BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Winners Take First Prize at EU Awards- Eric Doyle and Mark Kelly Awarded First Prize in Physics at EU Young Scientist Competition in Bratislava

Belfast, Tuesday 25th September 2012: The 2012 winners of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, Eric Doyle and Mark Kelly, have been awarded first prize in physics at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Bratislava today.  Representing Ireland (North and South) Eric and Mark beat off intense competition from students from 37 countries, ranging in ages from 14-20 to win the top physics award worth €7,000 as well as an honorary award of an all expenses paid trip to the London International Youth Science Forum.

Each year the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition winner receives the honour of representing Ireland in the annual EU competition. Colm O’Neill, CEO, BT said, “This is excellent on so many fronts - for Eric and Mark’s future career prospects, for their school, for the stature of the BT Young Scientist exhibition and not least of all for Ireland.  It has been a summer of medal-winning in sport for Ireland, and it is great for the country to add one for its prowess in those critical subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.  Eric and Mark have done us proud.”

In 24 years of competing at the EU competition, Ireland has now taken home the top honours a massive 14 times, out-performing all other countries.Eric and Mark from Dublin’s Synge Street CBS, Dublin 8 won the coveted 2012 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition prize for their project entitled, ‘Simulation accuracy in the gravitational many-body problem.’  Their project developed a new mathematical approach for a range of applications from satellite placement to predicting network congestion in telecommunications.

The 2013 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place in the RDS, Dublin from January 9th – 12th.  Students are being urged to get their entries in by the 1st October 2012 deadline.  For more information on the exhibition, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com, check out http://www.facebook.com/BTYSTE, follow on twitter at http://twitter.com/btyste or call 1800 924 362 or from Northern Ireland 0800 917 1297.

Pictured are Eric Doyle and Mark Kelly receiving their first prize award at the 2012 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in January for their project entitled, ‘Simulation accuracy in the gravitational many-body problem.’ 

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:Lyn Sheridan, Aiken PR, 028 9066 3000 or lyn@aikenpr.comOrPriscilla O’Regan, Head of Communications, BT Ireland, 01 432 5162 or 086 633 5398

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