Young Scientists Development Program
In order to discover and train junior high school students with scientific research potential, the National Taiwan Science Education Center (NTSEC) began their “Young Scientists Development Program” in 1996, targeting at 7th-11th gradestudents of high school, participants of the National Primary and High School Science Fair and Taiwan International Science Fair who were awarded champions or were recommended by the evaluation committee based on the two science fairs; the above mentioned are required to apply from their schools, and those who pass the evaluation will be mentened by professors or researchers and to do scientific research in research laboratories. Aside from training superior research talents in basic science and applied science, we allow outstanding junior high school students interested in scientific research to have the chance to get individual guidance from professors before attending university.
Each year, this program ratifies about 50 to 60 talent training research projects, with research covering 12 subjects: mathematics, physics and space science, chemistry, zoology, botany, microbiology, biochemistry, medical and health, engineering, computer science, and environmental science; research theme aims at tentative questions from spontaneous research ideas.
This program accepts domestic application starting from March, and an evaluation council is established in April to invite related experts to evaluate and examine students’ proposals, of which the results will be announced in May. From April on, students are to begin executing their result projects until 31 December. Projects that have passed evaluation process are handed to advising professors by the NTSEC (NT$20,000 counseling fee per project); each student’s research fee ranges from NT$10,000 to NT$30,000 (the amount is decided at the evaluation council of that certain year). No more than NT$8,000 remuneration may be given to the instructors. If the instructors also receive hourly pay according to the “National Taiwan Science Education Center and Public and Private High School and Vocational Schools Science Fair Workshop Plan,” they must choose to be paid either way and may not receive two pays at once.
NTSEC is in charge of contacting the professors of related professions from universities and scientific academic research institutes to guide and assist students in continuing their research in their research labs or laboratories. After professional scholars have guided students in their research projects, students are required to take part in the camps hosted by the NTSEC, and are to hand out achievement result reports on the research works they did during their research period.
On this account, this program arouses students’ interest in scientific research and guides them in the exploration of scientific research projects. For students, this is a talent and potential challenge, and advancement in scientific abilities and disposition, and, moreover, positively encourages them in the efforts they put in researching. These all have a profound, significant influence on students with potential in scientific research development.