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 (now TU Dublin Tallaght) in 2006. The programme was launched nationwide in 2008, with some 1600 students taking part in nine fairs in regional venues. Currently over 15,000 students take part in over 160 local, regional and national fairs. 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 DkIT, TU Dublin (3 venues), MTU (2 venues), TUS (3 venues), ATU (3 venues), SETU (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 winner at the National Final is named SciFest STEM Champion and receives 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 and the EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award at the regional STEM fairs also participate in the National Final and compete for the title of SciFest STEM Champion. These students also compete for the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Grand Award or the EirGrid Cleaner Climate Grand Award, respectively.

SciFest International

The SciFest STEM Champion competes at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in America each year. In 2024 SciFest students competed for the first time in South Africa's Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. The winner of the Long Night of Science in Berlin Award travels to Berlin with their teacher each year in June.

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