Nuffield Curriculum Centre

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International success for Nuffield Science Bursary students
Tue, 22 May 2007

The Nuffield Foundation.

Three Nuffield Science Bursary students have just returned from the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held in Albuquerque, USA and between them they have scooped some top prizes!

Tessa Montague by her poster display at the fairTessa Montague from Camden School for Girls and Sophie Renner from James Allen's Girls' School were both finalists representing Imperial College London at the fair which was held from 13-19 May 2007. Both bursary students won the chance to attend the Intel ISEF fair after exhibiting at the Exscitec Project Display Day at Imperial College in November.

Sophie Renner at Intel ISEFTessa's project The Role of Tbx5 in Chick Forelimb Development, was undertaken at the National Institute for Medical Research. Tessa achieved a first for Exscitec and Imperial College by being invited to the Nobel Laureate’s Luncheon.

Sophie’s project Hydrogenic Defects in Ice took place at the Davy Faraday Research Laboratory. Sophie’s project was received exceedingly well and resulted in a fourth place in her category (Chemistry) and a cash sum of $500.

Holly Batchelor, 18, from The Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh, won three prizes for her project Investigating cosmic rays – high energy particles that travel close to the speed of light. Holly can be seen on YouTube talking about her bursary placement during Summer 2006 in the School of Physics at the University of Edinburgh. It was the work that she completed during this time which won her the chance to attend the fair.

Her prizes at Intel ISEF were:

• First Award in the Physics and Astronomy Category - $3000

• An Agilent Technologies paid Summer Internship

• Certificate of Honourable Merit from the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society.

Holly at the BA CREST Science Fair in February 2007 where she won the chance to attend the International Science and Engineering Fair Of her success Holly says: I thought that so many of the other finalists’ projects were absolutely amazing, so when listening to the ascending role-call of winners, I couldn’t believe my ears when they called out my name. More than the prize money, I love the idea of having my name in space forever - it’s a huge privilege – I don’t think it’s sunk in yet!

The News-Scotsman and BBC are currently running features on Holly and her success.