Young Scientist Awards: Meet the Sydney teens breaking new scientific ground
The future of Australia’s science and technology innovation is in good hands with these youngsters already picking up awards for their real-life projects.
The future of Australia’s science and technology sectors is bright with a group of eastern Sydney teenagers set to take home awards for the research they’ve done before even learning to drive — including a project on radiation inspired by love and loss.
Dover Heights Year 10 student Congjing Zhu is one of five students from schools in the eastern suburbs set to take home awards in chemistry, biology, physics and primary sciences categories for the 2025 Young Scientists Awards.
Congjing said while she has “always been interested in biochemistry,” it was Australia’s high melanoma rate that inspired her choice of research topic.
“I can see a lot of people around me suffering so much from cancer,” Congjing said.
“I have a very close teacher who passed away due to cancer and I just felt like this is something that’s very worth researching,” she said.
Congjing’s project exposed parsley plants to increased UV rays with the goal of increasing their ability to filter the harmful radiation – which she achieved. The 15-year-old said this research could be used to create a sunscreen that is both more effective and better for the environment.
“Right now a lot of chemical-based sunscreens are actually increasing ocean acidity,” Congjing said. Her research notes that 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen is estimated to enter waterways across the globe every year.
“But when it’s something that’s naturally extracted from plants, it’s actually good for the environment and good for humans as well,” she said.
The Young Scientists Awards have been presented by the Science Teachers’ Association of NSW (STANSW) since 1992 to provide recognition and prizes to our state’s top young scientific minds.
Each award, including the coveted Young Scientist of the Year, will be presented on Friday at the University of Technology Sydney.
Receiving a prize on the night is 14-year-old Kambala student Karin Iwano, who said she was “really excited” to have her work recognised.
“It’s really fun and rewarding because I find STEM really interesting,” she said.
Karin lives in the eastern suburbs and said her project, which created a tool to more effectively measure soil acidity, was inspired by a practical activity during a school excursion to a farm.
“It’s really hard to measure the soil (acidity) of a lot of places, but obviously it’s really important for agriculture,” she said.
Her research involved liquefying red cabbage – which is easy to grow and biodegradable – and pouring it on solid matter such as dirt. The resulting colour change between purple and red provides an easy-to-read visible indicator of acidity levels.
Karin said she would like to use her science expertise in the future studying a subject related to technology or engineering, before “creating new products for companies like Google”.
STANSW vice president Lauren McKnight said the Young Scientist Awards helped students “see science not just as a subject, but as a way of understanding and shaping the world around them”.
“By celebrating their achievements, we’re also recognising the creativity, persistence, and critical thinking that fuel Australia’s future innovation,” Dr McKnight said.
More Coverage
Originally published as Young Scientist Awards: Meet the Sydney teens breaking new scientific ground
Watch: Car fire sparks evacuation at Sydney petrol station
