iCRAG are delighted to launch their National Crystal Growing Competition 2017 in partnership with SSPC, the Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, and the International Union of Crystallography's (IUCr) global competition!
The aim of both the national and global competition is for an individual student to grow a single crystal using either any of the materials listed on our website (to be used only with instructions from your teacher in school). Those entering the national competition will be judged by SSPC and iCRAG experts and those entering the global competition will be judged by an international panel of judges who are experts in crystallisation and crystallography.
The SSPC national finals will take place in both DUBLIN (iCRAG headquarters in UCD) and LIMERICK (SSPC headquarters in UL), depending on the school region. Those wishing to participate in the IUCr global competition must upload their videos by November 19th. The national competition only requires photos.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE:
The competition is open to all Irish students. There are two categories, one for the national competition and one for the international one. You could win both! Teacher supervision is required for crystallisation of compounds other than salt and sugar. Details on how to enter, instructions on growing crystals and Material Safety Data Sheets for Health and Safety instructions are available on the SSPC website.
At last year’s award ceremonies, the University of Limerick, SSPC crystal growing winners were: 1st Place, Kieran Barrett Gomez, from Clongowes Wood College SJ, Kildare; 2nd Place, Cathy O’Neill, from Ardscoil Na Mara Secondary School Tramore, Waterford and 3rd Place Ava Downey O'Mahoney, from Portumna Community School, Co. Galway. Scoil Ide primary school, Corbally, Limerick were invited to acknowledge the fantastic crystals they entered at primary school level. The University College Dublin, iCRAG winners were: 1st Place, Dominika Dacus, from Cabinteely Community School; 2nd place, Adrianna Matynia, from St. Paul's Secondary School, Greenhills D12 and 3rd place and Josh Healy, from Cabinteely Community School.
Instructions on how to enter can be found on the SSPC crystals website.