REMEDI-Medtronic School's Essay Competition          

Catherine Duane of Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf, Dublin, received top prize in the 2007 REMEDI-Medtronic science essay competition.  Runner-up was Aidan Rowe of St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, Co. Mayo (Both pictured above).

The 2008 competition has now been launched and applications are invited from schools within the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for short essays of individual work around the following theme:

"Boundaries of Science: Is there anything we should not do?"

There is little doubt that science has provided reliable knowledge leading to human development but it has also led to weapons of mass destruction and other negative outcomes. Rather than being objective evidence exists that science, like many other human pursuits is being shaped by social pressures and economic interests. The conduct of research gives rise to a myriad of ethical concerns. In the era of stem cell research, animal testing and genetically modified foods, we the consumers of research should strive to understand not only the research enterprise but also its frailties. This begs the question:
Is there anything we should not do?

We invite your views under the essay title of: "Boundaries of Science: Is there anything we should not do?"

Sponsored by Medtronic, the competition is open to students in the senior cycle of secondary school in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, October 31st 2008.

Presentation

• Submissions must be made in typed format and are restricted to a maximum of 1000 words.
• Times New Roman 12 (or a similar font type/size) and double spacing must be used.
• All applications must be accompanied by a formal application form. Copies can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Awards

An overall winner and one runner up will be selected from essays entered into the competition. Details of prizes are as follows:

Winner Student Prize
• Laptop

School Prize
• Science Equipment Bursary of €500
• Engraved Galway Crystal Trophy

Runner Up Student Prize
• iPOD

Runner Up School Prize
• Science Equipment Bursary of €250
• Engraved Galway Crystal Trophy

Competition Rules

• This competition is open to senior cycle secondary school students in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
• Submissions are restricted to one entry per student and must be accompanied by a completed application form.
• All entries must be individual projects i.e. no group projects will be accepted.
• Essay content must be the student’s original work. Evidence of research and reading can be included in a separate appendix. Students must not copy extracts from published material without acknowledging the source. Students must sign the declaration stating this rule has been adhered to on the application form.
• Essays must be typed in Times New Roman font type 12 (or similar font type/size) and must be no longer than 1000 words. Double spacing should also be used.
• The decision of the judging panel is final. No discussion will be entered into pre or post judging.
• The organisers of the competition reserve the right to publish competition entries. • Once submitted to the competition, essays will not be returned.
• Essays must be submitted to the following address by close of business, October 31st 2008. Essays must be submitted (with accompanying application form) to:

Communications & Outreach Dept, Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Galway

Helpful hints for students

• The competition is not a science test. We want to hear your ideas and thoughts on the essay title. Try writing the essay with the aim of having your views published i.e. write it in the style of a published news article that would be interesting for everybody to read irrespective of their views on the subject.
• Originality is essential. Downloading from the Internet or copying from publications is not acceptable.
• Don't be afraid to state what you think but this should be done in a clear and reasoned fashion. Ideas and comments make more interesting reading than a scientifically accurate catalogue of facts.
• List sources of information and include them as references.
• Check grammar, spelling and accuracy of terms.
• There is no need to decorate scripts with colours and clip-art or to present it in a folder cover.