The STEM Defence + Innovation is a business commercialisation program developed by the ME Program and delivered in partnership with the Business Centre. Industry mentors impart life-long business and entrepreneurship skills to high school students. The 2018 pilot engaged years 11 and 12 students at St Philips Christian College.
The three-month Program saw industry, education, professional services organisations and government collaborate to immerse students in ‘real-life’ innovation and entrepreneurship activities that complemented the technical STEM skills being learnt at school. It culminated in the STEM Innovation and Defence Pitch Night where students pitched their innovations, which included mind-controlled prosthetic hands, autonomous trollies and stealth drones, to an expert panel comprising representatives from Royal Australian Airforce, Boeing Defence Australia, and Business Centre.
Judged against professional criteria, the pitches resulted in immediate outcomes for the 11 participants with commercial interest in their innovations from Boeing Defence, Obelisk Systems, Robotic Systems, RAAF and a range of schools, as well as niche work placements for students at Boeing.
The ME Program facilitates school and industry collaboration to deliver a range of activities that provide secondary school students with STEM and enterprise skills in preparation for, and as an introduction to careers in Defence and defence industries.
WHAT IS IT?
The STEM Defence + Innovation Scholarship is a scheme for students who are currently or are about to undertake a STEM based project that may have future Defence applications. It is to assist students completing major projects related to STEM and is open to students from Year’s 9-12 attending ME Program schools.
The Program will provide seed funding directly to students in order for them to pursue their ideas and complete innovative STEM based projects. Equipment grants of up to $500 per individual or $1000 per group will be considered on a competitive basis.
Organisations such as BAE Systems, Boeing Defence Australia – Williamtown, Hunter Medical Research Institute, the University of Newcastle, and Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment will provide both inspiration and mentoring support for these projects.
Students will need to apply for the scholarships through the ME Program. An Expression of Interest Process will need to be undertaken to qualify.
POSSIBLE PROJECTS
Possible projects must be STEM related and have some application to the very broad field of Defence and defence industries. Some examples of areas of study may include;
- Robotic Systems
- Drones
- Computer Programing, Apps, Multimedia
- Bio Medical
- Human Factors
- Advanced Manufacturing
- 3D Printing Technologies
- Scientific or Technological Research
Students undertaking the following subjects will have preference;
- iSTEM
- Engineering Studies
- Design & technology
- Industrial technology
- IST
- Software Design & Development,
- Science,
- Multimedia
Students will need to submit a final report with the findings of their projects and agree to have their work featured on the ME Program website.
For more information download the flyer:
Contact Rick Evans
rick.evans@rdahunter.org.au
0434 489 609