Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition

The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, commonly called the Young Scientist Exhibition, is an Irish annual school students' science competition that has been held in the Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland, every January since the competition was founded by Tom Burke and Tony Scott in 1965.

For the 51st year of the competition in 2016, there were over 2,000 entries, from 396 schools which was the highest number ever,[2] 550 of which were selected for the Exhibition at the RDS.

Their science project entries are evaluated by judges and about one-third of applicants are accepted to participate in the public exhibition.

Competing projects are judged during the three days of the exhibition, and prizes are awarded.

Projects are awarded in five categories: biology, physics, social and behavioural sciences, health and wellbeing and technology.

Health and wellbeing is the newest category, only being added in 2023 to celebrate the 60th anniversary and to lower admissions to social and behavioural sciences.

John Monahan was the inaugural winner of the Young Scientist Exhibition in 1965; then a student of Newbridge College, his project was an explanation of the process of digestion in the human stomach.

He went on to establish a NASDAQ-listed biotech company in California after attending University College Dublin.

[5] It has produced[clarification needed] at least one author, Sarah Flannery, and one billionaire, Patrick Collison.

[5] Many of the past winners have gone on to establish international companies in the technology they developed.

Tom Burke, who co-founded the exhibition with physicist Tony Scott, died in March 2008.

[6] An award at the event (a bursary offered to senior participants) was named in his memory.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first ever virtual Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition was held in January 2021 with over 1,000 students representing more than 200 schools taking part.

[7] On 11 February 2025, BT Ireland announced it would step down as organiser and sponsor of the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition after 25 years.

Vice-president, research and development at the cutting edge Synthetic Biologics, California.

Set up Government Equine Diagnostic Laboratory at Coolmore Stud, Co Tipperary; working as a biochemist.

They represented Ireland in Copenhagen, Denmark at the European Young Scientists.

Gareth completed education in technology degree from Queen's University, Belfast.

Jean works as a remote sensing specialist at Era Maptec in Dublin.

First place – 21st European Union Contest for Young Scientists[25] First place – 24th European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Bratislava[29][30] The Group contains the youngest ever winner of the competition (Laoise, 12).