Curious Minds Awards - First Time Entrants
The Curious Minds Awards give you and your school the chance to not only develop STEM learning and engagement but also receive recognition for your amazing work.
Follow these simple steps to submit your first entry to our Curious Minds Awards.
1. Register your school
The first step, before applying, is to register your school with us. You can register your school’s intention to apply for a Curious Minds Award from September. We recommend schools register early in the school year to receive relevant updates and reminders.
2. Choose your award
Next, have a look at the Award Levels below to choose which level of Award is most suitable for your school. We recommend the Silver Award as a great choice for first time entrants.
Award Levels
Silver Award
The Silver Award is ideal for schools who are entering for the first time. Two classes from your school must participate.
Gold Award
The Gold Award is a fantastic option for schools that have completed a Silver Award and are looking to enhance their STEM learning. More than half of the classes in your school must participate.
Platinum Award
The Platinum Award is suitable for schools that have completed one or more Gold Awards and are looking for a new challenge. This award is a school-wide development project focusing on raising awareness of STEM and how taking part has improved the school community.
3. Create a plan
Plan the activities you will roll out to your classes. Check the criteria and ensure you cover everything you need for the award level you want to apply for. Assign different tasks to different classes. Remember if each class meets one or two of the criteria, the load is shared.
4. Do the work
It’s time to start running your STEM activities! If you need inspiration for classroom activities, have a look at our Teacher Resources page for some ideas.
If you’re looking for more informal STEM engagement ideas, reach out to a Curious Minds Discover Centre in your area and see how they can help.
5. Record your progress
Remember to take photos or videos of each activity. This can be used for your log of evidence. Photos can tell as much as, or more than, longer written accounts. We recommend creating a shared digital folder so teachers can upload their footage in one place. Your log of evidence must be presented using the relevant Curious Minds Log of Evidence Template.
6. Submit your entry
Assign one member of staff to compile your log of evidence and submit your entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Friday 1st May 2026 at 5pm (Irish time).
You can register your school’s intention to apply for a Curious Minds Award from September at the link above. When you register, we ask for the details of one school representative. The teacher who registers with us will go on to receive all communications from us on behalf of their school.
Once you’ve registered your school, we’ll send an email with login details for our online system, SESAME. You can then use SESAME to complete your Award application.
Video: How to register your schoolHow to register your school
Once you’ve registered, you will receive a confirmation email with your SESAME system login details. You will use SESAME to submit your Curious Minds Awards entry.
We only accept applications via SESAME. We cannot accept email applications, nor hard copy applications or applications saved to a USB, CD, or DVD.
Video: How to submit your award entryHow to submit your award entry
When you apply, you’ll be asked to supply a log of evidence. This is proof of the STEM work you’ve outlined in your application.
Your log must show proof of learners engaging in STEM. Teacher accounts and lesson plans are not enough.
Contact us at curiousminds@researchireland.ie
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