Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward MP has today announced that Illawarra Grammar School student and young inventor, Macinley Butson (17), has been named the first high school student in the State to receive a grant of $5,000 from the New South Wales Government’s new Supporting Young Scientists Program.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said Year 12 student Macinley would use the grant to attend a prestigious course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Research Science Institute.
“Macinley Butson is a remarkable young woman – she is the 2018 NSW Young Australian of the Year, a prolific inventor and one of the state’s brightest young minds.
“Macinley won first place in the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair last year for her development of a radiation shield, called ‘SMART Armour’, used by breast cancer patients to protect their non-treated breast during radiotherapy treatment.
“I’m delighted to announce her as the first to receive a grant from our new Supporting Young Scientists Program,” said Mr Ward.
Acting NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Chris Armstrong said the new Program was backing the state’s best young scientists to pursue STEM-related careers.
“We’re providing funding to support NSW high school students to participate in prestigious STEM-related competitions, events and courses, both in Australia and internationally.
“With industry and the research sector embracing digital and technological advancement at an astonishing rate, it’s really important that we start to prepare our next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians as early as possible.
“We’re encouraging eligible NSW high school students to consider applying for a grant to help them attend competitions, events or courses which offer the potential for significant educational advancement in a STEM-related field.
“Up to $5,000 will be awarded to successful individual applicants, and up to $10,000 will be awarded to successful team applications from an annual funding pool of $50,000,” said Dr Armstrong.
For more information and an application form, go to www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/investing-in-science/supporting-young-scientists-program.
MEDIA:
Kiama Electorate Office (02) 4232 1082 or Ben Blackburn 0423 466 358
Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer, Bruce Ritchie 0429 412 426