BrightSparx Funding
SRDC Brightsparx is Open!
Submit your Idea Now!
The Bright Sparx Fund offers grants of RM5,000 for ambitious, student-initiated projects in Ideas within these STEM areas: Bioindustry and Biomedical; Engineering Science and Technology; Food and Agriculture; Biodiversity and Environment, that can bring benefit to society and the economy. This is a merit-based award intended to fund school student research projects.
SRDC Brightsparx Objectives:
1. Foster mastery in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) amongst primary and secondary school pupils.
2. Cultivate critical thinking, research aptitude and problem-solving mindsets.
3. Encourage ideas that address real-world societal, environmental, and economic challenges, in line with Sarawak’s PCDS2030.
Who Can Apply?
Category 1: Primary (P): Age 10-12. National and Private Primary Schools (Sarawak only)
Category 2: Secondary (S): Age 13-17. National and Private Secondary Schools (Sarawak only)
Team of 3 students, led by 1 teacher.
Submission must be made through school teacher. Each school may submit up to 3 teams, but only 1 submission per student.
“The best, well-researched and developed idea from the program shall be accorded the Premier’s BrightSparx Innovation Award.”
Guidelines
- Applicants must be students enrolled in a school in Sarawak. Priority will be given to rural schools in Sarawak.
- Projects must be nominated by the school’s STEM committee in each participating school.
- Proposals must be in a team of not more than 3 people. Each school may submit up to 3 projects.
- Submissions must be in both a written project and a presentation format (PowerPoint), using the template provided.
- Recipients of the award are encouraged to participate in the Sarawak RDC Research Symposiums to present their findings.
- Funding provided may be used for research materials and learning experiences related to their project.
- Funds may not be used to purchase equipment unrelated to the research or design project or professional services.
- Grant money will be given directly to the hosting school for disbursement. Recipient schools are responsible for managing the fund for purchases pursuant to their own policies.
- Schools may levy a fee of up to RM500 from the fund as bench fees to host the project team.
- An amount of up to RM1500 of the fund may be allocated for travel and transportation-related activities.
- Intellectual Property rights shall be discussed in good faith between the parties involved in the project, i.e., the Sarawak RDC, the School, and the Project Team.
- Project Team and recipient school will be required to provide a letter of undertaking that they will utilise the funds towards achieving the objectives proposed in their projects and assure completion of the project.
- Cannot be used to support an existing project. Must be a new project.
What Kinds of Proposals are NOT Considered?
Note: Information & computer system, coding and apps-related innovations are excluded from the scope. Participants may use them to support their STEM innovation only.
e.g. the use of IoT sensors connected to a computer system to detect gas leak is not eligible, but the development of the sensor itself using sustainable material and demonstration using computer link is.
Important Date:
1. The grant application is scheduled to open on 24th July 2025. Applicants may submit their ideas for the grant via www.srdcbrightsparx.com. Submission of application is scheduled to close on 23rd September 2025.
2. A webinar is scheduled for 18th August 2025 to brief potential participants on the aim, eligibility, scope, application and grant rules and procedures.
3. A panel of assessors from the scientific and professional communities will select up to 50 teams from each category to be awarded SRDC Brightsparx grant. The selection is expected to be made by 4th October 2025.
4. RM 5,000 will be granted to these 100 teams to research, develop and prototype their ideas. The fund shall be remitted to an account nominated by the school. The team is expected to manage the fund responsibly on their own.
5. A panel of assessors from the scientific and professional communities will select up to 50 teams from each category to be awarded SRDC Brightsparx grant. The selection is expected to be made by 4th October 2025.
6. The 100 developed ideas shall be assessed again for the next round of funding and support in an idea presentation event scheduled in March 2026. 20 Finalist teams shall be selected.
7. The Top 20 Finalist will receive further mentoring and eventually pitch their refined prototypes at the SRDC-SIDC Innovation, Science, and Health Symposium in September 2026 to be held in Kuching, Sarawak.
At Submission
Submission is made via www.srdcbrightsparx.com with the following details:
1. Students, Team and School
2. The Idea:
- Which PCDS 2030 focus area
- Type of Innovation
- Description of the idea
- STEM concepts used in the idea
- Expected outcome from the development of the idea
- Societal and economic impact from the idea
- Pictures, sketches, short videos, texts, references, etc, to support the idea