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Brussels, 27 September 2002
Key words :Young scientists, discoveries
On 27 September 2002 Austrian
Minister for Education, Science, and Culture Ms. Elisabeth Gehrer
and Dr. Rainer Gerold, the European Commission’s Director responsible
for the EU Contest for Young Scientists, awarded three first prizes
of €; 5 000 each to 4 students from Germany and Finland. The
award ceremony was the culmination of the 14th EU Contest, which
is the annual showcase of the best of European student scientific
achievement. The selected projects deal with airplane transportation,
biotesting and space rockets.
In addition to the first prizes,
the international jury awarded further prizes to students whose
works were also considered to be of remarkable quality: three second
prizes of € 3 000 and three third prizes of € 1 500 (see
attachment). Furthermore the Jury designated prize winners to represent
the EU at several international events and to join established research
teams for short periods of scientific training. Three former EU
Contest Prize winners awarded three Alumni Prizes worth € 1
200 in total.
63 projects, presented by 85 young
scientists (aged 15-20), were competing at the EU Contest. Students
came from more than 30 European countries, the United States, China,
Japan and Korea. The 63 competing projects covered a wide range
of scientific fields, from magnetic liquid crystals to malaria parasites
and life in the Universe.
Addressing the award ceremony, which
was honoured by the presence of four Nobel Laureats (Ivar Giaever
(USA), Sir Harry Kroto (UK), Erwin Neher (DE) and Carlo Rubbia (IT))
Dr Gerold said: "Young scientists have a key role to play for
the future of our societies. If we don’t succeed to promote
young people’s interest in science and engineering and to attract
the best of them to scientific careers, Europe will be in danger
of falling back – scientifically, economically and with regard
to the development of our societies at large. In fact: young people’s
declining interest in scientific studies and our ageing population
must to be points of concern to all of us."
Said Professor Pauline Slosse, President of the jury: "This
year’s projects were of particularly high quality. It was very
difficult for the Jury to identify the ‘best of the best’.
In doing our work as Jury members we were confirmed in our view
that scientific progress does not always depend on the most sophisticated
techniques and devices. These young scientists show that there is
a lot to be discovered simply by using intelligence, creativity
and low cost equipment."
The EU Contest for Young Scientists is unanimously considered to
be the annual showcase of the best scientific achievements of European
students. Only projects that have won a top prize in a national
young scientist competition can compete at the EU Contest. Thus,
the Contest represents the ultimate goal for more than 30,000 young
science students aged 15-20 who participate every year in the national
contests.
The EU Contest is part of the European Union's programme "Improving
Human Potential" which aims at developing Europe's knowledge
potential through greater support for training and mobility of researchers.
The Contest is one of the EU's activities aimed at combating the
current decline in young people's interest for science studies and
careers. From 2003 onwards the EU Contest will be part of a broader
and more ambitious scheme addressing the issue of "Science
and society".
The 15th EU Contest for Young Scientists
will take place in Budapest in September 2003.
For additional information:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/youngscientists/
http://www.2002youngscientists.org/
For further information:
Manuel Carmona Yebra, Science and Society Directorate,
Research DG,
Tel: +32.2.295 12 56; Fax: +32.2.296 70 24
E-mail: manuel.carmona-yebra@ec.europa.eu
Michel Claessens, Press Officer, Information and Communication
Unit, Research DG,
Tel: +32.2.295 99 71; Fax: +32.2.295 82 20
E-mail: michel.claessens@ec.europa.eu
ANNEXE
PROJECT PRIZES
|
FIRST PRIZES (€ 5 000 per project) |
| Germany
(DE1) |
| Pawel
PIOTROWSKI (19) |
| Field
: Physics |
| Special
Wings and Ground Effect for Efficient Transportation |
|
Up
to now only two vehicles have been used in intercontinental
transport-ships and airplanes. Ships can move large amounts
of freight. They are cheap but very slow. Airplanes are
very fast and can reach even the remotest places on earth
but they are rather expensive and can only ship small amounts
of freight. However, according to Pawel, there is an alternative
means of transport, which has been almost ignored up to
now. Thiscan be considered as a method which combines low
cost and maximum speed: it is the Ekranoplan, a huge airplane
which can move above the water like a hovercraft thus taking
advantage of the aerodynamic ground effect. This effect
proves to be very economic. But there is also a considerable
disadvantage connected with the ground effect: it does not
work unless the plane flies in a height lower than half
of its wingspan. Therefore the airplane needs wings with
extremely extended spans in order to be able to cope with
obstacles like waves. Furthermore it takes a very large
amount of energy to get the plane into the air.
Pawel
has constructed new wings that optimize flying qualities
with the ground effect because these wings are capable of
adapting to specific flight conditions. He hopes his work
may contribute to the construction of an economical and
efficient vehicle combining the advantages of ships and
airplanes to form an alternative means of transport.
|
| Germany
(DE2) |
| Martin
Etzrodt (20), Martin von der Helm (19) |
| Field
: Biology |
| The
Slime Mold Physarum as a Model Organism for Biotesting |
|
Physarum
polycephalum belongs to the group of the real slime molds.
It is a suitable model organism for the motility of the cytoskeleton
in higher eukaryote cells. The plasma’s shuttle streaming
in the giant cell can easily be observed under the microscope.
These two contestants have developed a new determination system
that allows them to study the motility of the cells under
defined conditions in a special research chamber under the
microscope. With the help of a CCD-camera the shuttle streaming
is captured and a newly developed computer-aided digital image
processing tool is used to obtain reliable quantitative data
for further analysis. The cells react to the impact of environmental
factors such as chemical substances, temperature and UV-radiation.
Using specific inhibitors of the cytoskeleton and conducting
long-term series of measurements, they have revealed part
of the mechanism of how the shuttle streaming in Physarum
polycephalum is organized andexamined the capacity of the
cells to function as a model organism and a simple biotest. |
| Finland
(FI2) |
| Lauri
Kauppila (18) |
| Field
: Chemistry |
| Comparing
the O/F Ratio and Heat Released from Rocket Fuel Combustion |
|
Lauri’s
study concentrated on the powerful solid rocket fuel that
is widely used in space rockets, among others. The aim was
to find out, by experimental and theoretical work, the effect
of the fuel’s oxidizer/fuel ratio on the heat released from
combustion. The reagents used were ammonium perchlorate (AP)
and aluminium. The theoretical study hypothesized the likely
products of the reaction at each AP/aluminum ratio. The heat
release was calculated as a function of the oxidizer/fuel
ratio. The experimental section of the study measured the
heat released from sample fuel mixtures by the use of a bomb
calorimeter. AP was self-produced, and safely mixed with aluminum
in various mass ratios. The theoretical and experimental results
were compared and a compromise was achieved that considered
the merits of each section. The results are expected to be
accurate in professional rockets. |
SECOND PRIZES (€ 3 000
per project)
| Country
|
Name
of contestant |
Age
|
Project
Nr |
Field
|
Title
|
| France
|
Vincent Bougreau |
19
|
FR3 |
Environmental Science |
Are There Germs in the Highest Layers of the Atmosphere?
|
| |
Solene Broner |
20 |
|
Norway |
Arnhild Jacobsen |
19 |
NO1 |
Physics
|
The
Physics of a Rolling Soda Can |
| Slovenia
|
David
Sahrla |
19
|
SI1
|
Chemistry
|
Chemiluminescence
|
THIRD PRIZES (€ 1 500
per project)
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Belgium
|
Maarten
Vanhove |
17
|
BE2
|
Biological
Science |
Morphological
Diversity of Cladoceran Resting Eggs in Shallow Lakes
|
| Poland
|
Piotr
Garbacz |
18
|
PL3
|
Biology
and Physics |
Influence of Direction
and Intensity of Gravity on Plant Growth
|
| Turkey
|
Ozgur
Paksoy |
18
|
TR1
|
Mathematics
|
A General Approach
to the Proof of Inequalities
|
| Aslihan
Akin Nuriye |
18
|
HONORARY AWARDS
STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE SEMINAR
(to attend the 100th Nobel Prize Ceremonies)
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Finland
|
Lauri
Kauppila |
18
|
FI2
|
Chemistry
|
Comparing
the O/F Ratio and Heat Released from Rocket Fuel Combustion
|
| Germany
|
Pawel
Piotrowski |
19
|
DE1
|
Physics
|
Special
Wings and Ground Effect for Efficient Transportation
|
LONDON INTERNATIONAL
YOUTH SCIENCE FORUM
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Belgium
|
Maarten
Vanhove |
17
|
BE2
|
Biological
Science |
Morphological
Diversity of Cladoceran Resting Eggs in Shallow Lakes
|
| Hungary
|
Gabor
Miklos Csiky |
18
|
HU1
|
Environmental
Chemistry |
Investigation
of Adverse Health Effects of Residual Oil Fly Ash |
ALUMNI PRIZES
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Germany
|
Pawel
Piotrowski |
19
|
DE1
|
Physics
|
Special
Wings and Ground Effect for Efficient Transportation
|
| Poland
|
Marta
Swierczynaska |
18
|
PL2
|
Environmental
Science
|
Natural Method for
Removing Seston from Water Bodies
|
| Portugal
|
João
Cortes |
18
|
PT1
|
Biological
Science |
Microtus
cabrerae in Odemira |
| José
Fernandes |
16
|
| Rita
Domingos |
18
|
SPECIAL PRIZES
THE EUROPEAN NORTHERN OBSERVATORIES, IAC,
THE CANARY ISLANDS
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Germany
|
Elisabeth
Krause |
18
|
DE3
|
Earth
Science |
Gravitation
Rules |
| Sebastian
Bürgel |
18
|
| Ireland
|
David
M. O’Doherty |
18
|
IE1
|
Mathematics
|
The Distribution
of the Primes
|
THE EUROPEAN SPACE RESEARCH
AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE, NOORDWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| France
|
Vincent
Bougreau |
19
|
FR3
|
Environmental
Science |
Are
There Germs in the Highest Layers of the Atmosphere?
|
| |
Solene
Broner |
20
|
| Poland
|
Piotr
Garbacz |
18
|
PL3
|
Biology
and Physics |
Influence of Direction
and Intensity of Gravity on Plant Growth
|
THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE,
MUNICH, GERMANY
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Austria
|
Markus
Brandstetter |
20
|
AT2
|
Material
Science |
Measuring
the Dielectric Properties of Paper |
| |
Franz
Novak |
20
|
| Slovenia
|
David
Sahrla |
19
|
SI1
|
Chemistry
|
Chemiluminescence
|
| Sweden
|
Hanna
Sundberg |
20
|
SE3
|
Environmental
Science |
The Sampler That
Takes a Jolly Bottom Bite
|
THE NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE,
SVALBARD, NORWAY
|
Country
|
Name of contestant
|
Age
|
Project Nr
|
Field
|
Title
|
| Estonia
|
Liina
Saar |
20
|
EE2
|
Biological
Science |
Regeneration
of Vegetation in Tika Gravel Quarry |
| Israel
|
Keren
Maor |
20
|
IL2
|
Biology
|
Butterfly
Fishes of Genus Chaetodon as Indicator Species for Monitoring
Changes in the Coral Reefs of Eilat |
|
Press
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