Winning young scientists announced in Paris
Young researchers from around the globe were named winners in the 2009 EU Contest for Young Scientists, a showcase for flourishing scientific talent held in Paris, France, this week. A total of 15 young stars were selected to receive prizes totalling over EUR 50 000, with first prizes shared by recipients from Ireland, Poland and Switzerland. A new prize for international cooperation was also awarded to two young scientists from the US. The annual contest is open to young people between the ages of 14 and 21, and represents part of a broader EU strategy to encourage students to pursue long-term scientific careers. Despite the important role that scientific and technological discoveries play in solving some of society's most pressing problems, it is increasingly the case that fewer young people choose to study science and to follow a scientific career path. 'Science and research [need] fresh blood and fresh ideas,' said EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik. 'Europe needs to encourage the best young talents to take up a career in science and we must make these careers attractive to our future researchers.' The contest, which has been running for 21 years, is implemented by the Science in Society (SIS) programme of the European Commission's Science, Economy and Society Directorate. Contest entries in previous years have even led to scientific breakthroughs and new business ideas. First-time contest hosts, Sciences à l'Ecole and the French Atomic Energy Commission, held the event at the Palais de la Découverte, a museum established in 1937 by Nobel prize winner in physics, Jean Baptiste Perrin. Over 80 shortlisted projects were presented, all winners of national competitions brought together to compete for one of Europe's premier youth contests. A 17-member scientific jury headed by Imperial College London's Professor Chris Phillips awarded 3 first prizes each valued at EUR 7 000 to Ireland's Liam McCarthy and John D. O'Callaghan for the biology project 'The Development of a Convenient Test Method for Somatic Cell Count and its Importance in Milk Production', Poland's Aleksander Kubica and Wiktor Pilewski for the physics project 'Spiral Zone Plates', and Switzerland's Fabian Gafner for the physics project 'Dikranos - the Airplane with Reverse Gear'. Second and third prizes of the 2009 EU Contest for Young Scientists were awarded to researchers from France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Malta and Spain for projects in physics, engineering, earth science, and information technology (IT) science. The Prize for International Cooperation, which highlights the importance of cross-border research collaboration, was awarded to Peter Massey and Shaunak Bakshi from the US for the medical science project 'Lipoic Acid: Towards a Novel Neuroprotective Treatment for Alzheimer's-Associated Cognitive Dysfunction in a Drosophila Model'. Young scientists from 38 European countries as well as Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the US took part in the 2009 event. During their stay, they were given the opportunity to meet distinguished scientists and peers from different countries that also share a passion for science. In addition to the main prizes, two honorary awards were also presented: (1) to attend the 2009 Nobel Prize ceremonies and meet the Nobel Laureates, and (2) to take part in a two-week intensive summer science festival in 2010. A further 25 donated prizes included a 5-day visit to the European Patent Office in Munich, Germany, and a 1-week stay at each of the 7 members of EIROforum, which includes the European Space Agency and the European Laboratory for Particle Physics.