Maura Wins Two Awards at Regeneron ISEF 2025 SciFest Ezine
SciFest STEM Champion 2024, Maura Moore-McCune from The King’s Hospital School, Palmerstown in Co. Dublin represented Ireland at Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025 in
Columbus, Ohio and won 4 place in her category, Biomedical Engineering. This was an amazing achievement as there were over 100 projects in the Biomedical Engineering Category Maura also won the Mawhiba Universal Enrichment Program Award Mawhiba is a non-profit foundation in Saudi Arabia which motivates young people around the world to explore innovative methods in diverse fields of study.
Maura’s Award Winning Project Why SciFest?
ScFest@School 2024/2025
You Teachers
Years of SciFest
Hosts Student Winners
Maura’s Award Winning Project
Maura secured her place at Regeneron ISEF 2025 when she won the overall award at the SciFest 2024 National Final last November. She claimed first prize for her project, ‘A Device for Detecting Fast Moving Objects for Use by the Vision Impaired’ Maura was also awarded the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Grand Award at the National Final.
Maura, who is vision impaired, developed an app to detect fast-moving objects, so that vision impaired people can live safer and more independent lives Two design approaches using Machine Learning were developed: a mobile app and smart glasses. The app uses image classification to warn users of fast-moving objects, while the glasses use a YOLOv8 model on OpenCV to estimate object speed
Speaking about attending ISEF, Maura said: "I’m incredibly grateful to have had the chance to attend and participate in Regeneron ISEF in Columbus, Ohio. It was an amazing experience to present my work and showcase my creativity on a global platform. After putting so much effort into my project, it was inspiring to connect with other students and see their incredible work. I’m sincerely thankful to my family, friends, teachers, and everyone at SciFest for their unwavering support throughout this journey "
Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder and CEO commented: “We are all very proud of Maura on achieving fourth place in The Biomedical Engineering category at Regeneron ISEF 2025 and for being a wonderful ambassador for Irish science on the world stage. Participating in Regeneron ISEF is a wonderful opportunity, and I know Maura has really enjoyed the experience. SciFest is all about encouraging a love of the STEM subjects among young people Maura has developed a truly innovative project and we are delighted that she has had the opportunity to bring it to an international audience We wish her every success for the future ”
Why SciFest?
SciFest is for the quiet thinkers and the bold dreamers. For the ones who never thought science was “for them”. For the student whose eyes light up when their project works, and for the teacher who sees potential take flight. Every project tells a story. Every fair builds confidence. Every student who walks through those doors belongs to a future we're proud to support
SciFest@School 2024/2025
As the 2024/2025 academic year draws to a close, we now have an opportunity to reflect on what has been another incredible year, with 148 SciFest@School fairs taking place. We are excited for what 2025/2026 will bring as the programme continues to serve more students, teachers, schools, and communities than ever before. A full list of all SciFest@School fairs can be viewed here. SciFest@School Sacred Heart Secondary School, Drogheda, Co. Louth. Second-year student award winners.
Thank You!
As the academic year draws to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the amazing teachers who hosted a SciFest@School fair and to those who supported students participating in SciFest@College and the National Final. We know just how much time, energy, and dedication it takes to guide and support students in preparing for and presenting their projects at SciFest. Thank you for everything you do to support SciFest and to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators!
20 Years of SciFest
On 1 May 2025 TU Dublin Tallaght hosted their annual regional SciFest@College fair, showcasing over 160 projects from more than 20 schools The event marked the 20 SciFest fair in the college; the first ever SciFest fair was held in what was then IT Tallaght in 2006. Special guest Édáin Martin, SciFest’s first-ever winner, shared her inspiring STEM journey with students. Read More th Édáin Martin with Addison Carey, SciFest Best Project Award winner, SciFest@TU
SciFest@School Fairs L to R: Clogher Road CC, D 12, Drumshanbo VS, Co. Leitrim and CBS Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Dublin Tallaght 2025
SciFest@College 2025, ATU Donegal Fianna, Faith-Leigh and Síofra, Coláiste Ailigh, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Good News!
SciFest@College 2025, MTU Cork Criss Tan, Coláiste An Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown, Cork
SciFest Awarded Research Ireland Discover Grant
SciFest is delighted to announce that it is one of the initiatives selected to receive funding from the Research Ireland Discover Programme. The funding is part of a €6.5 million investment in 40 projects aimed at enhancing public engagement in STEM.
Sisk, Oracle Academy, Henkel and TE Connectivity All Join the SciFest Sponsor Community
SciFest is delighted to announce that Sisk, a leading construction and engineering company, the Oracle Academy, the philanthropic educational programme of Oracle, Henkel, one of the world’s leading innovators in adhesives and TE Connectivity, a global technology company specialising in the development of connectors and sensors have all joined SciFest as Bronze Sponsors.
Thank You!
A heartfelt thanks to all the judges who gave so generously of their time and expertise to judge at the local and regional fairs, and at the National Final We are especially grateful to those representing our valued partners and sponsors, as well as the volunteer judges from the technological universities, DCU, and DkIT Thank you for your continued support.
SciFest@College 2025, ATU Galway, Orla Melia and Catherine Kehoe, Boston Scientific judges with Muhammad Ashir Anwar, Boston Scientific Award winner
EirGrid Hosts Student Winners
In late March EirGrid hosted a special event to showcase some of the winners of the 2024 EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award Held at EirGrid’s offices in Dublin 4, the event gave staff the opportunity to meet and hear directly from some of the SciFest 2024 outstanding student innovators.
Fionn Campbell, Moate Community School, Co Westmeath, and Niamh Kearns and Isobel GrimesMerrigan, Loreto Secondary School, Navan, Co. Meath, impressed the audience with their engaging presentations and clear passion for climate action and sustainability.
A sincere thank you to EirGrid for hosting such an inspiring morning and for their continued support of the SciFest programme.
Commenting on the event Errol Close, Chief Corporate Services Officer at EirGrid remarked 'It was great to meet Fionn, Niamh and Isobel and welcome them to the Oval. Their enthusiasm and passion for their work to solve the challenges we face today was really inspiring It’s exactly the type of thinking that we want to support and develop through our partnership with SciFest '
SciFest@College 2025, TU Dublin
selectprojectsthatwillalsogoforwardtocompete attheNationalFinal.
SciFest@College 2025, TUS Limerick, SciFest Best Project Award winners, Luke O Loughlin Byrne, Zack Bannon Griffin, Ardscoil Rís, North Circular Rd, Limerick
SciFest 2025 National Final
Fourteen SciFest@College fairs took place from 8 April - 8 May 2025 The fifteenth, SciFest@NorthWest in St Mary's College in Derry, takes place on 24 June
The Best Project Award winners from each of the regional SciFest@College fairs have all qualified to compete in the SciFest National Final which will take place in Dublin on 21 November.
The Runner-up Best Project Award winners from each regional SciFest@College fair have been asked to submit their report books to SciFest by 26 September. A panel of SciFest judges will then
ThewinnersoftheBostonScientificMedical DevicesAwardandtheEirGridCleanerClimate Awardhavebeenaskedtosubmittheirreport booksandshorttwo-minutevideosby26 September.Thesewillthenbejudgedbypanelsof judgesfromBostonScientificandEirGrid, respectively,toselecttheprojectsthatwillcompete attheNationalFinal.
Studentsareadvisedtocontinuetoworkontheir projectbetweennowand26September.
AttheNationalFinalapanelofjudgesfrom academiaandindustrywillselectthewinnerofthe SciFestSTEMChampion/s2025AwardThisaward includesanall-expenses-paidtriptorepresent IrelandattheRegeneronISEFcompetitionin Phoenix,Arizona,inMay2026
AfulllistofSciFest@College2025Awardwinners canbeviewedhere
Tallaght, students from Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School
Thank You SciFest Regional Coordinators
We would like to say a big thank you to the SciFest@College regional coordinators and their dedicated teams. Their generosity in giving so freely of their time, energy, and expertise is the foundation on which SciFest is built. Without their unwavering commitment to organising and hosting the regional SciFest@College fairs SciFest simply would not exist. Thank you to them for making it all possible
ATU Donegal: Dr Christopher McEleney
ATU Galway: Dr Aisling Crowley
ATU Sligo: Dr Tomi Zlatar
DundalkIT:DrMoiraMaguire
DCU:DrEilishMcLoughlin
MTUCork:MsNormaJWelch
MTUKerry:MsGráinneMaunsell
SETUCarlow:DrAdrianaCunhaNeves
SETUWaterford:DrSheilaDoneganandMrEoinGill
SciFest@NorthWest(NI):MrMarkLogue
TUDublinGrangegorman:DrGemmaKinsella TUDublinTallaght:DrBrianAMurray
TUSAthlone:DrNoreenMorris
TUSMoylish:DrPaulineRyan
TUSThurles:MrMartinMcCormack
SciFest@College Regional Coordinators L to R: Dr Brian Murray, 2006 - 2025, Dr Noreen Morris, 2008 - 2025, Norma Welch, 2010 - 2025 and Dr Adriana Cunha Neves, 2025
We would like to take this opportunity to extend our very best wishes to Dr Dina Brazil and her husband, Dr David Dowling, on their retirement. Dina played a central role in organising SciFest@College at IT Carlow, now SETU, and David generously chaired the judging panel from the very first SETU Carlow fair in 2008 through to 2024. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and support over the years have made a lasting impact, and we thank them both most sincerely for their invaluable contribution to SciFest..
