Rules of Entry Applicable to the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2022 (the “Exhibition”). Rules are correct at time of print, final rules in relation to the exhibition can be found at www.btyoungscientist.com/rules
The following rules are designed to ensure that the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is conducted as fairly and as efficiently as possible and are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of BT. Infringement of any of the rules listed below may lead to exclusion, at any time, of individuals or schools from present and/or future participation in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.
BT will and requires that participants will at all time comply with HSE Guidelines as may be issued from time to time during the Covid-19 pandemic, and reserves the right to make changes at any time to the below rules as may be necessary to ensure such compliance.
- General rules
1.1 The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is organised and sponsored by BT Communications Ireland Limited (“BT”) whose decision on all matters relating to the Exhibition will be final.
1.2 Entries and all associated paperwork must be submitted on-line in accordance with the instructions set out on the entry form. Postal entries will not be considered.
1.3 The closing date for receipt of on–line entries is by midday on Monday 27th September 2021.for students and teachers. Under no circumstances will late entries be accepted.
1.4 Second Level students aged between 12–19 years on 31st October 2021, resident in any part of Ireland, are eligible to enter.
1.5 Students can only win the title BT Young Scientist(s) & Technologist(s) of the Year once. Previous winners of the title are not eligible to re–enter the competition in subsequent years.
1.6 Projects that have been entered in other competitions can be accepted as entries to the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, provided that this information is stated in the relevant area on the entry form and provided there is no 3rd party restriction on entry.
1.7 Submission of an entry will not ensure the acceptance of a project for the Exhibition. A panel of screening judges will select the projects to go forward for the Exhibition and their decisions are final. The Exhibition will take place virtually in 2022 and to take part, candidates must accept and comply with the Virtual Exhibition Rules which will be made available on notification of acceptance.
1.8 Students educated at home in the Republic of Ireland, i.e. not attending a registered school or college, are eligible to enter, provided that they are registered with the National Education Welfare Board (Republic of Ireland) and supply a copy of the registration certificate with their entry form. Students from Northern Ireland in similar circumstances should telephone 0800 917 1297 for guidance.
1.9 Entries can be made in the following three age groups:
- Junior • Intermediate • Senior
Age group is determined by the year in which the student(s) is studying at the time of the Exhibition (January 2022) and as specified in page 11 of the Factfile.
1.10 Students attending Primary Schools or Third Level Colleges are NOT eligible to enter.
1.11 Projects can be submitted in one of the following four categories by 27th September 2021:-
- Biological & Ecological Sciences
- Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences
- Social & Behavioural Sciences
- Technology
1.12 Notwithstanding the classification a student(s) assigns to its project, the judges will have the right to decide its appropriate classification.
1.13 Plagiarism is prohibited. Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as a student’s own without appropriate attribution. Whether done deliberately or inadvertently it is unacceptable and applies not just to text, but to graphics, tables, formulae or any representation of ideas in print, electronic or any other media in addition to computer software and algorithms, which could be implied as being the work of the student. As part of the application students are required to sign a declaration that the project is wholly their own work except where this is clear acknowledgment and appropriate reference to the work of others. To maintain the integrity of the competition, where the judges suspect plagiarism they are entitled to exclude a project at any stage of the competition and the student(s), the student(s)’s parents, and/or the student(s)’s school may be notified.
Individual/group projects
Projects must be submitted as either an Individual or Group Project.
1.14. A student may only enter one project into the competition, whether they are entering as an individual or as part of a group.
1.15 Individual projects may be submitted in any one of the four categories specified at 1.11 above (see also Factfile page 10 section ‘What category to enter’) and once submitted cannot be re–classified as a Group Project. In addition, if a student enters an individual project which fails to qualify they are not eligible to transfer to a qualified group project at any time.
1.16 Group Projects may be submitted in any one of the four categories specified at 1.11 above. Groups will consist of either two or three members, where possible in the same age group (Junior, Intermediate or Senior), who must be from the same school. Once a project has been accepted as a Group Project and has qualified to compete in the RDS, it cannot be re–classified as an Individual Project. In cases where groups are constructed from students who are not in the same age group, the age category in which the project is entered must align with the age group of the oldest student.
1.17 Each group must appoint a group leader who will direct the work and later act as a spokesperson. All group members must fully participate at the Exhibition and in judging interviews, in accordance with the processes set out in the Virtual Exhibition Rules.
1.18 All members of a group should be fully involved, share the work and be familiar with everything that is presented in the report book and poster. The final work should reflect the co–ordinated efforts of all group members.
1.19 In exceptional circumstances groups may wish to decrease or increase the number of people participating in their accepted Group Project team. Any such proposed changes need to be submitted in writing to BT before the 1st December 2021 detailing the proposed change(s) and the exceptional circumstances necessitating them. Failure to do so will lead to the proposed changes being rejected and the project being judged in the original grouping in which it was entered. BT’s decision as to whether such changes are acceptable will be final.
1.20 Students whose projects involve studies of live animals must ensure that such studies are carried out in accordance with the statutory regulations. Copies of the regulations are available from the Department of Health, Custom House, Dublin 1. Visit http://health.gov.ie/blog/ statutory-instruments/european-communities- amendment-of-cruelty-to-animals-act-1876-regulations-2002/ or http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/aw/ aw_legislation/scientific/86-609-eec_en.pdf.
BT reserves the right at its sole discretion to exclude any such projects from the Exhibition.
1.21 The nature of a project will determine the equipment used in the project. The merit of a project will lie in the use made of scientific apparatus and in an exhibitor’s understanding of its functions, not in the equipment itself.
1.22 Before a project involving potentially dangerous, pathogenic, toxigenic or allergenic organisms (animals/ insects, plants or microorganisms) is undertaken/entered, a competent expert must be consulted to advise on health and safety issues. The potential use of any such organisms must be clearly identified on the Project Details Form, and the advice of the competent expert who has been consulted made available for review by BT on request. BT reserves the right at its sole discretion, to exclude any such projects from the Exhibition.
1.23 Projects involving the use of chemicals must list those to be used as part of the exhibit in the RDS in the Project Details form. BT reserves the right at its sole discretion, to exclude any such projects from the Exhibition.
1.24 It is expected that all or the majority of the work for a project will be conducted either in the school, home or the outside environment. However we understand that some projects may require visiting distant locations. Students may seek advice or information about their project from sources beyond their school, such as on the ‘web’ or from government organisations, or from universities, institutes of technology or other experts. However, the majority of students’ work should be conducted under the supervision of their relevant teachers, with, where appropriate, suitable levels of involvement by parents, guardians or other responsible adults. Where experimental /research work is conducted by the students themselves, or on their behalf, in a laboratory that is external to their school (e.g. in a local university, a hospital or an industry) then that work should be clearly identified and acknowledged within the project report book and presentation. In addition, it is a requirement that a cover letter from the external facility, describing the extent of the assistance provided and the work done by the students within that facility or undertaken on behalf of the student(s), will be included in the project report book.
1.25 A student may be part of only one project. If a student having entered a project has not qualified they cannot be added to a qualified group project at any time.
- Qualified projects
Applicable only to projects qualifying to exhibit at the Exhibition. Please note that due to the virtual nature of the 2022 Exhibition, additional ‘Virtual Exhibition Rules’ must be accepted by qualifying projects before they can take part in the Exhibition. These will be provided on notification of qualification.
2.1. Some students who have had their project accepted for exhibition may find themselves unable to complete it.
It is very important that the organisers are immediately notified of this. If a project has to be withdrawn the organisers must be notified immediately by e–mail at BTYSTE@bmhosting.co.uk
Schools failing to notify the organisers of a withdrawal in writing, a minimum of two weeks in advance of the Exhibition, will be liable to a charge of €100 to cover administration costs.
2.2 Project content and material remains the property of the exhibitors but may be used by BT for exhibition or publication, and will be exhibited virtually at the Exhibition.
If students have a project with elements that have commercial potential, it is recommended that they consider patent protection. Please see the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition website and Factfile for further information on patents.
2.3 Projects shown at previous BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibitions will not be accepted unless the project has undergone significant further development. Projects that represent a continuation of previously entered work in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition should have a significant amount of new material. Previously presented data must be clearly indicated as such in the report books and in the display.
2.4 The Overall BT Young Scientist(s) of the Year may not represent any other country or organisation in respect of this science/technology project until the following year’s prizewinner(s) are announced. The BT Young Scientist(s) may not represent themselves as BT Young Scientists at any time without the prior written consent of BT.
2.5 The Overall BT Young Scientist(s) of the Year will be the only project that will be eligible to be entered by the National Organiser for Ireland in the EU Young Scientist competition each year.
2.6 The judges reserve the right to withhold awards in the event of projects not reaching a satisfactory standard.
2.7 If a project has not adhered to all the rules and regulations of this competition, the judges have the right to withhold awards or exclude the project at any stage during the judging process.
2.8 The judges’ decision in all matters relating to the award of prizes will be final. BT and other sponsors will have no input into the judges’ decisions.
- BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamps
If a project is to be included in these programmes then the student must indicate this by ticking the opt in box on the project details form. Failure to do this will mean exclusion of the projects for consideration from the Business Bootcamp programmes.
- Prize money
4.1. Prize money will be paid by bank transfer to the successful individual or to the team leader BT will request bank account details with 7 days of the event finishing. BT shall endeavour to pay prize money in accordance with and subject to these rules on or before 30th March 2022 but BT shall have no liability for failure to pay prize money on or before such date. All bank details will be deleted once payments have been made.
- Privacy (Content, Photography and Film)
5.1. BT will comply with its obligations as a data processor in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. BT will use your personal information only as set out in our privacy notice which you can find here www.btyoungscientist. com/privacy.
If you have any further questions or comments concerning your privacy, wish to access your personal data held about you, delete, or update information we hold about you, the relevant details are here http://www.btireland.com/privacy.
5.2 The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will be operating the Exhibition on a virtual basis, using a platform that has restricted access for participants, media and members of the public. BT reserves the right to upload and manage content on the platform in any manner it requires, including using project information, video footage, photographs and all other content, in accordance with our privacy notice. Further detail will be included in the Virtual Exhibition Rules.
5.3 Such content may be used on the BTYSTE website and for BT marketing purposes in accordance with our privacy notice.
N.B. BT is under no obligation to make use of any content provided.
5.4 BT also retains the right to publish information in regards to all projects entered into the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in accordance with our privacy notice.
5.5 As media partner of the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, RTÉ may record interview and film footage for use on its broadcast channels, online, in social media and for marketing purposes. Candidates may be required to complete an RTÉ release form prior to the Exhibition, with parental consent required in respect of minors under the age of 18.
- Intellectual property rights
6.1. All intellectual property rights either pre-existing or created in relation to or as part of the Exhibition shall remain the absolute property of that party or its licensors.
6.2 BT may pass contact details of all qualified projects to The Patents Office. The Patents Office will mail individuals directly in relation to Intellectual Property Rights.
- European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS)
7.1 The host country for EUCYS will pay the travel and accommodation expenses of qualified contestants.
7.2 The host country for EUCYS will pay travel and accommodation expenses of one adult escorting person per country. For the Irish delegation this will be the Irish National Organiser, who is the head of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. Any others that wish to travel to EUCYS will travel solely and fully at their own expense.