The exhibition, one of the longest-running events of its type worldwide, features research and creativity in project submissions from students between the ages of 12 and 19.

President Michael D. Higgins will inaugurate the 2024 exhibition.

The four exhibition categories are: technical, biological, and ecological sciences; social and behavioural sciences; chemical, physical, and mathematical sciences; and a newly added fifth area, health, and wellness. Approximately 550 projects from 219 schools will be on show.

More than 200 prize winners will be selected by an 85-member professional judging panel. The €7,500 grand prize goes to the overall BT Young Scientist and Technologist of the Year.

The overall winner will represent Ireland in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Katowice, Poland, and will be revealed at an awards event on Friday.

According to BT Ireland, during the previous 35 years, 17 of the overall exhibition winners have taken first place at the EUCYS. Approximately 150,000 young people have participated over the past 60 years, submitting over 100,000 project ideas.

Alongside the exhibition, there will be a 2024 Primary Science Fair, which will let 55 primary schools to showcase their innovative and cutting-edge research to judges and attendees.

“May I suggest that there has never been a better time to be a young scientist as we reflect on this year's exhibits and their connection with the issues and challenges, we face together on our shared vulnerable planet?” Mr. Higgins stated.

“Yes, it's a difficult moment, but it can also be incredibly rewarding to know that the decisions you make will have an impact on not just your own life but also the continuation of life as a whole.”

“I hope that everyone involved will become even more interested in and determined to contribute to science, its applications, and to focus their energy where it is most needed for the good of society as a whole, thanks to the experience of the Young Scientist programme.”