About SciFest

Background

The SciFest programme was founded by the current CEO, Sheila Porter. The first SciFest STEM fair took place in the Institute of Technology Tallaght in 2006. The programme was launched nationwide in 2008, with some 1600 students taking part in nine fairs in regional venues. Currently over 10,000 students take part in around one hundred local, regional and national fairs each year. Read more

The Four Levels of the SciFest Programme

Local: SciFest@School

SciFest@School is where a second-level school hosts their own in-house SciFest STEM fair. Resource materials to support the organisation of a SciFest@School fair are available in the resources section of the SciFest website. In addition to the resource materials support from SciFest is also provided in the form of advice on the organisation of a SciFest@School STEM fair, a teacher’s pack, certificates for participating students, a number of prizes for winning projects, 'freebies' and help with judging on the day of the event. Read more

Regional: SciFest@College

SciFest regional STEM fairs take place in 16 venues across the whole island. The fairs are hosted in 6 Institutes of Technology, TU Dublin (3 venues), TU Shannon (3 venues), MTU (2 Venues), DCU and St Mary’s College, Derry. Each fair consists of a competition and exhibition of projects, a prize-giving ceremony, and may also include a selection of science talks, science demonstrations in the college laboratories and advice on careers in STEM and courses available in the college.

National: SciFest National Final

The winners of the SciFest Best Project Award and a selection of the Runners-up from each SciFest@College STEM fair are invited to participate in a national SciFest STEM fair each November. The projects are evaluated by an expert panel of judges from academia, enterprise and government. The overall winners at the National Final receive an all-expenses-paid trip, along with their teacher, to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) which is held annually in May in the USA. A selection of the winners of the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award at the regional STEM fairs also participate in the National Final.

SciFest International

Winners from the National Final compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in America, the Hong Kong Global Youth Science and Technology Bowl (GYSTB), represent Ireland at the Broadcom MASTERS International in America and attend the Long Night of Science in Berlin.