“Mad for Science” 2023: an amount of 200 thousand euros for the renovation of science laboratories

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The DiaSorin Foundation announces the list of 50 Italian schools that have passed the first selection of the seventh edition of the Mad for Science National Competition, and have made it to the next stage. They come from 14 regions: 18% from Lombardy, 16% from Campania and Puglia, 12% from Piedmont, 10% from Tuscany, 6% from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 4% from Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna and Lazio, and finally 2% from Calabria, Liguria, Sardinia and Sicily. and Veneto.

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The participation of technical institutes was excellent, representing 48% of the schools selected for the second stage. Furthermore, traditional science high schools account for 26%, while science high schools account for 24% with an applied science option. Promoted to all science and classical high schools with a bending biomedical track and technical institutes, the Mad for Science competition awards a cash prize for making an existing science lab a place to experiment with science, and live with real, cutting-edge experiments. The goal of the competition—designed and promoted by DiaSorin and later passed on to its foundation—is to bring students closer to STEM careers, support their passion for science and give them a taste of what it means to do research when students are still in school. The results of the first phase of this edition, which includes more than 200 entries, confirm that young people and teachers are aware of the great opportunities offered by the competition. The participation of schools has grown in southern Italy, where there is a high potential and interest in scientific subjects – commented Francesca Pacinelli, President of the DiaSorin Foundation. One of the aims of the project is to increase the interest and curiosity of the world of science among young students who we hope will become the scientists of tomorrow. These first results of the seventh session of the competition confirm that we are moving in the right direction.”

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The 50 schools will now have to work on the theme “Green, blue and gray biotechnologies for human health and the environment” – In the biotechnology color code, green ones are associated with agriculture, blue ones with marine and aquatic environment and gray ones with environmental rehabilitation and biodiversity – Develop 5 learning experiences consistent with the theme Propose and demonstrate how biotechnologies can be used in the laboratory or in the field to protect the health of people and the planet. A committee specially formed by the DiaSorin Foundation will select the eight most interesting projects that will guarantee qualified teams access to the Mad for Science 2023 Challenge at the end of May 2023, when an extraordinary jury will decide on the winning schools.

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Starting with the 2023 edition, the total prize money for the competition has increased to €200,000: the top-ranked institute will receive a €50,000 prize for the purchase of laboratory equipment and furnishings and, for the next five years, €5,000 annually for the supply of consumables; The second seed will receive a prize of €30,000 for the laboratory and €3,000 for consumables; Third place will receive a prize of €20,000 for the laboratory and €2,000 for consumables for the following five years. Furthermore, the DiaSorin Foundation will award the Finalist Prize, in the amount of €10,000, to each of the five finalist schools that have not benefited from the awards described above in recognition of the demonstrated commitment to reach the Final.
The Scientific High School Emilio Segrè won the Applied Science option in the latest edition of the Mad for Science competition in Mugnano di Napoli, while the previous editions were successively won by Valsalice High School in Turin (2021), Buonarroti Scientific High School in Pisa (2020), by Spallanzani High School Scientific in Reggio Emilia (2019), from Scientific High School Monti in Asti (2018) and from IIS Nicola Pellati (Scientific Secondary School title Galileo Galilei) from Nizza Monferrato – AT (2017).