START to Discover: Fuelling curiosity with trials and scientist interaction
Year Awarded
2025
Amount
€299,504.79
- Organisation:University of Galway
Project Summary
Our project helps primary school children in Ireland discover how exciting and useful science and research can be. We are building on our work to bring our project to new audiences (more schools, more children, more parents) because science affects everyone’s daily life, and everyone deserves to know this.
The START to Discover project is made up of:
1) The Meet the Scientist Webinar Series is a free, live online event designed for 4th to 6th class in Primary Schools (children ages 9 – 12), taking place weekly from November to March. Each webinar connects children with a real scientist who answer everyday questions linked to their field (e.g. a PhD student in seismic activity discussing How can a music concert create a mini earthquake?). They explain how their research is driven by curiosity, making science feel real and exciting. Scientists also share their personal journeys, helping children see that scientists are regular people, not distant experts. This approach makes science more relatable and sparks confidence and interest.
2) The START Competition gives children the opportunity to be scientists. Open to all primary schools, it invites children to work together design, run and report their own science experiment (a trial). Children choose questions that matter to them (e.g. Does eating breakfast impact academic performance?). The top 3 schools attend a celebratory Awards Ceremony with live science workshops and demonstrations.
By following their curiosity, children discover how science really works, and bring that discovery home, making science part of everyday life.