Kiama High School’s Jack Philpott was among those to receive the award last week.

Professor Jamie Vandenberg from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute attended the ceremony to congratulate the winning students and share his insights into why the younger generation should consider a career in science.

This year, about 62 per cent of students receiving the impressive accolades are female, a 16 per cent rise from 2014.

“If you’re someone who sees something and questions how it works or if you wonder how you could make a difference in the world, then a career in science is the perfect opportunity for you because it gives you this luxury,” Prof Vandenberg said.

“In science, the whole world is there for you to question and you can follow that dream endlessly.”

The School Science Awards were established to continue Dr Victor Chang’s legacy and to promote and inspire students of both genders to pursue a career in science or health and medical research.

Dr Victor Chang made pioneering contributions to the field of heart transplantation.

“Science is vital to Australia for both health and economic prosperity,” Prof Vandenberg said.

“It’s very important that we acknowledge the young students of today for their achievements, especially female students who show promise and have a passion for the field.”

The awards were presented to the students at a ceremony in Wollongong on Friday, November 6.

The winning students will be invited to tour the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Darlinghurst and learn from world-renowned researchers, all working towards finding cures for heart disease.

The Victor Chang Institute is an independent, not-for-profit research facility, dedicated to the memory of cardiac surgeon Dr Victor Chang.

Founded in 1994, the institute has grown to become a world-class cardiac research and research training facility.​