First-year NUI Galway engineering student, Clíona Flood, was presented this week with a scholarship by Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation. Clíona was the recipient of a Science Foundation Ireland/DELL Scholarship – Young Women in Engineering 2009. The scholarship aims to attract and encourage more high-achieving young women into third-level education in engineering disciplines. Now in its third year, the scheme focuses on young women entering designated engineering degree programmes. Clíona who is originally from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, will receive an annual award over four years of €2,000, and a DELL notebook computer. In addition, to help develop her career, she will have the assistance and support of a mentor, and one summer's research-internship in an academic research laboratory or an industry R&D laboratory. Originally from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Clíona is studying Undenominated Engineering at NUI Galway. The degree includes all disciplines of engineering and informatics in first-year, before a specialist field is chosen in second year. NUI Galway has a long tradition of encouraging female engineers; Alice Perry graduated with a first class honours degree in Civil Engineering in 1906. It is understood that she is the first woman to graduate with a degree in engineering in Ireland or Great Britain, possibly even in the world. Professor Padraic O'Donoghue, Dean of the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, said: "We are very proud of Clíona and her success. The ethos of the College of Engineering and Informatics is to encourage students to develop their innovative and creative skills". Applications for this SFI scholarship were received from eligible candidates nationwide and were extremely competitive, with a total of ten awarded. -ends-