NCAR Sponsors $25,000 Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation

BOULDER -- The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is the metropolitan Denver sponsor for the 1999-2000 Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation. The national award challenges teams of students to identify issues affecting their communities and then use the scientific method to solve them. For the fourth year, Bayer Corporation, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, and Discover magazine have formed a national partnership to sponsor the award.

The Bayer/NSF Award encourages young people to develop curiosity, creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, and citizenship while working within a framework of scientific discovery. Students in grades six, seven, and eight attending public or private schools, home schools, or youth groups may enter. Team entries are due January 31, 2000. In May 2000, ten regional winners will travel to Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida to compete in the national finals and to learn about technological innovation firsthand. The top three teams will divide $35,000 in U.S. savings bonds and one team will be awarded a $25,000 grant to bring its project to life.

How to enter

Guidelines and applications are available on the World Wide Web or by calling 1-800-291-6020. Local teams that request NCAR support will be linked with scientific mentors and community organizations. To request local links, call NCAR's Outreach Program at 303-497-8612.

NCAR is sponsored by NSF and managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a consortium of more than 60 universities offering Ph.D.s in atmospheric and related sciences.