BHP Billiton Science Awards

The BHP Billiton Science Awards reward students for creative research projects and teachers for their contribution to science education.

• 18 April 2008 | Updated 24 January 2012

• Student awards
• Teacher awards
• Prime Minister's Award
• More information

The BHP Billiton Science Awards [official website, external link] reward students for creative research, experiment or investigation projects and teachers for their support of open-ended student investigations.

Student awards

The BHP Billiton Science Student Awards reward young people who have undertaken practical research projects that demonstrate innovative approaches and thorough scientific procedures.

To be eligible for selection as a finalist you must first submit a project into the experiment, research or investigation category of your local Science Teachers Association (STA) awards or successfully complete a science project in the silver or gold category of CSIRO CREST Awards.

Entries of the highest standard will be chosen by each State and Territory STA and forwarded for selection of finalists. A number of Gold and Silver CSIRO CREST Awards (science) will also be submitted for selection.

Students can win:

• first prize of A$3000 and a trip to the USA to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (eligibility conditions apply to the trip to the USA)
• second prize of A$2000
• third prize of A$1000
• one of 13 finalist awards of A$250 each.

In addition, category prizes include:

• A$250 each for up to four winning primary entries
• A$100 each for up to 60 semi-finalist entries
• encouragement award prize packs for fifty primary students.

Teacher awards

The BHP Billiton Science Teacher Awards recognise outstanding contributions made by classroom teachers to science education especially in the area of open ended investigations.

Each State/Territory Science Teachers Association (STA) will be invited to nominate one teacher who will be chosen for their excellence in teaching, their support of open-ended student investigations and their suitability to represent their State or Territory. A teacher involved in CSIRO CREST Awards may also be selected on the same criteria.

A winner is selected from each State and Territory. Winning classroom teachers receive travel to the presentation day in Melbourne.

One teacher will be selected to attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair the USA. This teacher will also have a supervisory role during that trip.

Prime Minister's Award

In April 2008, it was announced that the BHP Billiton Science Awards had itself won the Special Award for Longevity in the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships.

The Prime Minister's Award stated:  'Your longstanding partnership is an impressive testament to the potential of business community collaboration. The Partnership's Science Awards have raised the profile of science in the community, and highlight career opportunities in science for young people in a way which is making a significant contribution to the promotion and development of science in Australia today.'

More information

For more information on both the student and teacher awards:

• visit the official BHP Billiton Science Awards website [external link]
• contact your nearest CSIRO Science Education Centre.

These awards are a partnership with the Australian Science Teachers Association [external link].

The BHP Billiton Science Awards are supported by: