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SCIFEST EZINE SciFest Ezine, Special National Final Edition, Volume 17, Number 2, December 2025

Zack O’Leary Wins SciFest National Final 2025 Zack’s project aimed to demonstrate that muon tomography can be entirely virtual, establishing the foundation for a precise new imaging technique. Zack O’Leary from Co. Kildare representing Clongowes Wood College, won the overall title of SciFest STEM Champion 2025 for his project M.A.N.T.I.S, “Muon Analysis for Non-Invasive Tomography and Image Simulation”. Zack will go on to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Arizona next May.

In This Issue: Regeneron Funds Two More Projects to Compete at ISEF 2026 SciFest 2025 National Finalists and Award Winners

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SciFest Goes Global

Addison Carey Wins Gold in South Africa

SciFest@School 2025/2026

SciFest@College 2026

Contact Details, National Final Speakers, Partners and Sponsors

Exciting News Regeneron funds two more projects to compete at Regeneron ISEF in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2026 Thanks to the generous support of Regeneron, three projects will represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2026. In addition to SciFest STEM Champion 2025, Zack O’Leary, the students travelling to the United States include: Addison Carey, Celbridge Community School, Co. Kildare, for her project, Advancing Post-Quantum Lattice-Based Cryptography by Developing Efficient Shortest Vector Problem Approaches. Ronan Lyons, Lanesboro Community College, Lanesborough, Co. Longford, who also won the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Grand Award, for his project, Capill: Compliance Aid Promoting Independent Long-Term Living.

Eoin Cashman and Alex Thompson were also awarded a Regeneron ISEF Award for their project, Dust Dynamic: Analysing Planetary Bodies Through the Ballistic Motion of Lofted Dust Particles.

Above: Laura Callinan, Regeneron presents Addison Carey, Celbridge Community School with a Regeneron ISEF Award Below: Mike Walsh, Boston Scientific presents Ronan Lyons, Lanesboro Community College with the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Grand Award Left: Grainne Power, Regeneron presents Eoin Cashman and Alex Thompson with a Regeneron ISEF Award

SciFest 2025 National Finalists

The SciFest 2025 National Final took place on 20 and 21 November. On Thursday, 20 November the event was launched online with a series of STEM presentations for students and the wider public. On Friday, 21 November the finalists gathered in Dublin in the Marino Conference Centre for the face-to-face presentation and judging of projects. Students secured their place at the National Final by winning one of the top awards at the 15 regional SciFest fairs earlier in the year. 51 students from 31 schools from all over Ireland qualified to participate. With 40 judges in the exhibition hall the finalists were kept busy throughout the morning. NOTE: The finalists’ projects, details of award winners and Thursday’s presentations can still be viewed on the SciFest 2025 National Final Website. Photographs taken on the day can be viewed and downloaded from SciFest Ireland on Flickr.

SciFest 2025 National Final Award Winners In addition to the awards already mentioned a number of other awards were presented on the day. Berlin Long Night of Science Award TUS Thurles: Jack McCormack, St Joseph’s College, Borisoleigh, Co. judging. They also bring certificates and freebies for the students. Tipperary – ‘Engineering a New Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Design for Use in Urban Areas to Promote Sustainable Energy Production’. Presented by Sheila Porter, SciFest. A SciFest representative attends on the day of the fair to help with the

Intel Technology Award ATU Galway: Simona Gaubtye and Ema Sasnauskaite, Mount Saint Michael Secondary School, Claremorris, Co. Mayo – ‘MedSync+: Identifying Patterns in Patient Data to Support Evidence-Based Care’. Presented by Sarah Sexton, Intel Ireland.

SciFest STEM School Awards

Schools hosting a SciFest@School STEMGrand fair forAward five years qualify for a Boston Scientific Medical Devices Runner-up

Silver STEM School Awardand andPaulina for ten Varuyeva, years’ participation Gold TUSSciFest Moylish: Kinga Tobianska Desmonda College, Award. The school presented a framed certificate and an officialby Newcastle West,isCo. Limerickwith – ‘Chill ‘N’ Heal Bandage’. Presented SciFest digital badge which can be posted on the Kevin STEM Byrne,School BostonAward Scientific. school website.

SciFest 2025 National Final Award Winners EirGrid Cleaner Climate Grand Award TUS Thurles: Jack McCormack, St Joseph’s College, Borisoleigh, Co. Tipperary – ‘Engineering a New Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Design for Use in Urban Areas to Promote Sustainable Energy Production’. Presented by Órlaith Diamond, Noreen Clifford, Abbey Corr and Suzanne Jackson, EirGrid. EirGrid Cleaner Climate Runner-up Grand Award ATU Sligo: Amber Mc Donald, Ursuline College, Finisklin Road, Sligo – ‘Energy Crisis Let Me Kelp You!’ Presented by Órlaith Diamond, Noreen Clifford, Abbey Corr and Suzanne Jackson, EirGrid. Keenova STEM Excellence Award TUS Thurles: Luke Blackwell, C.B.S. Thurles, Co. Tipperary – ‘Addressing Wheelchair Inaccessibility in Urban Environments Through Quantitative Modelling’. Presented by Martina Moyne, Keenova. SciFest STEM Outreach Video Award SETU Carlow: Colleen Waters and Katie Franklin, Ramsgrange Community School, New Ross, Co. Wexford – ‘Cries Till It’s Chronic: An Investigation Into the Potential Gender Bias in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Pain Conditions in Ireland’. Presented by Hugo Rowsome, SciFest. SciFest Social Sciences Award MTU Cork: Isabel Connolly, Laoise Kimber O’Shea and Hai Ka Sung, Scoil Mhuire, Wellington Road, Cork – ‘Tinteán: A Technological Intervention in Homelessness Mitigation’ Presented by Sheila Porter, SciFest. SciFest Life Sciences Award TUS Moylish: Grace Foley, Presentation Secondary School, Listowel, Co. Kerry – ‘Microplastics in Our Meals: Raising Awareness of Microplastic Contamination Through Use of Plastic Kitchen Utensils’. Presented by Sheila Porter, SciFest. Technological Universities Association Award DCU: Eabha McBride, Layla Nolan and Leah Mullen, St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush, Co. Dublin – ‘UV Index Calculation: Integrating Cloud Classification and Machine Learning for Precision in UV Forecasting’. Presented by Hugo Rowsome, SciFest. Each student who qualified for the National Final was presented with a Dublin Crystal engraved plaque to mark their success at the regional fairs. 4

SciFest 2025 National Final Award Winners Irish Science Teachers’ Association Award ATU Galway: Muhammad Ashir Anwar, Coláiste Muire Máthair, St Mary’s Road, Galway – ‘Neurosync: AI Powered Support for Cognitive and Neurological Care’. Presented by Rory Geoghegan, ISTA. SciFest Junior Scientist of the Future Award NorthWest: Isobel Meenan, St Cecilia’s College, Derry – ‘Kelp Helps’. Presented by Sheila Porter, SciFest. SciFest Junior Technologist of the Future Award MTU Cork: William Brosnan, Scoil Mhuire, Kanturk, Cork – ‘Dementia Shield The Future of AR and AI in Medicine’. Presented by Sheila Porter, SciFest. DCU: The SciFest Teacher of Excellence Award went to Yvonne Nolan, Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare

SciFest STEM Champion 2024 Maura Moore-McCune, Sheila Porter, SciFest, Zack O’Leary, SciFest STEM Champion 2025 and Teacher of Excellence Award Winner, Yvonne Nolan, Clongowes Wood College

The SciFest Team: George Porter, CFO, Aoife Wadd, Programme Coordinator, Sheila Porter, Founder and CEO and Hugo Rowsome, Project Manager

The Boston Scientific team of judges with their award winners

The EirGrid team of judges in action

SciFest, Ireland’s largest and most inclusive second-level STEM fair programme, has reached an exciting new milestone, it’s gone global. This year marked the first ever SciFest International STEM Fair (ISF), with students from South Africa and Sri Lanka joining their Irish counterparts virtually as part of the SciFest National Final. The international students competed online for this year’s event, and while they were not be present in person, their project posters were on display at the SciFest National Final in the Marino Conference Centre on 21 November 2025. It is hoped that from 2026, international students will be able to travel to Ireland to take part in the competition alongside the Irish finalists.

SciFest ISF 2025 Award Winners Khushi Lall representing Eskom Expo International Science Fair, South Africa was the winner of the inaugural SciFest International Award. Marlhuné Bezuidenhout also from Eskom Expo was awarded the Runner-up International Award. Congratulations to Khushi and Marlhuné and to all the students who submitted projects into the first ever SciFest ISF.

Addison Carey Wins Gold at Eskom Expo 2025 (ISF) in South Africa Addison Carey from Celbridge Community School travelled to South Africa in October and competed in Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) and won a Gold Medal Award. Congratulations to Addison. 6

OTHER NEWS SCIFEST@SCHOOL 2025/2026 Over 80 schools have registered to date to host their own inhouse SciFest@School STEM fairs for this academic year so far, with many more to follow. See the full updated list of SciFest@School fairs here.

Rory Geoghegan, SciFest School Liaison Officer and Aoife Wadd, SciFest Programme Coordinator, present the Keenova STEM Excellence Award at a SciFest@School in Greystones Community College

WHAT IS A SCIFEST@SCHOOL? A 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 SciFest@School Presentation Secondary School, Ballyphehane, Cork website. In addition to the resource materials support from SciFest is also available 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 awards for winning projects, 'freebies' Judges’ Lineup, SciFest@School, St and support on the day of Raphaela’s Secondary School, the event. Stillorgan, Co. Dublin

SCIFEST@COLLEGE 2026 Entry forms for SciFest@College 2026 will be available in January; a sample form may be viewed here. Please read Information for Teachers and Students and the Guidelines for teachers and students before the form is completed. Dates of the SciFest@College fairs are posted here as they become available. SciFest@College is completely free to enter and there is a range of awards available at each of the SciFest@College venues. SciFest@College 2025, TU Dublin Grangegorman

The closing date for receipt of completed entry forms to SciFest@College 2026 is Thursday 12 March 2026. 7

Students who participated in SciFest@College 2025 were asked if they thought SciFest was a worthwhile learning Experience

Contact Details: Email: info@scifest.ie Mobile: 086 379 6143 Website: www.scifest.ie

STUDENTS’ COMMENTS ‘I thought that SciFest was a really good chance to investigate something that I was interested in and gave me the opportunity to share my findings with others’

‘SciFest taught me a lot of skills that will come in handy for 5th year and 6th year. It was very well organised, all the helpers and speakers were excellent. This has given me a great opportunity to explore MTU and a career in science.’

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