022 Series of Webinars has concluded but you can watch them at the playlist below.