SCIENCE students in Ilkley are being offered the chance to help in the production of an advert to promote Science Year.

The winning 30-second advert will be screened between March and May during the schools programming on Channel Four. To write and help make the advert Science Year has organised a competition to find a ten to 19-year-old.

The advert will be in the same format as five previous adverts and features 14-year-old Nickelodeon presenter Misha Badr-Safdari as the speedy experimenter who zooms around demonstrating the experiment. Misha will also star in the winning advert.

Entrants will need to describe their idea for a promotional advert of 20-30 seconds featuring a fun, simple and unusual science experiment.

Entries will require a user-friendly description, an explanation of the science behind the experiment and a props list.

Full rules and terms and conditions are available at the web site (www.scienceyear.com) together with explanations and downloadable video clips of the other five experiments.

In addition to having their winning advert screened on Channel Four Learning and on the Science Year web site, the winner will receive travel to and accommodation in London, meet the director and production team who will make the advert, attend the filming and work on set.

They will also have their name credited at the end of the advert, on the Science Year web site and in any written or electronic promotions associated with it.

Lord Puttnam, Oscar winning film producer and chair of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, said: "Communicating science in a fun and innovative way is vital to building the future popularity of science in the UK.

"This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for young people to do this, and to work with some great TV professionals. Science Year is looking to recognise new talent and to create new stars and we hope this competition will unearth both."