A spanking new PC is up for grabs in the Irish Science Journalists' Association's "New Journalist of the Year" competition.

The competition, sponsored by ICL and now entering its eighth year, is open to students of any discipline attending colleges in the Republic or Northern Ireland and aims to encourage emerging journalistic talent to specialise in science or technology reporting.

Prizes will be awarded for the best published or broadcast material on any area of science or technology, including engineering, medicine, information technology or the environment. Entries can be in Irish or English, but must have been published (in national, provincial, local, student or trade publications) or broadcast since March 1997.

Entry forms are available from Margaret Brady, ICL Ireland, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 (tel: (01) 402 5000) or Valerie Hicks, ICL Ireland, 110/ 112 Holywood Road, Belfast BT4 1NU (tel: (01232) 474200). Entries must be received by April 24th.