Mari Cahalane, Head of the BT Young Scientist, speaks with RTÉ Lifestyle about the 61st edition of the annual exhibition, which is set to take place in Dublin's RDS from January 9-11.
In 1963, two UCD physics researchers came across the concept of 'Science Fairs'’ while conducting research in New Mexico, America. The duo decided that this hands-on approach to science was something that Irish students could benefit from. Two short years later, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition was born.
While the 1965 competition attracted 230 entries, the 2025 edition recieved an incredible 2,069 submissions - 550 of which qualified for this year's competition.
Taking place in Dublin's RDS, the exhibition will welcome a host of projects from students aged 12-19, all of which will be seen by thousands of visitors as well as a panel of 85 experts from the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
The projects will span five exhibition categories: Technology, Biological, and Ecological Sciences, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Health and Wellbeing.
Mari Cahalane, Head of the BT Young Scientist, told RTÉ Lifestyle that 'Health and Wellbeing' was added as a category last year in an effort to open the competition up to a wider selection of students.
"It's a platform for exploration," she explains. "It used to be seen as a bit 'nerdy' and it's not anymore."
In fact, having overseen the exhibition for the past 20 years, Cahalane says that event is always "an exceptional experience" for those involved.
"The buzz will be absolutely unbelievable," she promises. "The enthusiasm and the passion that they [the students] have for their subject matter... They've done something on a project that is close to their hearts, in a lot of ways, and they've put a lot of work into it."
"They're looking at subject matter that is effecting their futures and how they can make a change," she adds. "They're looking at taking more control of their futures."
🌟What a moment🌟
— BT Young Scientist (@BTYSTE) January 12, 2024
A huge round of applause for this year's winner of #BTYSTE2024 Seán O'Sullivan from @colaiste, Limerick!
We're all blown away by Seán's project ''VerifyMe: A new approach to authorship attribution in the post-ChatGPT era’
📷 With @BTinIreland MD,@WalshShay pic.twitter.com/z4nGSTgP2M
Competition aside, Cahalane says that the experience of creating, submitting, and showcasing a project on such a large scale can do wonders for a student's confidence.
"They're with their peers for the week, they're having chats, they're making friends - and if that's all they get out of it, absolutely brilliant. If it sends them in the direction of getting involved in STEM, working in STEM, studying in STEM - that's the number one goal for all of us involved."
Interestingly, bucking the trend of most European countries, it seems that Ireland has an abundance of young women taking part in the science-based projects.
"We have more girls than boys, entering and competing, and it's been that way for well over a decade," she explains. "By getting the girls - and that volume of girls - involved, it gives them the confidence to explore and do something different."
RTÉ is delighted to return to the RDS to support another BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition which will take place from this Wednesday 8th – Saturday 11th January 2025.
— RTÉ (@rte) January 6, 2025
All the details here: https://t.co/dfU06nJFyg
@RTE2fm @RTERnaG @BTYSTE#BTYSTE #BTYSTE2025 🧪 pic.twitter.com/fIdZVGC8Up
Showcasing Irish ingenuity on an international stage, winners will have the chance to represent Ireland on the world stage, with BTYSTE alumni having won first prize at the EU Contest for Young Scientists a record 17 times in the last 35 years.
Not only that, but for the first time ever, this year's overall BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year winner(s), along with one senior project from each of the four remaining categories, will be awarded a trip to the World Expo, in Osaka, Japan.
Inspired by Ireland’s theme ‘Creativity Connects People,’ the winners will have the opportunity to create meaningful intercultural connections, experience cutting-edge science, and highlight their research on a global stage.
The overall winner of BTYSTE 2025 will also represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Riga, Latvia this September. Plus, they'll take home the awarded €7,500.
The 2025 BTYSTE is open to the public from Thursday, 9 January - Saturday, 11 January, and a limited number of tickets are still available at https://ticketing.btyoungscientist.com.
