NZP Massey ChemiSTORY (100 level) Bursary
An opportunity for NCEA Level 3 chemistry students, funded through the generosity of New Zealand Pharmaceuticals
Up to three bursaries of $2000.00 (in 2007) per year shall be awarded
to winning applicants. The winners' schools receive $500.00 to be put towards
the purchase of equipment for chemistry classes.
Application forms are available from the Institute of Fundamental Sciences
or can be downloaded from here. Completed application forms should be sent to
Scholarships, Graduate Research School, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222,
Palmerston North.
The closing date of applications for the Bursary is 15 October, in the year
prior to the Bursary being taken up.
You need to
- Be studying level 3 chemistry, and expecting to achieve at least 14 credits,
in a New Zealand High School or College.
- Be intending to study at Massey University in the following year.
- Write an essay about some aspect of Chemistry, details below. The story should
not be more than 1,000 words.
- Download a copy of the application form and forward it along with your essay
to the Massey University Scholarships Office by 15 October.
The story must be positive; that is, it must show Chemistry as being vitally
useful, relevant and interesting. (We see quite enough negative stuff in the media
about Chemistry being associated with toxicity and pollution.)
Your essay might belong to a broad theme such as the following, but it is not
limited to these – write about what interests and excites you:
- Chemistry in medicine
- Chemistry in agriculture
- Chemistry in energy production
- Chemistry in the home
- Chemistry of specific interest to New Zealand
- A famous Chemist
- Debunking a common misconception about Chemistry
A few suggestions of more specific topics to give you ideas could include:
- Materials that can convert sunlight to electricity
- Herbicides that work by stopping the action of certain enzymes
- Electrically conducting plastics
- Synthesis of compounds that have pharmaceutical potential
- Elucidating the beautiful complicated structure of protein molecules
- ‘Green Chemistry’ – developing reactions that avoid toxic
chemicals and solvents
- Synthesis of compounds with potential as food flavours
- Development of new materials for use in batteries
- Novel ways of encapsulating compounds for drug delivery
- New materials such as nanoparticles, quantum dots and photonic crystals
All the above topics, and more, are currently under investigation by chemists
in Massey University’s Institute of Fundamental Sciences as you will see
under Research. Perhaps you might email the staff involved to get the low-down
(scientists just love to talk about their work) but don’t expect them to
write the story for you!
Style
The most important criterion is that your essay should contain correct, significant,
interesting Chemistry. A secondary aim is to write it in reasonably good English.
The top stories will be published in the Manawatu
Standard and should be aimed at the level of an intelligent newspaper reader
with a definite interest in Science. You can certainly use general scientific
words such as molecule, enzyme, photosynthesis, semiconductor, etc., but more
obscure or technical words will need to be explained. The competition is an exercise
in writing about Chemistry in words; there will not be scope to include
structures and diagrams.
All your own work!
You will of course seek information from the internet, books, magazines, teachers,
scientists and so on, but the essay must be written in your own words. It is not
a question of Googling and cut-and-pasting! There are programs that quickly identify
if work has been copied word-for-word from the net.
The Institute of Fundamental Sciences Massey University reserves the right
to use and publish stories as required.
The generous sponsorship of New Zealand
Pharmaceuticals is very gratefully acknowledged.
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