online research paper competition 2023

Regeneron Science Talent Search 2025 Application NOW OPEN!

Regeneron STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students. Started in 1942 as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, Regeneron STS recognizes and empowers our nation’s most promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve society’s most urgent challenges.  

Each year, around 2,000 students enter the Regeneron STS, submitting original research in critically important scientific fields of study and full application for holistic review. Unique among high school competitions, the Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the nation’s most promising future leaders in STEM.  

Application Deadline is November 7, 2024 at 8pm ET. Open Your Application Today! 

How to Compete:

Official Rules

Application Requirements

For Educators and Mentors

Spread the Word!

Important dates for sts 2025, sts application period.

June 1 – November 7, 2024

Top 300 Scholars Announced

January 9, 2025

Top 40 Finalists Announced

January 2 3, 2025

Regeneron STS Finals Week

March 6 – 12, 2025

Public Exhibition of Projects

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Winners Announced at Awards Ceremony

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Regeneron STS 2025 Application in Now Open!

High school seniors living in the United States, and US citizens living abroad, who have completed independent research projects are encouraged to apply online for the chance to win up to $250,000!

The 2025 application is now open and will close November 7, 2024.

Watch our 2024/2025Webinar Series!

View helpful information still relevant for the 2024/2025 season. Sign up for our webinar series and links will be emailed to you 30 minutes prior to each session.

• Wednesday, July 17: Am I Eligible? Official Rules Overview (with Tips and Tricks)  
• Wednesday, August 14: Advice from Experienced Educators: Teachers of past scholars will share their secrets with current entrants, and management advice for teachers new to the STS process.  
• Wednesday, September 25: What Makes a Regeneron STS Top 40 Finalist? Application Advice for Entrants  
• Tuesday, October 29: Advice from Alumni: Reasons to Apply!  

Meet the 2024 Finalists

Visit the Virtual Project Exhibition of Projects to learn about the top 40 finalists from this past year’s competition, view their project videos and more!

Meet the 2024 Top 300 Scholars !

Need More Information About Regeneron STS?

Get program updates by e-mail.

Congratulations Regeneron STS 2024 Top Winners

Regeneron and Society for Science announced the top ten winners of the Regeneron Science Talent Search, headed by Neel Mougdal, 17, of Saline, Michigan, who won the $250,000 top award.

• Meet the Winners
• Read the Press Release
• Visit the Virtual Public Exhibition of Projects
• Watch the Awards Ceremony

Kamisi Adetunji, Regeneron STS Finalist 2023

“ Regeneron STS validated my place in research and science as a whole and allowed me to realize that I have potential and a future in the field. Although I had an idea of what I wanted my future career to be, STS, and Finals Week in particular, allowed me to see that my path does not have to be linear. It boosted my passion for science and intensified my curious mindset. I am incredibly grateful for Regeneron STS! “

Diego Suchenski Loustaunau, Regeneron STS Finalist 2023

“ Regeneron STS is life-changing. There is no better program, and there are no better people to do it with. The people are the real prize. Showing that your humanity is as strong as your research is the key to success in STS. “

Nyasha Nyoni, Regeneron STS Finalist 2022

“ I believe students should apply to STS because STS is such a great opportunity to showcase your scientific research and meet like-minded, passionate students who love science! “

Atreyus Bhavsar, Regeneron STS Finalist 2022

“ Students should apply to the Regeneron STS because it is an amazing opportunity to build community with some of the hardest-working student scientists. I encourage those to apply to the Regeneron STS while keeping in mind that you do not need to be the smartest in the room to apply, but instead the dedicated and passionate about science. “

Heloise Hoffman, Regeneron STS Finalist 2022

“Not only did I gain incredible connections to cutting-edge researchers and the opportunity to meet with some of the most impactful scientists of our time, but I also made lifelong friendships with other like-minded students passionate about their work. Though STS is at its core a competition, nothing about our camaraderie felt competitive because we all felt so motivated by each other’s accomplishments and passions! I feel a renewed invigoration to follow my love for research to make a positive impact on the world, specifically in the curing of rare diseases.”

Carol Bauer, 1942 Westinghouse Science Talent Search

“At the time, majoring in engineering was a daring choice. My experience with the Westinghouse Science Talent Search gave me the confidence to make this decision.”

Amber Yang, 2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search

“The Science Talent Search is arguably the most reputable science competition for high schoolers in the entire world.”

From the Society Blog

A fateful seating arrangement led STS alum, Gabriela Farfan, into her dream world of gems and minerals

From Ballet to Graffiti: 10 STS finalists and how they embrace the arts

Power of data and imagination: insights from Society Alum, Hayley Bay Barna

Our Sponsor: Regeneron

In 2016, Regeneron made a generous commitment to serve as the exclusive partner for the Science Talent Search through 2027. Together, we are helping the nation identify, encourage and reward talented high school seniors in their pursuit of excellence in science, math, engineering, and medicine.

Science Talent Search alumni have gone on to receive some of the world’s most esteemed academic honors, including 11 National Medals of Science, five Breakthrough Prizes, 18 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, two Fields Medals, and 13 Nobel Prizes. They have founded top science-based companies and invented groundbreaking new medical treatments.

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Student Research Competition

2023 winners, prizes in the undergraduate category.

First: “Animated Patterns: Applying Dynamic Patterns to Vector Illustrations” Joshua Yang, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Second: “Which Factors Predict the Chat Experience of a Natural Language Generation Dialogue Service?” Eason Chen, National Taiwan Normal University

Third: “CoCo: Design and Evaluation of a Wearable Pet That Supports Composting Habits Towards an Interaction Design for Empathy” Debbie Jung, Cornell University

Prizes in the Graduate Category

First: “Anonymous Online Support: Investigations of Identity and Heterogeneous Groups in Online Recovery Support” Matthew Zent, University of Minnesota

Second: “LongSAL: A Longitudinal Search as Learning Study with University Students” Nilavra Bhattacharya, The University of Texas at Austin

Third: “Contrasting Technologists’ and Activists’ Positions on Signing Avatars” Robin Angelini, TU Wien

Quick Facts

The Student Research Competition is a forum for undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their research, exchange ideas, and improve their communication skills while competing for prizes. CHI 2023 is structured as a Hybrid-Onsite full conference from April 23-28, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany.

Important Dates

All times are in Anywhere on Earth (AoE) time zone. When the deadline is day D , the last time to submit is when D ends AoE. Check your local time in AoE.

• Submission deadline: January 19, 2023
• Notification: February 9, 2023
• e-rights completion deadline: February 13, 2022
• Initial TAPS upload milestone: February 17, 2023
• Publication-ready deadline: February 27, 2023

Submission Details

• Student(s) must be currently enrolled in a university or college at the time of the initial submission deadline. For further details see the Eligibility and Guidelines section below.
• Submission format: an abstract using ACM Master Article Submission Templates (single column, maximum of 8 pages excluding references), poster, and proof of student status. Both poster and abstract submissions must meet SIGCHI accessibility requirements . See details in the Preparing Your Student Research Competition Submission section below.
• Online submission: PCS Submission System

Selection Process

At the conference.

For accepted submission, one of the authors will give a poster presentation to a set of judges. Based on the juried poster session, a group of students will advance to the next round and be invited to give a short talk. Please see the Preparing Your Student Research Competition Submission for poster requirements.

After the Conference

All accepted submissions will be published as CHI Extended Abstracts in the ACM Digital Library.

Highlights about the Student Research Competition

• We will be asking our reviewers to pay particular attention to the quality of the poster, including the appropriate level of detail and quality of graphic design.
• We strongly encourage participation from undergraduate students – you are judged in a separate category from graduate students, so please submit your work!

Message from the Student Research Competition Chairs

The Student Research Competition (SRC) is a forum for undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their research, exchange ideas, and improve their communication skills while competing for prizes at CHI 2023. The CHI SRC competition is a branch of the ACM Student Research Competition which hosts similar competitions at other ACM conferences.

The Student Research Competition has the following goals:

• to give undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to share their research ideas and results at CHI in a special forum that provides visibility for their work
• to recognize and reward outstanding student research
• for students to receive feedback about their research and presentation, from a panel of distinguished judges from industry and academia
• to give students the opportunity to meet with and interact with CHI attendees to share ideas, gain new insights, and understand possible practical applications
• to give students an opportunity to sharpen their communication skills

Eligibility and Guidelines

Authorship requirements follow the requirements for the ACM Student Research Competition :

• Student(s) must be currently enrolled in a university or college at the time of the initial submission deadline.
• Graduate students (Masters or PhD program) submissions must submit individually their research project (i.e., single-author).
• Undergraduate students can submit as an individual or in a team project. Team projects may have multiple student authors with one author designated to present. Should they win, the designated presenter will be the recipient of the medal and monetary award.
• Research completed while the student was an undergraduate may be submitted to the undergraduate category even if the student is now a first-year graduate student.
• If the submission is selected, the designated presenter must have active ACM student membership and register to attend the CHI 2023 conference.
• If an individual is part of a group research project and wants to participate in the SRC, they can only present their part of the research.

Note that supervisors are not allowed as co-authors.

Students can apply for a Gary Marsden Travel Award . The application can be filed before the Travel Award’s deadline on 9 January, even before submitting the abstract.

Prizes and Awards

Three winners will be selected in each category: Undergraduate and Graduate. The top three winners at CHI 2023 in each category will receive prizes of US$ 500, US$ 300, and US$ 200, respectively. All winners will receive a medal and a one-year complimentary ACM student membership with a subscription to the ACM Digital Library. Winners will be recognized during the closing plenary session of the CHI 2023 conference. The first-place winners will also go on to compete in the ACM grand finals with winners from other ACM conferences.

All accepted posters will also receive a certificate of participation from the ACM.

Preparing Your Student Research Competition Submission

A submission to the Student Research Competition should describe recently completed or ongoing student research in any of the topic areas covered by CHI. For undergraduate students, a group of undergraduate students who worked together on a project can submit the research with all their names on it, but all students must be undergraduates and the faculty advisor cannot be listed as an author. Graduate student submissions must be single author– even if the research was completed under the supervision of a supervisor, the submission must be authored by the graduate student alone. Submissions should be original work that is neither in submission elsewhere nor already published in CHI or another conference or journal. Abstracts should describe:

• The research problem and motivation for the work
• Background and related work
• Novelty of the research
• Research approach
• Contributions to the field of HCI

For examples of extended abstracts, we recommend checking accepted submissions from previous years. You can find them in the past CHI proceedings on the ACM Digital Library or on SIGCHI.org (open access). Select “Extended Abstract” and look for “Student Research Competition” session. Winners of previous years are listed on ACM website, search for “CHI” on these pages: 2021 , 2020 , and 2019 . For earlier years, select on the navigation bar. Note that the published extended abstracts have a different layout from the submission template.

For guidance on how to create a research poster, see this XRDS article by Lorrie Cranor .

To participate in the Student Research Competition:

• Submit an abstract and a poster to the Student Research Competition category via the Precision conference submission system :
• The submission must be a maximum length of 8 pages. References are not included in this page limit.
• The initial submission for this venue is *not* anonymized. Please include the name of the author(s) and the acknowledgment section as they will appear in the camera-ready version of the abstract.
• Posters should include (1) the title, authors’ names, and affiliations, (2) a concise overview of the research, (3) clear illustrations of key aspects of the work, and (4) a compelling visual design. Posters might also include QR codes to link to online materials (e.g., scenario videos, interactive prototypes). The typical poster size recommended is a maximum of ~39.3 inches tall by ~39.3 inches wide (or a maximum of 1 meter tall by 1 meter wide).
• The poster design must be reduced to one standard letter page in size and submitted in PDF format. The file can be no larger than 4 megabytes.
• For this year, we recommend designing posters in the landscape format because they can be shown on-screen without zooming-out as much as in the portrait format.
• Submit proof of student status by sending a note signed by your academic supervisor verifying all of the following information:
• your university
• whether you were a graduate (i.e., Masters or Doctoral level) or undergraduate (i.e., Bachelor level) when the work was done
• confirm that you are either currently registered in an academic program full-time, or will return to be a student in the upcoming 180 days (starting submission deadline).

(Optional) Apply for a Gary Marsden Travel Award

Students may apply for a Gary Marsden Travel Award at the Gary Marsden Travel Award page. Note that the Travel Award’s application deadline is on 9 January. It is possible to apply even before submitting the abstract.

Selection Process for Student Research Competition

Submissions will be evaluated by a minimum of three reviewers according to the ACM Student Research Competition scoring system :

• Problem and motivation: 5 points
• Background and related work: 5 points
• Approach and uniqueness: 10 points
• Results and contribution: 10 points
• Total possible score: 30 points

The official publication date is the date the proceedings are made available in the ACM Digital Library. This date may be up to two weeks prior to the first day of the conference. The official publication date affects the deadline for any patent filings related to published work.

Confidentiality of submissions is maintained during the review process. All rejected submissions will be kept confidential in perpetuity. All submitted materials for accepted submissions will be kept confidential until the start of the conference or the release of conference abstracts in the ACM Digital Library, with the exception of title and author information which will be published on the website prior to the conference. Submissions should not contain sensitive, private, or proprietary information that cannot be disclosed at publication time.

Up to twenty-five submissions in total will be chosen to participate in the competition at CHI 2023.

Upon Acceptance of Your Student Research Competition

Student Research Competition abstracts will be archived in the ACM Digital Library. Publishing in the Student Research Competition will not constrain future submissions (e.g., as a conference paper or a journal article). Your abstract and poster are not considered to be a prior publication of the work for the purposes of a future conference or journal publication.

Authors of all accepted submissions will receive instructions on how to submit the publication-ready copy of their abstract. Deadline and instructions regarding publication-ready submissions are emailed to accepted authors. This email will also contain instructions of how to notify the Student Research Competition and Accessibility Chairs of any necessary accommodations. Authors will also receive instructions by email about poster design for presentation at the conference.

Contact authors of accepted papers will receive instructions on how to prepare and submit a final version by the Publication-Ready Deadline. If the authors are unable to meet these requirements by the Publication-Ready deadline, the venue Chairs will be notified and may be required to remove the paper from the program.

The publication-ready version has to follow the LaTeX and Word templates from ACM. Should you need technical assistance, please direct your technical query to: [email protected] .

Green Open Access

All All SIGCHI authors are encouraged to archive their work in a “green open access” repository in line with ACM’s Green Open Access Policy. Authors can host their final versions on their own homepage, an institutional repository, a repository mandated by your funder, or a non-commercial repository such as arXiv or OSF.

• You must archive a version (PDF) created by yourself. You are not allowed to archive the official version (PDF) created by the ACM.
• Include the DOl assigned once you complete the e-rights form.

The first round of the competition evaluates the research during a poster presentation at CHI.

The poster presentation will be evaluated by multiple judges according to the ACM Student Research Competition scoring system :

• Oral presentation: 10 points
• Visual presentation: 10 points
• Research methods: 15 points
• Significance of contribution: 10 points
• Total possible score: 45 points

Based on the results from the poster session, the judges will select three submissions for each category to advance to the second round. During the second round, students will have the opportunity to give a short presentation of their research followed by a question and answer session, which will be evaluated by a panel of judges according to the ACM Student Research Competition scoring system :

• Knowledge of research area: 15 points
• Contribution of research: 10 points
• Presentation: 10 points
• Total possible score: 35 points

Winners will be announced during the closing plenary.

Due to the (potentially) hybrid nature of the conference, allowances will be made for authors who cannot attend in person and for presenting the work online for remote attendees. Such allowances will be necessarily bespoke (e.g., a remote presentation or video demo) and subject to available resources. While every attempt at fairness will be made, the hybrid nature of the conference will naturally make it challenging to compare finalists. The organizers will do their best to create an inclusive and engaging experience for all participants.

• Sara Armouch, Open Lab, Newcastle University, UK
• Wutthigrai Boonsuk, Eastern Illinois University, USA
• Jan Borchers, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
• Kazuyuki Fujita, Tohoku University, Japan
• Dilrukshi Gamage, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
• Chen Guo, James Madison University, USA
• Preben Hansen, Stockholm University, Sweden
• Elaine Huang, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• Matt Jones, Swansea University, UK
• Uichin Lee, KAIST, South Korea
• Karsten Lehn, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences, Germany
• David McDonald, University of Washington, USA
• Leonel Morales Diaz, Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala
• Mati Mottus, Tallinn University, Estonia
• Suranga Nanayakkara, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Aditya Shekhar, Nittala University of Calgary, Canada
• Sónia Rafael, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
• Cuauhtémoc Rivera-Loaiza, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Mexico
• Katta Spiel, TU Wien, Austria
• Christian Sturm, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Germany
• Ryo Suzuki, University of Calgary, Canada
• Chat Wacharamanotham, Swansea University, UK
• Heike Winschiers-Theophilus, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia
• Marisol Wong-Villacres, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Ecuador

Competition Judges

A distinguished panel of judges from across the CHI community will be convened to discuss the finalists’ presentations and select the finalist. The judges in CHI 2023 are (in alphabetical order of their first name):

• Aditya Shekhar Nittala, University of Calgary
• Garreth W. Tigwell, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Hugo Nicolau, University of Lisbon
• Kashyap Todi, Meta Reality Labs
• Jan Borchers, RWTH Aachen University
• Malte Weiss, University of Applied Sciences Ruhr West
• Marcel Lahaye, RWTH Aachen University
• Matt Jones, Swansea University
• Pin Sym Foong, National University of Singapore
• Sarah Völkel, Google
• Suranga Nanayakkara, National University of Singapore
• Uichin Lee, KAIST

The first-place winners from each category will advance to the ACM Grand Finals of the Student Research Competition where the winners of several ACM conferences compete for more prizes and recognition. Accepted Student Research Competition abstracts will be distributed in the CHI Conference Extended Abstracts. They will be placed in the ACM Digital Library , where they will remain accessible to thousands of researchers and practitioners worldwide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit to the Student Research Competition and submit the same work in parallel with other tracks (e.g., Late-breaking work)? For each work, authors must choose only one track and submit their submissions to a single track. Any concurrent submissions must be declared and should follow ACM policies on Redundant Publication or Self-Plagiarism . Any duplicate submissions across tracks will be rejected.

Can high school students submit to Student Research Competition? Unfortunately, no. CHI Student Research Competition follows ACM Student Research Competition rules that limits the participants to undergraduate and graduate students.

Can I reuse the content of my Student Research Competition paper in my future paper? The copyright of the content in the Extended Abstracts is typically retained by the authors, not assigned to the ACM. Thus, the authors may reuse their content. Suppose the authors plan to reuse the content as a part of their future paper. In that case, we recommend reaching out to the paper chairs or editors of the target venue to clarify the re-publishability early on. Their decision will depend on the policies at the time of your future submission. For the CHI conferences, relevant policies are the ACM policies on Prior Publication and Simultaneous Submissions , Guidelines and Criteria for Evaluation of Submissions for ACM Publications , and Policy on Plagiarism, Misrepresentation, and Falsification . According to these policies, as of 2023, material published in a semi-archival, widely disseminated publication, such as the CHI Extended Abstracts, should not be republished unless the work has been “significantly” revised. A significant revision would contain at least 25% unpublished material and amplify or clarify the original material. These are subjective measures left to the interpretation of the reviewers and committee members – authors are wise to revise well beyond the Policy guidelines. Whenever submitting material that has partially appeared in a widely disseminated publication, it is good practice to cite the prior publication and explicitly state the differences between the new and prior material.

Poster Presenters

Posters that will be presented at CHI 2023 Student Research Compeition are CHI 2023 (in alphabetical order of their first name) :

• Abigail Oppong — Building a Participatory Data Design Approach to Examine Gender Bias in English-Twi Machine Translation.
• Abirami Sankar — Healthy Talks: Facilitating Collective Speculations and Co-design for Local Content Services.
• Amaan Rahman — Towards a Markerless 3D Pose Estimation Tool.
• Debbie Jung — CoCo: Compost Companion: Design and Evaluation of a Wearable Pet That Supports Composting Habits Towards an Interaction Design for Empathy.
• Eason Chen — Which Factors Predict the Chat Experience of a Natural Language Generation Dialogue Service?.
• Ewa Szyszka — HapticDiveBuddy: Assessing utility of haptic feedback in navigating high turbidity diving environments.
• Haoquan Zhou and Jingbo Li — A Case Study on Scafolding Exploratory Data Analysis for AI Pair Programmers.
• Joshua Kong Yang — Animated Patterns: Applying Dynamic Patterns to Vector Illustrations.
• Matthew Zent — Anonymous Online Support: Investigations of Identity and Heterogeneous Groups in Online Recovery Support.
• Nilavra Bhattacharya — LongSAL: A Longitudinal Search as Learning Study with University Students.
• Robin Angelini — Contrasting Technologists’ and Activists’ Positions on Signing Avatars.
• Ulia Zaman — Exploring Computational Thinking Practices and Gestures in the Context of Matrix Math.
• Xianglin Zhao — Towards Personalized User Interface Design For News Chatbots: A Pilot Study.
• Yongnam Jung — Not To Be Deceived? Timing Matters: Trustworthy Online Review Design.

Table of Contents

2023 Winners Undergraduate Prizes Graduate Prizes Quick Facts Important Dates Submission Details Selection Process At the Conference After the Conference SRC Highlights Message from the Chairs Eligibility and Guidelines Funding Prizes and Awards Preparing and Submitting Gary Marsden Travel Award Selection Process Upon Acceptance Green Open Access At the Conference Reviewers Competition Judges After the Conference Frequently asked questions Poster Presenters

Other Competitions

Student Design Competition Student Game Competition

Student Research Competition Chairs

Christian Sturm, Chat Wacharamanotham [email protected]

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Fostering research culture among students around the world.

IRC brings forth a venue for the high school, undergraduate and graduate students to display their research writing prowess.

IRC-2023 First Round Submission Form

Article classification: -- Choose from -- Research Paper Viewpoint Technical Paper Conceptual Paper Case Study Literature Review General Review

Competition Category: -- Choose from -- Category 1 - High School Category 2 - Undergraduate Category 3 - Graduate

Extended Abstract: doc|docx

Contact details of corresponding author:

Check your email after sending your entry. You must receive an automated submission acknowledgement. First round results are communicated through email.

Accepting submissions until September 30, 2024.

READ MORE ABOUT

Irc guidelines.

Be informed of the competition mechanics and guidelines.

READ PROFILE

Current finalists.

Discover who made it to the competition this year.

GET TO KNOW

Past finalists.

Know the students who were part of the competition.

Proceedings

Read and cite the articles published in the journal.

RELIVE MEMORIES

Event highlights.

Browse the previous events hosted by the Institute.

DISCOVER THE

Collaborators.

Get to know the institutions behind the various events. 

About the competition

The International Research Competition (IRC) is an epitome of the organization’s commitment to knowledge and research. True to its mission, IIARI upholds the value of research and education for intellectual growth and development. IRC aims to nurture research culture among the students in various education levels.

IRC is an international competition open to all student-researchers across the globe. It brings forth a venue for the high school, undergraduate and graduate students to display their research writing prowess.

1. Objectives

The competition aims to:

• continuously develop strong research culture among students;
• provide platform for the dissemination and publication of student research outputs;
• foster collaboration among student-researchers around the globe; and
• develop camaraderie among fellows in the industry and academic community.

2. Categories

There are three categories of the competition:

Category 1 . High School Students. This competition is open to senior high school students.

Category 2 . Undergraduate Students. This competition is open to undergraduate students in any specializations.

Category 3 . Graduate Students. This competition is open to graduate students both in Masters and Doctorate levels in any specializations.

IRC has three levels namely: first, second and final round.

First round . The competitors submit the extended abstract ( download the format ) of their paper during the first round of the competition. All submissions are through the online submission form. The panel of evaluators choose the papers to continue to the second round of the competition.

Second round . The competitors submit the full manuscript of their paper ( download title page  and  download anonymous file ), supporting evidence (student identification, proof of enrollment or certificate of graduation) and registration fee of $40 (P2,000 for Philippine competitors). The panel of evaluators choose maximum ten (10) papers from each category to advance to the final round of the competition. All accepted papers will be published in the proceedings journal. 

Final round . The top papers are called for an online panel interview. There will be one winner per category.

HOW WINNER IS DETERMINED?

First round.

The chair and co-chair vote to "ACCEPT" or "REJECT" each submission in the three categories. After the votes are casted, they will be tallied to determine any split decision. A third evaluator will be called to make the final decision on the split decision. The final number of second round qualifiers will be announced. Only the qualifiers will be sent notice of acceptance via email.

SECOND ROUND

The qualifiers will be given sufficient time to complete their paper and submit the full paper in proper format in order to register for the competition. Any qualifier who complied with all the requirements (full paper, proof of enrolment/graduation, registration fee, complete registration form) will be the second round finalists. The anonymous full papers will be evaluated by a separate panel comprising 60% of the total scores. Each category has different set of two evaluators. At the end of round two, maximum ten papers enter the final round.

FINAL ROUND

Important due dates, 1. scope of research.

There are four key areas: (1) education; (2) business and finance; (3) social sciences and (4) information technology. The competition accepts any topic within its scope and coverage. The submitted article needs to have strong empirical evidence and make significant contribution to the field. It should have strong theoretical and/or methodological literature. The submission is an original article, not have been nor considered for publishing elsewhere. The author must obtain permission for any used copyrighted materials within the article. The competition only accepts articles in English.

The total word count including references for Category 1 must be 3,000 to 5,000. Meanwhile, the Category 2 and 3 requires 6,000 to 8,000 words including references. There is maximum of 5 authors in one article.

2. Eligibility

The competition is open to currently enrolled students. Authors need to provide valid identification or proof of their enrollment. In case of a team, all the authors must be currently enrolled during the academic year at the time of the competition.

Competitors can use a previously written thesis or dissertation as part of their academic requirement by providing a written certification from the school allowing its use. The paper should have not been published nor considered for publication. Students can use academic papers written from 2021 to 2023. If in case the author had graduated, certificate of graduation should be provided.

The authors are allowed to have mentors or advisors as co-authors. Clearly specify in the manuscript if advisor.

3. Accepted papers

All papers will be published in  The Research Probe , the proceedings journal. In addition, some papers can be invited to be published for free in the relevant IIARI journals. Should the author withdraw from the competition after acceptance, a written notice should be sent to the committee at least 7 days before the scheduled final round of the competition.  

4. Selection criteria

The finalist in the first and second rounds of the competitions will be chosen through the following criteria:

• Strong empirical evidence - 10%
• Strong contribution to the field - 30%
• Background and related work (15)
• Methodology (20)
• Results and Discussion (20)
• Conclusion (5)

During the final round of the competition, the criteria for the selection include:

• Manuscript Evaluation - 60%
• Panel Interview - 40%

Prizes and awards

One winner will be announced per category who will receive the following prizes:

Category 1. USD100 (P5000), Certificate and Plaque

Category 2. USD150 (P7500), Certificate and Plaque

Category 3. USD200 (P10000), Certificate and Plaque

The second and third placers in each category receive certificate and medal. The winning advisor/mentor also receives certificate. The non-winners receive e-certificate of recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any registration fee.

A: The registration fee is $40 (P2,000) for papers accepted in the second round. There is no payment for the paper submission in the first round of the competition.

What certificates I will receive?

If you register to the competition, you will automatically receive certificate of recognition (as finalist), certificate of publication (proceedings journal), certificate of presentation (conference) and certificate of training (conference).

Can I withdraw my paper from the competition?

A: Yes. You may withdraw your paper after acceptance after a written notice to the competition committee at least seven (7) days before the scheduled evaluation.

Can I submit an on-going study?

Yes. You may submit for the Round 1 of the competition. If chosen as finalist, you need to submit the full manuscript.

Can I submit a research article not within my specialization?

Yes. All papers within the competition scope and coverage can be submitted.

Can I submit a study previously conducted?

Yes. You may submit studies conducted from 2022 to 2023.

In case of a team, should all members appear in the panel interview?

All authors should appear in the panel interview except for the advisor or mentor when included as co-author.

If we have further questions and clarifications, how we can communicate with the committee?

For further queries, you can send email to [email protected] or send WhatsApp message to (+63) 916 387 3537.

Committee Members

Dr. Chong Kim Mee

Dr. Manuel O. Malonisio

Co-chairman

Dr. Seema Varshney

Dr. Ariel E. San Jose

Philippines

Dr. Amir Rezaei

Ei Phyo Khaing

Dr. Andro T. Tabiolo

Wai Wai Than

Marilou O. Montiflor

Ts. Dr. Hamizah Mokhtar

Debbie Butch R. Pequeña

Dr. Kimouche Bilal

Dr. Helmer B. Montejo

Saifullahi Adam Bayero

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ACM Student Research Competition

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC) offers a unique forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present their original research at well-known ACM sponsored and co-sponsored conferences before a panel of judges and attendees.

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC)

The ACM Student Research Competition (SRC) offers a unique forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present their original research before a panel of judges and attendees at well-known ACM-sponsored and co-sponsored conferences.

Recognizing the value of student participation at conferences, ACM started the program in 2003, but it is much more than just a travel funding program. The ACM SRC provides participants a chance to meet other students and to get direct feedback on their work from experts. This year's competitions took place at 21 participating ACM SIG conferences, sponsored by SIGACCESS, SIGAPP,  SIGARCH, SIGBED, SIGCHI, SIGCOMM, SIGCSE, SIGDA,SIGDOC, SIGGRAPH, SIGHPC, SIGMETRICS, SIGMICRO, SIGMOBILE, SIGOPS, SIGPLAN, SIGSOFT and SIGSPATIAL as well as TAPIA which included more than 323 student participants. The SRC program is administered by Nanette Hernandez of the ACM, Douglas Baldwin of SUNY Geneseo and Adrienne Decker of University at Buffalo.

[Learn More about SRC]

2024 ACM SRC Grand Finals Winners

The 2024 ACM Student Research Competition Grand Finals winners are: 

GRADUATE CATEGORY

First Place-  Stefan Klessinger:  University of Passau

Second Place-  Zhewen Pan: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Third Place-  Chengjie Lu: Simula Research Laboratory

UNDERGRADUATE CATEGORY

First Place-  Jakub Bachurski: University of Cambridge

Second Place-  Amar Shah:  University of California, Berkeley

Third Place-  Rhett Olson:  University of Minnesota 

   The SRC Grand Finals are the culmination of a year-long competition that involved more than 323 computer science students presenting research projects at 21 major ACM conferences. 

Students can gain many tangible and intangible rewards from participating in one of ACM’s Student Research Competitions. The ACM Student Research Competition is an internationally recognized venue enabling undergraduate and graduate students to earn:

• Awards:  cash prizes, medals, and ACM student memberships
• Prestige:  Grand Finalists receive a monetary award and a Grand Finalist certificate that can be framed and displayed 
• Visibility:  opportunities to meet with researchers in their field of interest and make important connections
• Experience: opportunities to sharpen communication, visual, organizational, and presentation skills in preparation for the SRC experience

2024 SRC Winner, 1st Place, Graduate Category

Stefan Klessinger, University of Passau "Capturing Data-inherent Dependencies in JSON Schema Extraction" ( SIGMOD/PODS 2023 )

1 PROBLEM AND MOTIVATION JSON is a popular semi-structured data exchange format widely used across various technological domains. It describes data as keyvalue pairs, often referred to as properties. JSON is essential in web applications for data transmission and in document stores such as MongoDB or Couchbase. Even relational database management systems such as PostgreSQL and MySQL support JSON data types. A sample JSON instance from log data generated in the gameWorld of Warcraft [4] is shown in Fig. 1a. It describes two kinds of events, discriminated by the value of property type: depending on the value of type, either properties resourceChange and resourceChangeType or property overheal are present. Although JSON instances are selfdescribing, they may be accompanied by an explicitly declared schema, commonly encoded in the JSON Schema language.JSON Schema [1] allows to describe and constrain JSON data. It is the de-facto standard for schema description in JSON and adopted across many different use cases. Schemastore.org [2] lists over 800 curated and publicly available schemas, providing specifications ranging from configuration files, workflows, and pipelines, to components of content management systems, and video games. JSON Schema is supported by a wide range of tools and libraries in many different programming languages.

2024 SRC Winner, 2nd Place, Graduate Category

Zhewen Pan, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Capturing Data-inherent Dependencies in JSON Schema Extraction" ( SIGMICRO 2023 )

Abstract—Modern computing systems allocate significant amounts of resources for caching, especially for the last level cache (LLC). We observe that there is untapped potential for compression by leveraging redundancy due to private caching and inclusion that are common in today’s systems. We introduce the XOR Cache to exploit this redundancy via XOR compression. Unlike conventional cache architectures, XOR Cache stores bitwise XOR values of line pairs, halving the number of stored lines via a form of inter-line compression. When combined with other compression schemes, XOR Cache can further boost intra-line compression ratios by XORing lines of similar value, reducing the entropy of the data prior to compression. Evaluation results show that the XOR Cache can save LLC area by 1.32× and power by 1.67× at a cost of 3.58% performance overhead compared to a 2× larger uncompressed cache. I. PROBLEM AND MOTIVATION Today’s computing systems dedicate tens to hundreds of megabytes of SRAM to caching, which contributes to a significant portion of die area, e.g, AMD’s Zen3’s 32 MB L3 cache occupies around 40% of die area [8]. Additionally, the power consumption of these systems also surges, further straining the overall energy efficiency. The demand for resources in thecache hierarchy will continue to increase due to the growthin dataset size and memory wall problem. However, large caches do not necessarily translate into better performance despite having more capacity; additionally, they come at the cost of high access latency, usually in tens of cycles. Given their resource-demanding nature, these factors combined maketraditional large caches inefficient for future systems.

2024 SRC Winner 3rd Place, Graduate

Chengjie Lu, Simula Research Laboratory "Test Scenario Generation for Autonomous Driving Systems with Reinforcement Learning" ( ICSE 2023 )

Abstract—We have seen rapid development of autonomous driving systems (ADSs) in recent years. These systems place high requirements on safety and reliability for their mass adoption, and ADS testing is one crucial approach to ensure their success.However, it is impossible to test all the scenarios due to theinherent complexity and uncertainty of ADSs and their driving tasks. Besides, the operating environment of ADSs is dynamic, continuously evolving, and full of uncertainties, which requires a testing approach adaptive to the environment. Reinforcement learning (RL) has shown great potential in various complex tasks requiring constant adaptation to dynamic environments. To this end, this paper presents RLTester, a novel ADS testing approach, that adopts reinforcement learning (RL) to learn critical environment configurations (i.e., test scenarios) of the operating environment of ADSs that could reveal their unsafe behaviors. To generate diverse and critical test scenarios, we defined 142 environment configuration actions and adopted the Time-To-Collision metric to construct the reward function. Our evaluation shows that RLTester discovered a total of 256 collisions, of which 192 are unique, and took an average of 11.59 seconds for each collision. Further, RLTester is effective in generating more diverse test scenarios compared to a stateof- the-art approach, DeepCollision. We also introduce an opensource driving scenario dataset, DeepScenario, which consists of over 30K driving scenarios. Index Terms —Autonomous Driving System Testing, Critical Scenario, Reinforcement Learning, Scenario Dataset

2024 SRC Winner, 1st Place, Undergraduate

Jakub Bachurski, University of Cambridge "Embedding Pointful Array Programming in Python" ( POPL 2024 )

Abstract Multidimensional array operations are ubiquitous in machine learning. The dominant ecosystem in this field is centred around Python and NumPy, where programs are expressed with elaborate and error-prone calls in the point-free array programming model. Such code is difficult to statically analyse and maintain. Other array programming paradigms offer to solve these problems, in particular the pointful style of Dex. However, only limited approaches – based on Einstein summation – have been embedded in Python. We introduce Ein, a pointful array DSL embedded in Python. We also describe a novel connection between pointful and point-free array programming. Thanks to this connection, Ein generates performant, optimised and type-safe calls to NumPy. Ein reconciles the readability of comprehension-style definitions with the capabilities of existing array frameworks.

2024 SRC Winner, 2nd Place, Undergraduate

Amar Shah, University of California, Berkeley "An Eager SMT Solver for Algebraic Data Type Queries" ( PLDI 2023 )

1 Introduction and Motivation Algebraic Data Types (ADTs) are a programming construct classically found in functional programming languages but are increasingly found in all kinds of modern languages. ADTs are a convenient generalization of structures like enumerated types, lists, and binary trees. A natural problem is the satisfiability of formulas over the theory ADT. This has applications in modelling languages [Milner 1978], proof assistants [Gonthier 2005] and program verification [Bjørner et al. 2013]. While the need to reason about ADTs have grown, the techniques to do so have not. Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) extends the Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem to include additional theories, in this case ADT. Most SMT solvers for ADT apply the same lazy approach that use a theory solver [Oppen 1980] in a loop with a SAT solver. We propose a fundamentally different approach: an eager solver for ADT satisfiability modulo theory (SMT) queries via a quantifier free reduction to Equality and Uninterpreted Functions (EUF) SMT queries. This work presents: 1. A reduction from ADT to EUF 2. An SMT solver Algaroba that implements this reduction in order to solve Quantifier-Free ADT queries 3. A description of non-trivial optimizations in Algaroba 4. An evaluation of Algaroba in comparison to state-of-the-art SMT solvers

2024 SRC Winner, 3rd Place, Undergraduate

Rhett Olson, University of Minnesota "An Automatic Approach to Finding Geographic Name Changes on Historical Maps" ( SIGSPATIAL 2023 )

ABSTRACT Changes in place names offer insight into regions’ culture, politics, and geographical characteristics. This paper proposes an automatic approach to retrieve time-sequenced maps that show place name changes on many maps from across history. The proposed approach utilizes gazetteers (i.e., indexes for geographic names) to retrieve a place’s coordinates and name variants and searches for text labels from maps matching those coordinates and names. To search for multiple-word place names, the approach constructs minimum spanning trees from an edge cost function to link text labels into phrases. We present two experiments: one to evaluate the effectiveness of the minimum spanning tree approach at linking multiple word place names, and the other to evaluate the maps retrieved by the query approach. The resulting maps give rich visual insight into how place names change over time and could facilitate scholarly investigation of geographic name changes at a large scale.

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The science competitions your students can enter this year

By Emma Molloy

Discover STEM-themed competitions for you and your students to enter in this academic year

Source: © Shutterstock

Learn about the fantastic array of science competitions your students can enter – so you can sign up as soon as possible

There is a great range of science competitions out there that your students can enter. Competitions come in all shapes and sizes, including essay writing, photography and video competitions, and can be local or national events.

Besides the array of downloadable materials you can make use of in your lessons, as homework or part of a science club, the benefits of taking part include learning how to work in a team, grasping how lessons apply to real-world problems, and there could even be some extra cash to bag!

You can jump straight to the lists of science-writing competitions , or more arty competitions (such as photography and drawing prizes), or simply read on to discover what’s open to you and your students this academic year.

These competitions have been ordered by closing date. Listing a competition does not serve as an endorsement by the RSC.  Last updated: 16 May 2024.

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge

Age: 19 or younger

Registration opens: now

Closes:  1 June 2024

This competition — aimed at Year 12 students but available to younger students — is designed to stretch and challenge students beyond the curriculum interested in chemistry and is excellent experience for anyone considering chemistry for further study.

Students sit a 90-minute written paper under exam conditions in school, which is sent out to schools in advance. Mark schemes are available to teachers, and for schools submitting more than five scripts, these should be marked by the teacher. Scripts of students scoring over 50% are then submitted. Students who perform well receive a certificate and the best performers are invited to join a residential camp at the University of Cambridge at the end of August

The website contains lots of past papers and mark schemes, which are a valuable resource for teachers. Full details are on the  website .

Science meets art

If you have some students who would be hooked by the artistic side of science, check out these competitions:

• RSB Photography competition (open to all ages; opens March 2024; £500 top prize for under 18s)
• RSB Nancy Rothwell Award for specimen drawing (ages 7–18; open March–July 2024; prizes include set of drawing pencils and small cash prizes for students and schools)
• Science Without Borders challenge is an artwork competition with a focus on ocean conservation. The 2024 theme is ‘hidden wonders of the deep’ (ages 11–19; closes 4 March 2024; maximum prize of $500)
• British Science Week poster competition ; this year’s theme will be ‘time’ (ages 3–14; closes March 2024)
• RPS Woman Science Photographer of the Year is open to women of all ages and backgrounds (open and under 18s; closing date TBC but expected March 2024)
• Minds Underground Competitions ; Minds Underground run a number of essay competitions each year covering a variety of STEM and other topics (all ages; closing dates vary but 2024 questions will be released January 2024, see website for full details)

UKBC Intermediate Biology Olympiad

Age: Students in first year of 16+ education

Registration opens: now open

Competition dates: 5–12 June 2024

This international, annual competition is open to students in the first year of post-16 education in the UK. The competition consists of a one-hour multiple choice paper that is taken online under formal exam conditions. Questions cover topics students will be familiar with alongside some new concepts to test their problem-solving skills and understanding of core principals.

Practice papers are available to print to help students prepare. The competition is free to enter for UK schools and participants receive an e-certificate that recognises their level of achievement.

Find more information, including registering your school to take part, on the  UKBC website .

Science writing competitions

Numerous essays competitions run each year covering all aspects and areas of STEM. Below is just a selection of some of the competitions out there. Entries into science writing competitions make great additions to UCAS applications, and they get students thinking about science, too.

• The  Oxford Scientist  Schools’ Science Writing Competition  (700-word essay that teachers submit; ages 15–18; deadline 10 July 2024; prize includes being published in the magazine and feedback).
• Newnham College, Camb ridge (2000-word academic essay; age 16–18 women at state school only; deadline 8 July 2024; winners receive up to £400 to split with their school). Teachers can sign up to mailing lists now to hear more about this essay competition and other events from the college.

IET Faraday Challenge

Registration opens: January 2024 for the 2024–2025 season

Closes: July 2024

Faraday Challenges  are cross-curricular STEM activity days for UK schools run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. This annual competition draws on students’ practical science and engineering skills, asking them to work in teams to solve real-world engineering problems and think creatively. Schools can host Challenge Days and invite teams from local schools to join them or apply to join a day at another school. Planning for these events starts early, so plenty of time to get organised for the day.

Teams should be made up of six students aged 12–13 years old (England and Wales Year 8, Scotland S1/S2, Northern Ireland Year 9). Schools may host a challenge day themselves or attend one hosted at another school.

Students win prizes for themselves and a trophy for their school. There is also a national league table and the top teams from across the UK go through to the national final, with the chance to win a cash prize of up to £1000 for their school. Plus, by taking part students will also meet the criteria for achieving a CREST Discovery Award.

If you are not able to enter into the main competition, there is also the opportunity for students to take part in the  Virtual Faraday Challenge  open to anyone aged 7–15.

Local to Newcastle?

Newcastle Secondary School SciFair  is a university-run secondary school science fair for students from state schools across Newcastle. Sci-Fair is a whole day event that will take place during British Science Week. Students can get the opportunity to present their models, posters or PowerPoint presentations about a scientific topic of their choosing. SciFair is open to ages 11–16. There are multiple prizes to be won on the day to recognise student’s efforts. Spaces are limited capacity, so students should wait for their projects to be approved before starting work.

EMBL Art and Science Project

Age: 14–18 Participation deadline: 31 August 2024

Discover the world of proteins with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and create an artwork inspired by what you’ve learned. Cash prizes of up to €100.

Visit the website to find out more. 

Deadlines passed:

Stockholm uk junior water prize.

Submissions open: 29 Feb 2024

Submission deadline: 13 May 2024

This prize challenges young people in STEM to develop innovative yet practical solutions to the global water crisis. Entrants decide on a topic or problem that they want to investigate and undertake background research and experimental work before submitting a full written report.

Students whose reports are shortlisted get to present their work virtually to the judges. The winning UK entry receives £1,000 cash prize and a fully funded trip to represent the UK and their school at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Sweden in August and be in with a chance to win the international grand prize of US$15,000!

Learn more on the  website .

UKBC Biology Challenge

Competition dates: 1–17 May 2024

The Biology Challenge is a fun, annual competition open to students aged 13–15 in the UK. The challenge compromises of two, 25-minute, multiple-choice papers, and students need to complete both papers to be considered for an award category.

The questions set cover the school curriculum, but also caters to budding biologists whose knowledge has been enhanced by reading books and magazines, watching natural history programmes and taking a keen interest in all things biology.

Practice papers are available to help students prepare. The competition is free to enter for UK schools and participants receive an e-certificate that recognises their category of achievement.

Find more information and register your school to take part on the  Biology Challenge website .

BIEA Youth STEAM Competition

Registration opens:  October 2023

Closes: April 2024 for first-round submissions

The  BIEA Youth STEAM Competition  asks students to use their creativity to come up with ideas for a more sustainable future based on a specific theme. The theme for 2024 has yet to be announced, but the theme for 2023 was “developing solutions for sustainable cities”. Students research, design and present their solution, including a written report.

Students can enter as individuals or in teams of up to five members and schools can enter more than one team. There are lots of competition categories to cover all age groups. Submissions are expected to be accepted from January 2024 and the international final to be in July 2024. Learn more on the competition  website .

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

Registration opens:  1 March 2024

Closes: 26 April 2024

Imperial College London’s RCSU Science Challenge is all about science communication – requiring students to demonstrate their skills in debate and reasoning and teach the public about science and its consequences. Questions on a given theme are set by eminent scientists – who even read the shortlisted entries, so there’s a real chance students’ work will be seen by world-leading academics. This year’s theme is Hidden depth.

Students can answer one of the questions in either written or video form of up to 1000 words or three minutes, 30 seconds, respectively. Winners receive cash prizes, plus there are non-cash prizes for the runners up.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the grand final on 21 June 2024 at the Royal Institution, where they will deliver a short presentation. Find more information about taking part on the  challenge website .

Unsung Heroes of Science video competition

Close s: 30 April 2024

The International  Unsung Heroes of Science video competition   from Hertford College, University of Oxford is open to all 16–18 students. Entrants are tasked with making a two-minute video sharing the story of a scientist whose contributions were overlooked. Entries can be submitted by individuals or in teams of up to three.

The competition website also has lesson plans and links to videos of previous unsung heros, which are great resources for teachers to inspire their students.

British Science Week poster competition

Age: 3–14 Registration opened: January 2024 Closes: March 2024

British Science Week will run from 8–17 March. Alongside numerous activities and events across the country, there will be a themed poster competition – and this year’s theme will is ‘time’.

Entrants can explore a wide range of ideas covered by the broad theme. Judges are on the look out for an innovative angle or creative interpretation of the theme; clear, accurate and informative content; and effective, engaging communication. This competition is a great way for students to practise their communication skills. There are numerous prizes up for grabs that cover all age categories.

Entrants can be teams or individuals from any organisation, although schools are limited to five entries. Find out more on the  website , including activity packs and other resources to make the most of British Science Week.

Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition

Age: 11–18 Registration opens:  October 2023 Closes: 27 March 2024

The Big Bang Competition  is open to young people aged 11 to 18 in state-funded education or who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group. Private school participants can get involved as part of a collaboration with state-school peers.

Participants complete project-based work, focusing on investigation, discovery and use of scientific methods. Students choose their own STEM topic and work to submit their project as a written report or short video. The possibilities are endless!

Students can include their involvement in the competition in their extracurricular activities on UCAS forms and personal statements and have a chance of winning a range of awards and cash prizes.

Find out how to get started and get inspired with past projects on the  Big Bang website .

MathWorks Math Modeling challenge

Age: 16–19 (England and Wales only) Registration opens:  November 2023 Closes: 24 February 2024

The  M3 Challenge  is an internet-based applied maths competition that inspires participants to pursue STEM education and careers. Working in teams of three to five students, participants have 14 consecutive hours to solve an open-ended maths-modelling problem based around a real issue during the challenge weekend, 1–4 March 2024.

The problem typically has a socially conscious theme – equity, the environment, conservation or recycling, energy use, health, and other topics that young people care about. The challenge gives students the opportunity to use maths modelling processes to represent, analyse, make predictions and otherwise provide insight into real-world phenomena. For example, 2023’s problem centred around modelling the impacts of e-bikes to better understand if they are likely to become part of a global, more sustainable energy plan.

Numerous free  resources , including modelling and coding handbooks, videos and sample problems are available to help teams prepare for the event.

The competition’s final presentation and awards ceremony event is held in New York City in late April – an all-expense paid experience for the finalist teams. These top teams will be awarded scholarships toward the pursuit of higher education, with members of the overall winning team receiving $20,000 (»£16,000).

For rules, resources and to register, visit the competition  website .

The Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition

Age: 16–18 Registration opens: now Closes:  30 September 2023 and 31 March 2024

The  Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition , run by Cambridge Assessment, is an exciting extra-curricular activity for teams of aspiring scientists who are studying with the Cambridge IGCSE or O Level science programmes.

Teams of three to six students choose a topic and work on a scientific investigation over 20–25 hours. The competition encourages investigations with some practical or community relevance and an eye on sustainability.

Projects may involve laboratory work and should include creative and collaborative working, critical thinking and reflection. Students should be given the opportunity to present their results to a wider audience, perhaps at a science fair or other school event.

Teachers provide initial project evaluations and the best are put forward for consideration by a panel of experts. The winning team receives a certificate and is featured on the competition website. The competition runs twice a year, so keep abreast of all the dates  on the website .

TeenTech Awards 

Age: 11–16 Registration opens: now Closes:  March 2024 for first-round submissions

The  TeenTech Awards  encourage students to see how they might apply science and technology to real-world problems across several different categories, from food and retail through the future of transport to wearable technology. Students identify an opportunity or a problem, suggest a solution and research the market.

Students can work in teams of up to three people and there are lots of award categories. All submitted projects receive feedback and a bronze, silver or gold award. The event is well supported with training sessions for teachers and students, so everyone knows what to expect and what the judges will be looking for!

The best projects go forward to the TeenTech Awards Final for judging and the winning school in each category will receive a cash prize. The final is expected to take place in London in June 2024.

Schools’ Analyst

Age: 16–17 Registration opens: soon Closes: 23 February 2024

The  Schools’ Analyst Competition  is returning to schools in 2024. Run collaboratively by the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund and the Royal Society of Chemistry, this event allows students to expand their chemistry knowledge and skills through practical analytical experiments. Students must be in Year 12 (England, Wales, NI)/S5 (Scotland)/5th Year (Ireland).

Schools and colleges register their interest to host a heat and, if randomly selected, can now enter up to 25 teams of three students to compete to be crowned the overall school winner. Each winning school team will then compete within their region to find regional winners. Regional winners receive a cash prize for themselves and their school.

Register your school  to take part by 23 February 2024. To take part, students only need access to standard school laboratory equipment and some consumables (a bursary is available for those who need it).

Equipment boxes are sent to 400 entrants, selected at random, and delivered in advance of the event. Results must be submitted by 17 May in Ireland (to ensure schools have the chance to award winners before the summer holidays) and 14 June elsewhere.

Slingshot Challenge

Age: 13–18 Registration opens: now Closes: 1 February 2024

The  Slingshot Challenge  is run by National Geographic and is an exciting opportunity for students to get involved with the global programme. Students can enter in teams of up to six. Individual entries are welcomed although all entries are expected to involve collaboration with peers, stakeholders, and/or marginalized communities.

Students work to prepare a short, 1-minute video, from topics with an environmental focus. Training sessions for teachers and resource/tool kits are available from the website and the providers can offer feedback and technical support ahead of official submissions.

Videos are expected to put forward compelling, evidence-based information and be engaging for the audience. A small number of motivating prizes are awarded each year to the student of up to $10,000.

For full details see the  Slingshot Challenge website .

UK Chemistry Olympiad 

Age: 16–18 (recommended) Registration opens: September 2023 Closes: January 2024

Run by the RSC, the  UK Chemistry Olympiad  is designed to challenge and inspire older secondary-school students, by encouraging them to push themselves, boost their critical problem-solving skills and test their knowledge in real-world situations.  Explore past papers  to get an idea of the types of questions involved.

There are three rounds that culminate with the prestigious  International Chemistry Olympiad , which will take place this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Round 1, a written test taken in your school, is scheduled to take place on 25 January 2024. Students then receive bronze, silver or gold certificates depending on their scores. Up to 30 students will then be selected to move on to the second round – a training weekend at the University of Nottingham. Four students will then be chosen to represent the UK in the international competition from 21–30 July 2024.

To get started, register your school or college. Do this and find out more information about preparing on the  Olympiad homepage .

Top of the Bench

Age: 14–16 Registration opens: soon Closes: January 2024

Top of the Bench  (TOTB) is an annual practical chemistry competition that has been running for over 20 years. It’s a long-standing favourite for students and teachers, and provides an opportunity for students to put their teamwork and practical skills to the test.

Regional heats are led by  RSC local sections  between October and January. The winning team from each heat progresses to the national final, held in the spring at a UK university (where there is also a session for teachers to explore resources and classroom ideas with one of the RSC’s education coordinators).

First prize is awarded to the best overall school performance, with five teams receiving runners up prizes. The Jacqui Clee Award is also awarded each year to the student who makes an outstanding individual contribution.

Teams must consist of four students: two from year 9/S2; one from year 10/S3; one from year 11/S4.

Find more information including past papers and how to apply on the  TOTB homepage .

Imperial College Science & Innovation Competition

Age:  4–adult Registration opens:  September  2023 Closes:  15 December 2023

The  Science & Innovation Competition , run by the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College, aims to motivate primary and secondary-aged children to engage with science, to encourage them to work as part of a team and engage in fun activities. Adults are also welcome to enter.

Teams of two to four people are asked to develop a new and innovative scientific solution to help achieve one of the  United Nation’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development . To enter, teams need to create a five-minute film that describes the science behind their idea. Finalists are invited to take part in an event during spring 2024 at Imperial College, London (date to be confirmed). Learn more on the  website .

Global essay competition: Young voices in the chemical sciences for sustainability

Age: 35 and under  Registration opens: now Closes: 31 March 2023

An  annual essay competition  on the role of the chemical sciences in sustainability, organised by the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD) in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The competition is open globally to entrants under 35 years of age. The theme for the 2023 competition is: How can the chemical sciences lead the stewardship of the Earth’s element resources?

Essays will be grouped into seven regions for shortlisting and selection of winners, based on the entrant’s country of normal residence. Each regional winner will receive a prize of US$500 and their entries will be published in  RSC Sustainability . The shortlisted essays will be collected in an annual compendium,  Young voices in the chemical sciences for sustainability , available on the IOCD’s website. Individual shortlisted entries will also be featured from time to time on IOCD’s website.

Essays will be judged on how well they highlight the importance of scientific approaches grounded in the chemical sciences for solving sustainability challenges. Entrants should take a broad, global perspective, and reflect on the intersection of science, society and policy aspects, rather than describing a particular scientific advance in great technical detail. Essays must not exceed 1500 words of body copy.

Cambridge Chemistry Race

Age: 16–18 Registration opens: Mon 5 December 2022 Closes: February 2023

In the  Cambridge Chemistry Race , teams of 3–5 students solve as many theoretical problems as they can over the course of two hours – ranging from easy riddles to tasks of A-level difficulty and complex chemical problems.

Once a team has solved a question, the examiner verifies their answer and hands them the next question. Points are awarded based on the number of successful attempts. Whoever gets the most points wins!

Students are allowed to use a calculator, books, notes, and printed literature. The challenge aims to test problem-solving skills and chemical understanding rather than knowledge. Explore past questions and solutions  here  to get an idea of what’s in store.

Schools may only enter one team each and places are first come first served.

The competition is run in collaboration with the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry. This year, it is joined by the University of Oxford too, so students may compete in either city. The competition will take place on Saturday 4 February 2023. Learn more on the  competition website .

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20 Science Research Competitions for High Schoolers

What’s covered:, why should you enter a science research competition, how do science research competitions affect my admissions chances.

Participation in science research competitions offers many benefits to students; for example, it can make them more competitive candidates for college admissions and provide them with valuable experience in a sought-after field. There’s a wide variety of science research competitions for high schoolers, including the high-profile contests listed below.

Entering a science research competition demonstrates that you take initiative and that you care about academics beyond the grades in your courses, both of which are qualities that colleges appreciate in prospective students.

Participation in competitions is a strong extracurricular activity, and successes—like making the finals or winning—can provide you with a chance to earn a scholarship, make your college application more attention-grabbing, or even open doors, such as laying the groundwork for a career in science research and helping you land an internship.

Another way to showcase your initiative and skills is to work on an independent research paper. There are a number of ways to do independent research, including working with a high school teacher, reaching out to local professors, or taking part in a structured research program. 

For example, the  Lumiere Research Scholar Program is one type of structured research program tailored for high school students. In the program, you work 1-1 with a researcher on an independent research project. The program is run by researchers from Harvard and helps create the structure for you to get started quickly doing your own research. Many of Lumiere’s alums have used their research in the structured program to then apply to research competitions like ISEF.  

Whether you participate in a structured program first or dive right into a competition, engaging in research allows you to explore one of your interests deeply, while simultaneously boosting your profile for college admissions.

1. American Academy of Neurology – Neuroscience Research Prize

Grades: 9-12

Type: National

The AAN Neuroscience Research Prize competition challenges students to investigate problems regarding the brain or nervous system. The competition is only open to individual students—group projects are ineligible. Teachers are encouraged to provide guidance and support; however, they should allow students to demonstrate their own creativity. Winners and their projects are highlighted at the AAN Annual Meeting.

2. Envirothon

Type: State and National

Envirothon is North America’s largest environmental education competition, with more than 25,000 students participating in the multi-level competition each year. Student teams are first challenged at state-level competitions with the winners moving on to face top teams from across the globe at the annual international competition.

The international competition is a six-day event held in a different location each summer—for example, in an open range of the western U.S. one year, and at a Maritime coastal community of eastern Canada the next. The competition offers participants the chance to win thousands of dollars in scholarships.

3. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Type: Local, Regional, and International

The Regeneron ISEF is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition—more than 1,800 high school students, representing more than 75 countries, regions, and territories, take part. Students showcase independent research and compete for roughly $8 million in awards across 21 categories .

This is not a group-based competition—individual students enroll in local school science fairs before advancing to upper-level competitions in hopes of reaching the national stage.

4. National Science Bowl

Hosted by the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., the National Science Bowl is a highly publicized competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics, including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, energy, and math. Students compete in teams of four (plus an alternate) and have a teacher who serves as an advisor.

The National Science Bowl is one of the largest science competitions in the country—roughly 330,000 students have participated in it throughout its 32-year history.

5. National Science Olympiad

One of the nation’s premier STEM competitions, the National Science Olympiad is the pinnacle of achievement for the country’s top Science Olympiad teams. In 2022, the U.S. top 120 teams, plus a Global Ambassador Team from Japan (for a total of more than 2,000 students) squared off in a variety of events for the chance to be named the Science Olympiad National Champions.

Teams also compete annually for the opportunity to win prizes and scholarships, including a one-time $10,000 Science Olympiad Founders’ Scholarship. About 6,000 teams compete each year, beginning at the regional level in hopes of reaching the national competition.

6. Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)

Established in 1942 and hosted by the Society for Science, the Regeneron Science Talent Search is considered the most prestigious high school science research competition in the nation. The competition tasks young scientists with presenting their original research before a panel of nationally recognized professional scientists.

Of the 1,800 entrants, 300 Regeneron STS scholars are selected—they and their schools are awarded $2,000 each. Forty finalists are then picked from the pool of scholars. They receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they compete for an additional $1.8 million in awards, with a top prize of $250,000.

7. Stockholm Junior Water Prize

Type: Regional, State, National, and International

In this competition, students from around the world seek to address the current and future water challenges facing the world. Competition for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize occurs on four levels: regional, state, national, and international.

• Regional winners receive a certificate and a nomination to compete in the state competition.
• State winners receive a medal and an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the national competition.
• National winners receive a trophy, a $10,000 scholarship, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the international competition in Stockholm, Sweden.
• International winners receive a crystal trophy and a $15,000 scholarship, along with a $5,000 award for their school.

In order to participate, students can begin to research and develop a practical project proposal either as an individual or with a group. To reach the national level, students must be nominated by a national organizer representing their country.

8. TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

To participate in this competition, students must submit a video of up to 3 minutes that demonstrates an interest in and understanding of a topic in psychology that they think could benefit their local community and improve lives. Students must also utilize at least one peer-reviewed research study on their topic, and must include a closing slide citing their source(s). Up to three winners are chosen to receive a $300 scholarship.

9. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) National Competition

Type: Regional and National

The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium National Competition is one of the country’s longest-running STEM competitions—participants are required to submit and present scientific research papers and compete for military-sponsored undergraduate scholarships.

The JSHS national competition is the result of a collaborative effort between the Department of Defense and academic research institutes nationwide. It is designed to emulate a professional symposium. Research projects are organized into categories such as Environmental Science, Engineering and Technology, and Medicine and Health. After competing regionally, about 250 students are chosen to attend an annual symposium to showcase their work.

10. MIT THINK Scholars Program

In the fall of each year, interested students can enter project proposals into competition for selection from a group of undergraduate students at MIT. If selected, students will be able to carry out their project—receiving up to $1000 in funding to complete their research. They’ll also be invited to a four-day symposium at MIT the following year.

Finalists are guided with weekly mentorship and will have the opportunity to present their findings to MIT students and faculty at the end of the program.

11. Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

Grades: K-12

In this competition, students compete in groups of 2-4 to select a technology and forecast how it will evolve over the next decade or beyond, while discussing the scientific achievements that will need to be made to get there.

Students will submit an abstract as well as a detailed description paper that is not to exceed 11 pages. In doing so, they will be entered into competition and considered for a number of financial awards, as well as a trip to Washington, D.C., for the ExploraVision Awards Weekend. The competition is nationally recognized and is sponsored by Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association.

12. Conrad Challenge

Teams of 2-5 students are tasked with designing and detailing project proposals to tackle various problems categories such as Aerospace & Aviation, Health & Nutrition, Cyber-Technology & Security, and Energy & Environment. In doing so, they will identify problems in the world and come up with a feasible and innovative solution, working with judges and mentors along the way.

Finalists will be selected from the competing teams and invited to the Innovation Summit in Houston, where they will pitch their projects to judges and potentially receive numerous prizes and awards, ranging from scholarships to consulting services.

13. USA Biolympiad Competition

Type: National and International

Over the course of two years, students will undergo multiple rounds of testing that will eventually pinpoint twenty finalists to be selected for training in a residential program with the goal of representing the USA in the International Biology Olympiad. As such, this is one of the most prestigious and difficult competitions, not just in biology, but in all high school sciences. However, the experience is second to none, and is the ultimate test for students devoted to the future of biology.

14. Davidson Fellows Scholarship

While not exclusive to STEM, the Davidson Fellows program offers various major scholarships for students interested in careers in sciences. Listed as one of the “ 10 Biggest Scholarships in the World ,” this program requires students to submit a variety of components related to an independent research study with the broad goal of contributing positively to society through the advancement of science. Students will submit multiple essays as well as a video summary, and must include an additional visual model reporting their findings.

15. Destination Imagination

Type: Regional, State, National, International

Destination Imagination is another worldwide competition that includes a variety of subjects, but it specializes in science-based challenges. Students will form teams and choose from a list of different challenges to compete in in categories such as Technical, Scientific, and Engineering.

Students will solve these challenges and present their solutions in regional competitions. Regional winners will move on to statewide competitions before being invited to the Global Finals, where over 8,000 students from 28 states and 12 countries compete for awards. 150,000 students compete annually in the competition at some level.

16. Breakthrough Junior Challenge

For students looking for a more creatively inspired and unconventional competition, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge tasks students with creating a short two-minute video in which they explain and demonstrate a complex scientific concept.

Does that sound simple enough? Over 2,400 students from over 100 countries submitted videos in 2022, meaning there’s no shortage of competition here. Winning applicants will need to demonstrate immense creativity and understanding of complex scientific concepts, but rest assured—the prize is worth the difficulty.

The winner will receive a $250,000 scholarship for accredited colleges and universities, as well as a $100,000 grant to the winner’s school for the development of a science lab, and a $50,000 award to a teacher of the winner’s choosing.

17. Biotechnology Institute: BioGENEius Challenge

Students from across the country are invited to participate in the Biotechnology Institute’s BioGENEius Challenge, where they’ll be able to choose to complete a project in the Healthcare, Sustainability, or Environment categories. If accepted, students will need to complete an extensive research project and demonstrate results, and then compete in either local or a virtual “At-Large” competition, with other student competitors from around the world.

18. Genes in Space

Grades: 7-12

For students interested in the science of space and its overlap with our current understanding of the human genome, this competition combines these two worlds by tasking students with designing a DNA experiment that addresses challenges in space exploration and travel.

Students will submit a project proposal, and semifinalists will be selected to pitch their experiments in Seattle. After doing so, finalists will be selected to work with mentors and scientists from schools, such as Harvard and MIT, to design a real-life experiment. One finalist’s experiment will win the opportunity to be conducted at the International Space Station. The lucky winner will travel to the Kennedy Space Center to see the winning experiment’s launch!

19. Odyssey of the Mind

Students will form teams to compete in a variety of STEM-based challenges in this global problem-solving competition, culminating in a World Finals competition that takes place in East Lansing, Michigan.

Over 800 teams from 33 states and 15 countries compete each year in challenges ranging from designing vehicles to building small structures that can withstand hundreds of pounds. These challenges are designed to encourage creativity in the performative and presentational elements of competition.

20. U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad

Type: Regional, National, International

Students interested in Chemistry are able to participate in the USNCO, in which they’ll take rigorous exams to prove their skills in the Chemistry field. Top test-takers will be selected to attend a prestigious Study Camp, where they’ll compete for the chance to represent the U.S. at the International Chemistry Olympiad. Interested students can contact their Local Coordinator, who can be found through the program’s website.

The influence your participation in science research competitions can have on your college admissions varies—considerations such as how well you performed and the prestige of the event factor into how admissions officers view the competition. That being said, the four tiers of extracurricular activities provide a good general guide for understanding how colleges view your activities outside the classroom.

The most esteemed and well-known science research competitions are organized into Tiers 1 and 2. Extracurricular activities in these categories are extremely rare, demonstrate exceptional achievement, and hold considerable sway with admissions officers. Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more modest accomplishments—like winning a regional (rather than a national) competition—and carry less weight at colleges than their higher-tiered counterparts.

Generally, participation in a science research competition will be considered at least a Tier 2 activity. As stated before, this varies depending on the competition and your performance. For example, being a finalist or winner in something like the Regeneron Science Talent Search or the International Biology Olympiad—prestigious national and international competitions—is very likely to be considered a Tier 1 achievement.

However, lower-tiered extracurriculars are still valuable, as they show colleges a more well-rounded picture of you as a student, and highlight your desire to pursue your interests outside of school.

Curious how your participation in science research competitions affects your odds of college admissions? Collegevine can help. Our free chancing calculator uses factors like grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities—like science research competitions— to calculate your chances of getting into hundreds of colleges across the country! You can even use the information provided to identify where you can improve your college profile and ultimately bolster your odds of getting into your dream school.

Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.

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Data Communication Scholarship at ICPSR

We are now accepting applications for two 2022 competitions (ICPSR Undergraduate and ICPSR Master's), which are listed below.

2024 ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship

Times are changing, and so is the ICPSR Research Paper Competition. Since 2007, the annual competition has showcased undergraduate and graduate students’ research papers that have used data archived at ICPSR.

Winners from ICPSR’s member institutions have covered topics from “ Testing the Theory of Rational Crime with United States Data, 1994-2002 ” in 2007 to “ Does (Trans)Gender Identity Complicate the Relationship between Education and Self-Rated Health? ” in 2022. 

Now, we’re excited to announce that the ICPSR Research Paper Competition is transitioning to the ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship. Starting in November 2023, students from ICPSR member institutions can apply for the scholarship. Instead of the traditional research paper format, ICPSR is recognizing students for creating videos about ICPSR data! "We not only want students using our data, but we want to empower the next generation of data advocates," said Linda Detterman, ICPSR's Membership and Communications Director.

Learning Objectives

After completing this project, students should be able to:

• Use the ICPSR search tools to find data on a topic of interest to them.
• Drill down into the information about a study to determine: 
• The basics: What was the study about? Why was the research conducted, and what topics were covered?
• Methodological concepts: Who was in the sample and how were they selected to participate? When and how were the data collected, and was the study part of a larger data collection effort (e.g., longitudinal, repeated cross-section, data collected from more than one ‘source’ [e.g., school, teachers, parents, and kids])?
• Other details: Who were the investigators? Was the research funded and by whom? Are the data members-only or available to all, what is the data citation
• Examine related publications to see what has been done with the data
• Synthesize the information to identify research topics for which the data are well suited
• Create an “advertisement” about the data, highlighting the key features of the study

Feb. 23, 2024, at Midnight, ET

Submissions

What to Submit: 

• An entry form that includes information about the submitter(s) and the data.
• The link to a video, no longer than 2 minutes in length, that describes an ICPSR study that gives the viewer a “run down” of the important points and a glimpse at potential uses. Details about what to include can be found in the “Preparing Your Entry” section.

About the Scholarship

Students from ICPSR member institutions are eligible to win scholarships of $1,000 (first place) or $750 (second place) for creating a short video to promote a study in the ICPSR catalog. Realizing that coursework requirements and assignments have changed since the ICPSR Paper Competition was launched in 2007, we are giving the competition a major facelift to better match what students are being asked to do in an era of more creative, less traditional assignments. Upon completing the video, students should have gained experience navigating and searching ICPSR , identifying data of interest, and using the information provided for each study to determine potential uses of the data.

Preparing Your Entry

The Fine Print

• To be eligible, students must attend a school that is a member of ICPSR. If you are unsure whether your school is a member, please check the member list .
• Students entering the competition must graduate or have graduated no earlier than April 1 of the year prior to submission. For example, students entering in 2024 have to graduate April 1, 2023, or later.
• Studies chosen for the videos must be part of ICPSR's curated collection. Specifically, studies found in OpenICPSR and studies with a description that contains a link to another site from which to get the data are not eligible. Note: some study description pages point to the project’s website for further description – that’s okay, as long as you can download the data from the ICPSR page (clicking on download lists files in formats such as SPSS, Stata, SAS, R, and ASCII or CSV as well as documentation files).

• We encourage you to search all of the collection, but you can also start your search with only the eligible studies .
• Think about a topic you are interested in and might like to conduct research on.
• Use the search tools on icpsr.umich.edu to see what ICPSR has related to that topic. You can start by looking for studies about your topic, studies that contain questions (variables) related to that topic, or research that has been published about your topic. Results for all three types of searches appear on the Search Results page so you don’t need to redo your search to switch from one to the other. You may need to expand or narrow your search based on the results. 
• Find a few studies that look interesting to you. Click on the title to get to the “study homepage” where you will find additional information about the data. Once you find one that you think you want to use for your video, try to answer the questions below based on the information on the study homepage and in the codebook, and any other documentation provided.
• Create a video of no more than 2 minutes that captures the important points about the study you chose. You might frame the video by thinking about it as a “commercial” for the data – highlighting any special features – or what you would tell a researcher interested in learning more about the data. Be creative, but keep in mind what you know about social research. 
• Fill out the entry form and include the link to your video!

How to Approach the Data

Your task for this scholarship opportunity is not to analyze the data, but to learn as much about it as you possibly can and to share that information with other social scientists in an engaging way. No problem, right?!?

Make sure you learn and assess:

• What is the purpose of the study – why were the data originally collected?
• Who carried out the study and did they appear to have funding to do so? If yes, from whom? 
• What topic areas are covered in the data?
• Who is in the sample and how were they selected?
• When and how were the data collected?
• Was this a one-time data collection or was it part of a larger project with ongoing data collection? 
• What was the source of the data (e.g., individual adults, an adult representing a household, records from an employer, newspaper stories)?
• Are the data restricted (do you have to apply for access)?
• What has been done with the data already?
• What are the strengths of these data that might set them apart from other studies? Are there any limitations?

Entry Forms

Papers must be submitted electronically via the ICPSR Research Paper Competition Entry and Publication Release Form

• Awards will be announced in April 2024.
• Cash prizes will be awarded in each competition.
• Each winner will receive a certificate in recognition of the award.
• Letters of achievement will be written to the student, and to the faculty, departments, and deans at the student's institution, upon request.

Promoting the ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship

ICPSR encourages the early promotion of the ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship in your campus community. Please share and/or post these images to help student authors be made aware of it.

For more information, please email the ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship team at [email protected] .

First Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - Simran Sethi Khanna, Princeton University

First Place - ICPSR Master's - Madeline Smith-Johnson, Rice University

First Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - H. S. Matthew Ng, Verity Y. Q. Lua, and Nadyanna M. Majeed, Singapore Management University

Second Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - Taran Samarth, Pennsylvania State University

First Place - ICPSR Master's - In Jeong Hwang, Harvard University

Second Place - ICPSR Master's - Beverly J. Pettrey, Cleveland State University

First Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - Jessica J Cox, Elizabethtown College

Second Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - Rachel Bickelman, Elizabethtown College

First Place - ICPSR Master's - Ruiqian Li, Baylor University

First Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - Arnold Johnsen, Northwestern University

Second Place - ICPSR Undergraduate - Emalie Rell, Elizabethtown College

First Place - ICPSR Master's - Angela Lee, Harvard University

ICPSR Master's First Place Winner - Paul Hemez, Bowling Green State University

ICPSR Master's Second Place Winner - Matthew Utterback, Cornell University

ICPSR Undergraduate Winner - Candace M. Evans, McMurry University (Texas)

ICPSR Master's Winner - Brielle Bryan, Harvard University

ICPSR Undergraduate Winner - Tiffany Foster, Hiram College (OH)

ICPSR Undergraduate Winner - Lorraine Blatt, Grinnell College (IA)

ICPSR Master's Winner - Peter Lista, Indiana University-Bloomington

RCMD Competition Winner - Jian Li, Central University of Finance and Economics (Beijing)

Data Curation Competition Winner - Tiffany Chao, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

( see all winners )

6–10 January 2025

Hyatt Regency Orlando Orlando, FL

Student Paper Competitions

Dates to remember.

Abstract Submission Begins: 26 March 2024

Abstract Submission Deadline: 23 May 2024, 8:00 p.m. ET

Author Notification: 26 August 2024

Manuscript Deadline: 2 December 2024, 8:00 p.m. ET

*Dates are subject to change.

 Abstract Submission Process & Requirements  Technical Presenter Resources

Student Eligibility and Submission Requirements

Student Eligibility Requirements:

• Student author(s) must be members of AIAA in order to enter the competition.
• Student author(s) must be full-time students in good academic standing at their university/institution at the time of submission.
• Manuscript content represents the work of the author.
• Student(s) must be the primary author(s) of the paper and the work must have been performed while the author(s) was a student.
• Student author(s) must be able to attend the Forum to present their work should it be selected for presentation.

Student Submission Requirements:

• Student Paper Competition submissions must adhere to the overall Forum Abstract Submission Requirements.
• Students must select the “Student Paper Competition” presentation type during the electronic submission process. Do not submit the abstract more than once. Only submissions with Student Paper Competition” presentation type indicated will be eligible for the competition.
• All submissions must be made by the Forum abstract submission deadline of 23 May, 8:00 p.m. ET.
• For further requirements and instructions, please refer to the detailed descriptions of each Student Paper Competition as described in their call below.

Student Paper Competitions in the topics below are being held in conjunction with the Forum:

Please direct questions to: Eric Stewart , NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

To be considered for one of the student paper awards within the Aerospace Design and Structures Group, students must submit their abstract to one of the following areas:

• Adaptive Structures
• Complexity in Aerospace (CASE)
• Design Engineering
• Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
• Non-Deterministic Approaches
• Spacecraft Structures
• Structural Dynamics
• Survivability
• Systems Engineering

Authorship:  Student papers should report on work primarily conducted by students in collaboration with their faculty advisors; therefore, all primary/presenting authors of papers submitted for consideration in the Student Paper Competition must be students at the time of abstract submission. The first author of the paper must remain the same between the abstract, final paper, and presentation. Up to two non-student co-authors are allowed.

Presentation:  At conference, the presentation must be given by the primary author of the paper.

Extended Abstract:  Student abstracts must be extended abstracts that follow the rules outlined in this Call for Papers. When submitting to the abstract submission website, select “Student Paper Competition” as the paper type.  Semi-finalists will be chosen based on an evaluation of the extended abstracts.  The results of the semi-final round will not be made public.

Deadline:  Student manuscripts must be uploaded to the manuscript submission website by  the published regular conference paper deadline for the AIAA SciTech Forum .  Students should note that the latest version of their paper submitted prior to the deadline will be the version used for judging.

If for any of these reasons a paper is removed from student paper competition, authors still have the opportunity to submit their paper by the published regular conference paper deadline for the full AIAA SciTech Forum deadline as a regular conference paper.

The following awards will be presented to the winners where a single paper can only win one award:

Jefferson Goblet Student Paper Award:  The highest ranked Aerospace Design and Structures paper based on manuscript and presentation quality is recognized with the Jefferson Goblet Student Paper Award, which was established over twenty years ago and named to honor Thomas Jefferson. The recipient receives a monetary award ($500), a certificate, and a goblet modeled after a 1788 design by Thomas Jefferson.

American Society for Composites Student Paper Award:  The highest ranked composites-related paper based on manuscript and presentation quality is recognized with the American Society for Composites Student Paper Award. The recipient receives a monetary award ($500) and a certificate.

Lockheed Martin Student Paper Award in Structures:  The Lockheed Martin Student Paper Award in Structures recognizes an outstanding structures-related paper, based on manuscript and presentation quality. The recipient receives a monetary award ($500) and a certificate.  

Harry H. and Lois G. Hilton Student Paper Award in Structures:  The Harry H. and Lois G. Hilton Student Paper Award in Structures recognizes an outstanding graduate-level, structures related paper, based on manuscript and presentation quality. The recipient receives a monetary award ($500) and a certificate. 

SwRI Student Paper Award in Non-Deterministic Approaches:  The Southwest Research Institute Student Paper Award in Non-Deterministic Approaches recognizes an outstanding NDA-related paper, based on manuscript and presentation quality. The recipient receives a monetary award ($500) and a certificate.

The Aerospace Design and Structures Group Student Paper Competitions include submissions to the following topics:

Please direct questions to:  James Creel , Texas A&M University

The Walter R. Lempert Student Paper Award in Diagnostics for Fluid Mechanics, Plasma Physics, and Energy Transfer is sponsored by the Aerodynamic Measurement Technology (AMT), Plasmadynamics and Lasers (PDL), and Propellants and Combustion (PC) Technical Committees (TC).

The award is given on an annual basis in memory of Dr. Walter R. Lempert. Walter Lempert was an outstanding scientist and engineer who had a profound impact on AIAA and in particular these three TCs. The Walter R. Lempert Student Paper Award is given to the most outstanding student paper submitted to sessions organized by these TCs at the annual AIAA SciTech Forum.

The Award shall consist of $500 cash and a Certificate of Merit identifying the name of the Award, the Award winner, the title of the paper for which they won the award, and the date of the award. If required by the IRS, the winning student shall submit a W-9/W-8 to AIAA. The Award winner will be recognized during the AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition (AIAA AVIATION). The Walter Lempert Subcommittee Chair shall provide winner information to AIAA no later than 60 days prior to the Forum.

Any additional funds available through the endowment may be used to support the travel costs for the award winner to attend the conference to receive the award in person. Additional funds may also be used to facilitate honorable mention awards for other outstanding student papers eligible for The Walter R. Lempert Student Paper Award in Diagnostics for Fluid Mechanics, Plasma Physics, and Energy Transfer. Disbursements of funds is based upon the formal AIAA Foundation agreement.

Additional Technical Discipline Eligibility Requirements & Other Rules

Any graduate student in an engineering or related program that is the first author and presenter of a technical paper at an AMT, PDL or PC affiliated session at the AIAA SciTech. The winning students may one receive this award once.

Technical Discipline Selection Criteria:

• The paper must be in the area of measurement techniques and related to the technical disciplines covered by the AMT, PDL and PC technical committees.
• The paper should be evaluated on the innovative nature of the diagnostic or its use. Applications of mature diagnostics are not eligible for this award.
• The papers will be scored according to the following formula:
• Technical Quality/Completeness (50 pts) - Some of the considerations which you may wish to apply here are: clearly stated purpose, a well-developed introduction, methods used, the inclusion of an uncertainty analysis if applicable, well supported conclusions, breadth of references, or other technically applicable criteria.
• Technical Relevance (25 pts) - Considerations here should be contribution to the state-of-the-art or knowledge, timeliness, innovation, etc. in diagnostics for fluid mechanics, plasma physics, and energy transfer
• Readability (25 pts) – Text, grammar, figures, tables, etc.

Please direct questions to:  Andrea Da Ronch , University of Southampton Yunjun Xu , University of Central Florida

The AFM Technical Committee, with the support of Calspan Corporation , is sponsoring the AFM Student Paper Competition. Eligible written papers and oral presentations will be judged by members of the AFM Technical Committee.The competition is within the AFM conference and not part of the larger SciTech Forum and Exhibition. The winner of the competition will be notified after the conference and receive both a certificate and a $500 award.

To be eligible for the competition, the entrant must be the primary author of the submitted paper and the work must have been performed while the author was a student. As such, recent graduates may still be eligible. Entrants will present their papers in the AFM technical sessions, where judges will also be in attendance. To enter the competition, the “Student Paper Competition” option must be selected instead of “Technical Manuscript” when submitting a manuscript via the conference website. Note that when entering the Student Paper Competition, the paper is still published and scheduled within the technical sessions, as normal. Papers are due by the regular final manuscript deadline. All papers with a student as primary author are encouraged to participate in the competition.

The scoring for the award will be equally based on the written paper and oral presentation. Judging of the written paper is based on the criteria:

• Relevance of the topic to atmospheric flight mechanics
• Organization and clarity
• Appreciation of relevant technical issues and sources of error
• Meaningful conclusions of the research.

Judging of the oral presentation is based on the criteria:

• Background and problem definition statement
• Explanation of technical approach
• Explanation of research results

Please direct questions to:  Charles E. Tinney ,  The University of Texas at Austin The Prof. Kirti "Karman" Ghia Memorial Award is presented by the AIAA FDTC to an international graduate student studying in the USA, for an innovative approach to computational fluid dynamics that leads to a greater understanding of the flow physics for a problem related to aeronautics or astronautics.  The winner must present at a paper at SciTech.

Instructions : Graduate student authors may self-nominate for the Professor Kirti "Karman" Ghia Memorial Award by selecting the “Student Paper Competition” option instead of “Technical Manuscript” during submission. Note that when entering the Student Paper Competition, the paper is still published and scheduled within the technical sessions, as normal.

Eligibility : AIAA membership is strongly encouraged but not required.  Nominees must be international graduate students, meaning they do not have USA citizenship or permanent residency, working toward a graduate degree in the USA and presenting a paper at SciTech.  The winner must show written proof, potentially from their departmental graduate office, of eligibility.  Nominees may only win this award once.  Only nominees who choose a topic area under Fluid Dynamics during abstract submission will be considered for the award, and further only those who have a substantial CFD component as part of their paper.

Cash Prize : $1,500 will be provided for the winner’s conference costs, including airfare, registration, lodging, food, and other transportation, to present a paper at SciTech.  This will be given as a check to the winner before the conference to help them plan and pay for their travel.  The winner is required to make their own travel and conference arrangements.

Selection Process and Timing : The award is judged by the FDTC based on the criteria given below.  The judging has 2 rounds.  First, submitted abstracts will be down-selected to a smaller group, and winners of round 1 will be notified at the time of SciTech abstract acceptance decisions (nominally end of August).  Next, round-1 winners will be asked to submit their full papers early, by Oct. 24, for round-2 judging.  One winner will be chosen around the 3rd week of Nov., to give time for travel planning.

Award Presentation Venue : This award is presented at the same SciTech that the paper is given, and the winner will be invited to the FDTC plenary meeting to be recognized and provided with a certificate.  The award will also be acknowledged at the Student Breakfast.

Technical Discipline Selection Criteria

The award is judged by the FDTC, and the evaluation criteria and weights are: 1) an innovative approach to CFD, e.g., a new methodology, speed increase, higher accuracy, new validation framework, post-processing strategy, etc. (weight: 35%); 2) a greater understanding of the flow physics of a given problem, as a result of the CFD innovation (weight: 35%); 3) clarity and prose (weight: 15%); 4) graphical content (weight: 15%).

Please direct questions to: Keiichi Okai , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tarek Abdel-Salam , East Carolina University

Green Engineering Best Student Paper Award

This award will be presented to best student paper submitted under Green Engineering Integration Committee.

Please direct questions to: Raghvendra Cowlagi ,  Worcester Polytechnic Institute Xuerui Wang , Delft University of Technology

AIAA Guidance Navigation and Control Best Graduate Student Paper

The GN&C Technical Committee will host a Graduate Student Paper Competition at the AIAA SciTech Forum. In addition to appropriate recognition, all finalists in the GN&C Graduate Student Paper Competition will receive a monetary award of $500 and complimentary registration. The overall winner will receive an additional $1,000 award.

For this competition, full draft manuscript papers are sought from graduate students on GN&C technical research topics, from which up to six finalists will be selected by a panel of judges for inclusion in a special GN&C Graduate Student Paper Competition session. Author eligibility and manuscript submission requirements are described below.

• A student must be the first or sole author, enrolled at an institution of higher learning.
• Upon selection as a finalist the student must provide to the Competition Chairs a 'Statement of Contributions' that delineates the specific technical contributions of each co-author. Furthermore, the student must assert that they have provided the preponderant share of input to both the technical and written dimensions of the paper, and must also include the signatures of all co-authors.
• The student author must be a member of AIAA to become a finalist in the competition.
• The student author must be a full-time graduate student in good academic standing at his or her university/institution at the time of submission.
• Full draft manuscript not exceeding a total length of 25 pages.
• The student author is not the overall winner of the preceding year’s competition.
• Only one paper submission per primary author.

The finalists for the Graduate Student Paper Competition will be selected on the basis of three reviewer scores, with consideration to technical content (30%), originality (30%), practical application (20%) and style and form (20%). Reviewers will be members of the GNC Technical Committee. Each finalist will present their paper in a special session during the conference. The presentation will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The overall winner of the paper competition will be decided on the basis of scores granted to the paper as well as the presentation.

Please direct questions to: Friedolin T. Strauss , German Aerospace Center (DLR) Suo Yang , University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsion Student Paper Competition

High-speed air-breathing propulsion technical committee solicits student papers which address the design, analysis, optimization, testing, and evaluation of technologies and systems that enable supersonic and hypersonic air vehicle propulsion. The key technology areas include but are not limited to ramjet, scramjet and combined cycle engines, inlets, isolators, combustion chambers, nozzles and other enabler components, the design methods and optimization, thermodynamic analysis, the measurement techniques and numerical methods facilitating the interpretation of the physics observed within High-Speed propulsion systems as well as materials, structures and manufacturing methods aiming at construction of the engines.

Focus on high-speed flight regime above or equal Mach 5 or topic related to this flight regime. Topic range includes the same topics as in the general HSABP Call for Papers.

Focus on high-speed flight regime above or equal Mach 5, technical excellence, conciseness, technical approach, technical creativity, compliance with AIAA SciTech style guide and AIAA requirements.

Please direct questions to:  B. Danette Allen ,  NASA

Human Machine Teaming Best Student Paper

Papers are sought that address theoretical, analytical, simulated, experimental, or implementation results related to aerospace applications for advances in human machine teaming where the paper can focus on one of three general elements: the human, the machine, and interactions and interdependencies between them. Concepts regarding human physiology, psychology, human factors, cognitive models, and human performance that support aspects of human machine teaming are of interest. Additionally, concepts regarding artificial intelligence, explainable AI (xAI), machine learning, modeling, feature engineering (e.g., biosignal processing), and human-machine interfaces, which support the mapping of the human to the machine, the interaction with the machine, elucidates trust, and other facets of the human machine system are all topic areas of focus.

Technical Discipline Eligibility Requirements & Other Rules

Submissions will be evaluated by a team which is comprised of:

• Members of the conference program committee
• Representatives from the Human Machine Teaming TC
• Participation is limited to current graduate and undergraduate students from any accredited, degree-program educational institution.
• The teams should be composed of at least one AIAA student member and at least one advisor who is an AIAA member.
• Submissions by individuals or teams are acceptable
• Required submission format: PowerPoint charts + short abstract
• Optional submission material: videos, system mock-ups, demonstrations

The criteria for which each idea will be evaluated on:

• Compliance: is the idea submission complete and does it comply with the rules of the challenge?
• Novelty: does the idea describe a novel approach to providing a solution?
• Originality: how original is the proposed technology or use of existing technology?
• Relevance: How well does the idea relate to the topic and provide a solution aligned with the goals of this challenge?
• Feasibility: how likely can the idea be prototyped?
• Value Proposition: if successful, how well does the idea solve a stakeholder’s need and how likely would the solution be transitioned to a stakeholder?

Please direct questions to:  Andrew Lacher , NASA

Intelligent Systems Best Student Paper

Students are invited to submit extended abstracts by the abstract submission deadline in any broad area of Intelligent Systems to the Intelligent Systems Student Paper Competition. Systems of interest include both military and commercial aerospace systems and those ground systems that are part of test, development, or operations of aerospace systems. Technologies that enable autonomy (i.e. safe and reliable operation with minimal or no human intervention) as well as collaborative human-machine teaming in complex aerospace systems/subsystems are of interest. These include but are not limited to: autonomous and expert systems; discrete planning/scheduling algorithms; intelligent data/image processing, learning, and adaptation techniques; data fusion and reasoning; and knowledge engineering. The application of such technologies to problems that highlight advanced air mobility, certification, carbon emissions/sustainability, space traffic management, and cislunar operations are of particular interest.

• A student paper competition session will be held on Monday evening of January 6th, 2025 at the SciTech Forum; finalists will present during this session.
• Papers will also be included in the conference proceedings, and you will also be required to present as a regular paper in the AIAA SciTech (Two presentations will occur, one on Monday and one in the regular conference schedule).
• Please follow the abstract submission requirements in the Intelligent Systems Technical Discipline Call for Papers.

Technical Discipline Selection Criteria A student competition paper subcommittee and the chair will review the full draft manuscripts submitted as IS student paper competition papers based upon:

• Originality
• Practical Applications or Theoretical Foundations
• Long-Term relevance to IS Technologies
• Technically New, Innovative, or Constructive Review
• Professional Integrity (Credits prior work, claims are supported by results, is objective)
• Clear Presentation (writing, organizing, and graphics)

All papers that are not selected will be forwarded to the area chairs for possible inclusion as regular conference papers. Directly after this session, the subcommittee will decide the winner based on both the paper and the presentation, and the student will be notified by email. The winner will be presented with an award, “Best Student Paper.”

Please direct questions to:  Prof. Carl Ollivier-Gooch , University of British Columbia

MVCE Best Student Paper

The Meshing, Visualization, and Computational Environments (MVCE) Technical Committee is holding a student paper competition for the AIAA SciTech Forum . The student who writes the best extended abstract will receive a $500 award, which will be paid in advance of the conference, to defray the cost of attending the AIAA SciTech Forum .

The extended abstracts will be judged by a subcommittee of the MVCE based upon the importance of the work, originality, quality, and completeness. To be eligible, the student needs to be full-time at either the graduate or undergraduate level. Students are encouraged to submit extended abstracts that are as close as possible to the anticipated final paper.

Please direct questions to: Andrew Dahir , MIT Lincoln Lab Scott Palo , University of Colorado Boulder

Small Satellite Best Student Paper Award

The AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee is proud to announce the Best Student Paper Competition at the AIAA SciTech Forum. Entrants will be judged by technical committee members and the judging will include both the written manuscript and the oral presentation.  Full-time students at any academic level are encouraged to participate and eligibility requirements are defined by the AIAA and outlined at the top of this page.  More details about the evaluation process can be obtained by contacting [email protected] .

Abstract: Students are encouraged to submit extended abstracts (70% complete papers) which demonstrate the maturity of the work. When submitting to the abstract submission website, select “Student Paper Competition” as the presentation type. Semi-finalists will be chosen based on an evaluation of the extended abstracts. The results of the semi-final round will not be made public.  Deadline: Final student manuscripts must be uploaded to the conference manuscript submission website by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time USA on 11 November 2024 (this is earlier than the deadline for regular technical papers). Students who miss this November deadline will be removed from the student paper competition but may still be allowed to present in the oral session.

The award evaluation will be based on both the written manuscript (75%) and oral presentation (25%).

Please direct questions to: Lulin Jiang , Baylor University Tarek Abdel-Salam , East Carolina University

Terrestrial Energy Systems Best Student Paper Award

This award will be presented to best student paper submitted under Terrestrial Energy Systems Technical Committee.

Please direct questions to: Andrew Lacher , NASA Langley Keith Hoffler , Adaptive Aerospace

Unmanned Systems Student Best Paper Award

Single paper awarded based on technical discipline selection criteria below.

Must be submitted/presented under any of the Unmanned Systems topics.

Selection will be done by a panel of 4-5 judges made up of the student paper competition chairs and 2-3 other committee members who do not have a conflict of interest with the candidates.

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ANSI Student Paper Competition

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2024 PAPER COMPETITION Announced!

Theme: what role do or could standards play in safe and effective implementation of artificial intelligence applications/systems.

Competition Details

After rapidly evolving in the Information Technology field (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) has now become versatile, with AI applications and systems being applied in a wide range of sectors, including entertainment, retail, healthcare, finance, real estate, and many more.

The rate at which AI is progressing has triggered research into the effects of AI, as well as the formation of advisory and review panels around the world, in an attempt to understand and protect against any negative societal impact. While safety, cybersecurity, and workforce risks are all at play in the AI space, there has not been an initiative to provide a comprehensive landscape of how various sectors are currently implementing the technology, the short-term positive and negative societal impacts, and how to best capture benefits and mitigate risks to users and society at large.

To highlight the power of standards as a tool to keep the use of AI as a positive impact, the ANSI 2024 Student Paper Competition invites authors to choose an industry sector and explore the ways in which AI Standards play a role in achieving a positive impact, or could do so in the future. Papers should identify a relevant standard or multiple standards and discuss how it/they can contribute to strategies and solutions for AI.

Submission Information

The paper competition is open to students enrolled full- or part-time in associate, undergraduate, or graduate programs during the period of September 2023 to June 2024 in U.S. higher education institutions. All entries must be submitted by June 7, 2024 , to Lisa Rajchel, [email protected] .

A cash prize of $2,000 will be given to the first place winner; a cash prize of $1,000 will be given to the second place winner. ANSI reserves the right to award no prizes based on the determination of the judges. All entries will receive a certificate from ANSI recognizing the submission of the paper. Winning papers will be published on ANSI.org and potentially in other media outlets.

Rules & Instructions

All entries must be submitted by june 7, 2024, to lisa rajchel, [email protected] , and must adhere to the following requirements:.

• Be written and submitted by student(s) (associate, undergraduate, or graduate, in any discipline) enrolled full- or part-time during the period of September 2023 to June 2024 at an institute of higher education located in the United States or its territories
• Include a title and a list of names of all contributing authors, their contact details, and the affiliated institute of higher education
• Be prefaced with an abstract of no more than 400 words
• Be fewer than 2,000 words (not including requirements #2 and #3 above, notes, tables, charts, and a bibliography that may not exceed 3 pages)
• Be in English and suitable for publication (final editing assistance will be provided before publication of winning papers)
• Be submitted in electronic format, preferably Microsoft Word or other revisable format, in 12-point type size
• Be original and not previously published (copyright will remain with the author; winners grant publication rights to ANSI, as well as the right to release entries to other media)

For full submission criteria, access the  ANSI 2024 Student Paper Competition flyer .

Resources for research.

ANSI has developed a list of suggested resources for research and references:

• Learn more about  voluntary consensus standards and American National Standards
• Search a  list of approved American National Standards
• Search the  organizations accredited by ANSI to develop American National Standards
• Search for international standards from the  International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• Search for international electrotechnical standards from the  International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• Check out some  user-friendly ANSI resources  that show the breadth of standards’ impact
• Search  ANSI’s online news archive  or  www.ansi.org  for more information

ARCHIVE OF PREVIOUS YEARS

Staff contact, secretary, ansi committee on education.

Phone: 212.642 4932 

Email: [email protected]

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Science Competitions

The Australian Science Olympiad is a national extension program aimed at top-performing secondary science students. The competiton culminates in participation in the International Science Olympiad.

BHP Billiton Science & Engineering Awards

http://www.scienceawards.org.au/

The BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards reward young people who have undertaken practical research projects demonstrating creativity, innovation and the use of thorough scientific and engineering procedures. Entry is by nomination and projects may be submitted into one of two categories: 1. experiment, research or investigation and 2. invention or engineering

Australian Science Innovations Big Science Competiton

The Big Science Competition is open to students from years 7 to 12 and is designed to track their performance against state and national averages. Questions are designed to test critical thinking and problem-solving skills and are set in contemporary contexts. Canadian Canada-Wide Science Fair http://cwsf.youthscience.ca/

The Canada-Wide Science Fair is split into three age categories: junior for grades 7 and 8, intermediate for grades 9 and 10, and senior for grades 11 and 12. In order to be able to participate at the CWSF, students must first compete at their regional science fairs.

First Canada

http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/main/

First Canada runs a range of programs, including First Robotics Canada, in which high school students (aged 14 – 18) team up with technology companies to build robots designed to compete against one another. For younger students, the First LEGO Leagues (using LEGO-based robots) are available.

Canadian National Brain Bee

2017 Canadian National Brain Bee

http://brainbee.ca/

The Brain Bee is a competition for high school students grades 9 through 12. Students are tested on their knowledge about neuroscience and the brain.

Sanofi Biogenius Canada

The Sanofi Biogenius Canada (SBC) program, open to all high school students across Canada, challenges entrants to carry out innovative research projects in the field of biotechnology. Those selected for the SBC competition are matched with local mentors, giving students hands-on research experience in a lab setting. Competitors compile their results and present their findings at regional competitions. Regional winners go on to the National stage, where they compete for the top spot and the chance to compete in the International Biogenius Challenge, held at the BIO International Convention.

University of Toronto National competition

http://www.biocomp.utoronto.ca/ International Ask a question and win: http://www.moleclues.org/ University of Toronto National Biology Competition http://www.biocomp.utoronto.ca/ European DNA day essay contest for 2017: http://www.dnaday.eu/640.0.html UK Poster contest:  https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/poster-competition/

Brain bee UK  National competition  www.brainbee-uk.com

The Uncover Copper Competition

http://copperalliance.org.uk/education/competitions/2017-copper-competition

Are you a UK student aged 11–16? Would you like the chance to win £100 (plus £500 for your school) by exploring copper’s essential role in our present and future? Read on!

British Heart Foundation competition

http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/britishheartfoundationcompetition

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is offering primary and secondary schools across the UK the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime interactive workshop with a BHF-funded researcher to teach pupils about what the heart does and how it works.

http://www.physoc.org/biobakes2016

Tap into Great British Bake Off fever by making your own science cake! The Physiological Society is challenging you to make a cake which explains how your body works for your chance to win some great prizes.

The Junior Memory Championship

http://www.juniormemorychampionship.com/

Now in its ninth year, The Junior Memory Championship™, a hugely popular nationwide memory championship for primary school children, is officially open for entries for 2017

The Big Bang Competition

http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/the-big-bang-competition/enter-your-project/

The Big Bang Competition lets more young people than ever showcase their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects and is open to UK residents in full-time secondary education

Design for a Better World

http://practicalaction.org/design-for-a-better-world

Design for a better world offers an exciting new global design challenge and competition for students aged 11-14 years. The deadline for entering the competition is the 16th December 2016.

Edina Trust

http://www.edinatrust.org.uk/

The Edina Trust provides non-competitive, easy-to-access grants, for primary schools in certain areas of the UK, to be used to promote the teaching of science and gardening.

Salters’ National Awards for Science Technicians

We are delighted to announce that for 2016 these awards are in collaboration with both CLEAPSS and SSERC. The aim of the Awards continues to be about highlighting the importance of technicians in enabling high quality practical work to take place.

CONNECT Young Founders

http://connect.catalyst-inc.org/programmes/youngfounders

A very different, very fun experience for budding innovators that will help bridge the gap between an idea and commercial viability. Open to students aged 16-18 and resident in Northern Ireland, five finalists will receive an 8 week summer internships, £1500 each, and mentoring from an expert entrepreneur

British Science week

Poster competition: https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/poster-competition/

Fundraising for lions

https://www.zsl.org/school-lion-fundraising-register-of-interest

Fundraising for lions competition: This fantastic fundraising pack will empower your students to take some social action while having great fun learning about Asiatic lions. Open for students aged 3 to 18 years of age.

Clean Tech Competition

http://www.cleantechcompetition.org/

The Clean Tech Competition is a research and design challenge for pre-college youth that builds on sound scientific understanding of real-world issues and the integration of science, English/language arts, mathematics, technology, the arts, and the design process. Registration closes 26 February 2016. First round submissions due 18 March 2016.

CLEAPSS – ASE Primary Competition

http://www.cleapss.org.uk/primary/primary-resources

This year’s competition is all about improving biodiversity around the school or local area. Entry is open until 25 October 2016.

Imagine Cup Innovation Competition

Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition. We invite all eligible students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution in one of our competitions and challenges.

The WEIZMANN UK Safe Cracking Physics Tournament & ISSI

http://www.weizmann.org.uk/education/introduction#physics-competition

Teams who win the UK tournament receive a travel grant to enable them to travel to and spend 4 days exploring the Weizmann campus and taking part in the Shalheveth Freier International Tournament. Registration for the 2016 Tournament has now closed but registration for the 2017 competition opens in September 2016.

The Great Bug Hunt

http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/GBH2016

As spring approaches, search the habitats around you for bugs of all descriptions. Research, record, draw, paint, photograph and enter your results in the Great Bug Hunt for primary schools. Entry to the 2016 Competition is open until 17 June 2016

Salters’ Chemistry Club Handbook

http://saltersinstitute.co.uk/festivals/festival-news/

The Salters’ Chemistry Club Handbooks 1 and 2 are a very popular source of activities for teachers to use in chemistry clubs, enrichment activities or open evenings.

Armourers and Brasiers Tata Sixth Form Materials Prize

http://www.iom3.org/ab-sixth-form-prize

A new competition designed to support schools in encouraging students to develop a sustained interest in STEM careers.

Beat the Flood

http://practicalaction.org/beattheflood

Suitable for KS2-3 (age 7-14) pupils use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house.

Practical Action STEM Resources

http://practicalaction.org/stem

A range of different STEM challenges that can be both incorporated into your lessons or be used as the basis for an off-timetable day. Perfect for National Science and Engineering Week.

SCI-TECH Challenge

http://share.jayeapps.com/scitech/

A European scheme bringing together students for an annual challenge competition.

Dulux Design Competition

http://www.gratnells.com/Education/EducationZone/duluxdesigncompetition.aspx

Biology Challenge

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/biology-challenge

Biology Challenge is open to 13-15 year old pupils in Year 9/Year 10 in England and Wales, Year 10/Year 11 in Northern Ireland and S2/S3 in Scotland.

Photography Competition

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/photography-competition

Intermediate Biology Olympiad

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/intermediate-biology-olympiad

3,500 students took part in the 2016 Intermediate Biology Olympiad on 22nd June 2016. Certificates will be posted to teachers of bronze, silver and gold winning students at the start of the 2016 autumn term.

British Biology Olympiad

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/british-biology-olympiad

The  British Biology Olympiad  (BBO) is a competition to reward the best young biologists in the country. The Royal Society of Biology supports a team of dedicated volunteers who organise the competition.

BP ULTIMATE STEM CHALLENGE 2017

We are excited to share that BP has launched the  Ultimate STEM Challenge  for a third year in partnership with the Science Museum and STEM Learning. This year, students aged 11 to 14 across the UK are being challenged to use their STEM skills creatively to design either a  rocket ,  remote controlled aircraft  or  robot arm  that enables a safer and easier working environment in some of the Earth’s most extreme locations. Information is outlined on the  BP Education Services website  and more information will be available to share with schools in the near future.

The challenges are designed to inspire your students, not just the science enthusiasts. STEM Ambassadors can also get involved to help inspire your students by bringing real-world knowledge and applications to the challenges.

Teams are made up of two to four students aged 11 to 14, and they can win some fantastic prizes, including an invitation to a celebration event at the Science Museum, an Ultimate STEM experience day, £500 for their school and Science Museum goodies.

BLOODHOUND MICRO:BIT MODEL ROCKET CAR CHALLENGE – SEASON 2

Bloodhound SSC Education Team have launched  season 2 of the Micro:Bit model rocket car challenge  (England and Wales only).

The challenge is free for schools to enter and the Army, one of the main sponsors, is again providing some of the kit required free of charge. The competition is open to years 3 to 11. More details  here .

CLEAPSS – ASE PRIMARY COMPETITION 2016

This year’s  CLEAPSS – ASE Primary Competition  is all about improving biodiversity around the school or local area. This year the primary competition is bigger and better than ever! We know that primary schools do great work improving their local environment. Through the competition, we are keen to help you get outside and celebrate working with nature.

Download the competition details  here . Entry is open until  25 October .

SMALLPEICE TRUST STEM DAYS

Introduce your students to the exciting world of engineering by booking an in-school Smallpeice Trust STEM Day  for Years 6-11 – perfect for bringing science, technology, engineering and maths subjects to life. A Smallpeice educator will come to your school to hold a STEM Day workshop for up to 60 students. Depending on the course you’ve booked, the session will run for a full or half-day around normal school hours.

Pupils taking part can register for a Discovery CREST Award (FREE to Welsh students)

Most of the STEM Days are FREE thanks to sponsorship of our corporate partners.

NATIONAL SCIENCE + ENGINEERING COMPETITION

If your pupils have carried out a CREST Award you can enter their project for the  National Science + Engineering Competition . This is open to all 11-18 year olds living in the UK and in full-time education. The deadline is Monday 31 October 2016.

FORENSIC OUTREACH COMPETITION (STUDENTS AGED 11-16)

The competition is designed to encourage students to apply their knowledge of art history, science, mathematics and cryptanalysis to solve the mystery of Leonardo da Vinci’s real-life missing painting, The Battle of Anghiari. The challenge includes a lesson plan, worksheets and other resources.

Register your interest  here .

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE

FIRST LEGO League  (FLL) challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the  TRASH TREKSM  season, teams will choose and solve a real-world trash problem in the Project. They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under FLL’s signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism®. Registration now open.

ENTERPRISE TROOPERS

Enterprise Troopers  is a national competition for primary schools aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship in young people. To register your interest please email us at  [email protected]  or call 0844 736 6150.

THE LEADERS AWARD FOR STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS)

The  Primary, Secondary and Advanced Leaders Award for STEM  is a  Primary Engineer programme open to students from 5 to 19 years old. It is a fantastic way to increase their awareness of the breadth of opportunities open to them within STEM subjects. We help students to develop vital literacy and communication skills, and give them the chance to speak directly to professionals from different fields in STEM.

Register today! For more information, please contact  [email protected] .

NUFFIELD RESEARCH PLACEMENTS

The  Nuffield Foundation offers up to 1,000 funded places  a year, so that year 12 students across the UK can get an insight into the world of scientific research and development, including areas of technology, engineering and maths.

THE BIG SCIENCE CHALLENGE

Do you teach in a secondary school in the UK or the Middle East? Then enter our exciting competition and you could win a trip to London or Dubai for you and your students. The Big Science Challenge was created by the British Council and Rolls-Royce. Find out more about the competition and get further guidance and support go to  http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/the-big-science-challenge/resources .

WOODLAND TRUST

This is a good website with activities and competitions.

• Suitable for children under 13.
• Join the nature detectives CLUB – only £18 for a whole year of adventures
• 350+ activities – get weekly wildlife challenges, a giant wall chart and stickers, plus activity packs in the post – perfect for inquisitive young explorers.

More  www.naturedetectives.org.uk/club/

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

http://sciencechallenge.org/about

The RCSU Science Challenge is an annual science communication competition that asks entrants to demonstrate their skills in scientific debate and reasoning. The competition is open to those in secondary school or equivalent anywhere in the world.

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition

http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition seeks to recognise and reward the achievements made by young people across all aspects of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The compeition is open to all UK residents in full-time education or training (year group 7-13 and Scottish/NI equivalent).

The ODYSSEUS II project

The ODYSSEUS II project aims to foster the developments of qualified engineers, scientists and technicians in areas relevant to the priorities of EU space policy. The educational contest (The Youth for Space Challenge) combines scientific learning with hands-on experience. Organized in multiple rounds, the contest targets students throughout Europe.

CREST Awards

http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/crest-awards

CREST Awards are open to to those aged 11 to 19, giving entrants an opportunity to take ownership of their projects and explore real-world science, technology, engineering and math challenges.

UK Space Design Competition

The UK Space Design Competition is a science and engineering challenge that aims to replicate real work in the industry. Teams are provided with a list of requirements for a hypotheical space settlement, around which they must create a detailed design. The UKSDC is open to secondary and sixth form students (years 10 – 13) in the UK), and entry to the competition is via video and regional events. Winning teams from the entry points take part in a residential competition weekend hosted by Imperial College London. From there, they may go on to the international final at a NASA space center. A series of micro-competitions replicate experience for students in years 7 to 9.

Imperial College London Faculty of Natural Sciences Schools Science Competition

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/natural-sciences/study/schools-science-competition/

The Schools Science Competition is run by the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College and is open to teams of students from secondary schools in the Greater London area.

• Science Olympiad

https://www.soinc.org/about

Every year, more than 9 million students in grades K–12 enter a science competition. Of those, only several thousand students in grades 9–12 participate in the topmost levels of competition. These prestigious competitions include:

BioResearch Academy Summer Camp

Since the inaugural program in 2017, BioResearch Academy’s mission has been to enlighten young, motivated biological scientists on thinking creatively about research problems. It aims to inspire the next generation of researchers through transformative instruction and social learning within an intimate community of like-minded peers.

Use the Referral Code “ BioOlympiads ” and get a free book, “How to prepare for the biology olympiad and science competitions” by Martyna Petrulyte.

https://bioresearchacademy.com/

• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair website
• Intel’s ISEF website  contains additional information.
• Intel Science Talent Search website
• Intel’s STS website  contains additional information.
• Siemens Foundation website
• Siemens Competition rules and applications
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) : A competition for high school students only. Regional winners proceed to a national competition.
• International BioGENEius Challenge : For high school students only; recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology. Process is state, national, international; hosted by the Biotechnology Institute. Top prize is a $7,500 cash award.
• Google Science Fair : The Google Science Fair is an online science competition open to students ages 13-18 from around the globe. Top prize is a $50,000 scholarship.
• Some of the larger state and regional fairs.

Check out the websites for videos and much more information. Each of these competitions is distinctly different, but they all have extremely high standards for success, generally far beyond what is expected at other levels of competition. So, if you are in middle school or junior high school, we hope you aspire to participate in these fairs, but don’t worry about your current project meeting the same standards. Virtually all of the participants in the top competitions “worked their way up” from much simpler projects when they were younger!

Other opportunities:

DANA Foundation Neuroscience Project contest: http://www.dana.org/uploadedFiles/DABEC_guidelines.pdf

• AAN Neuroscience Prizes
• BioGENEius Challenge
• Broadcom MASTERS
• CTY Cogito Research Awards
• Davidson Fellows
• Destination ImagiNation
• Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge
• DuPont Challenge Science Essay Contest
• eCYBERMISSION!
• ExploraVision Awards Program
• Future Problem Solving Program

Google Science Fair

• High School Physics Photo Contest
• Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)
• Intel International Science Talent Search
• International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
• Junior Science & Humanities Symposium
• MIT THINK Scholars Program
• National Science Bowl
• Odyssey of the Mind
• Siemens Competition
• USA Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
• You Be The Chemist  Challenge

BIOLOGY & MARINE SCIENCE

• AFA Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship
• American Sleep Medicine Foundation High School Video Contest
• American Society of Human Genetics DNA Day Contest
• BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge
• Brain Awareness Video Contest
• Coleopterists Society Youth Incentive Award
• Davidson Fellows Awards
• Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge
• DuPont Challenge: Science Essay Competition
• eCybermission
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
• Intel Science Talent Search
• International Brain Bee
• International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM)
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
• National Ocean Sciences Bowl
• Neuroscience for Kids Poetry Writing Contest
• Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards
• USA Biology Olympiad

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

• 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program
• Action for Nature International Young Eco-Hero Awards
• Brower Youth Awards
• The DuPont Challenge: Science Essay Competition
• Earthwatch Student Challenge Awards
• The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
• National Junior Horticultural Association Environmental Awareness Project
• Our World Underwater Competition
• President’s Environmental Youth Awards
• River of Words Art and Poetry Contest
• SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards
• Shell Eco-marathon
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize
• Thacher Environmental Research Contest

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT SITES

• Discovery Channel’s Science Fair Central
• HomeworkSpot.com Science Fair Center
• LibrarySpot.com
• Math Projects for Science Fairs
• Project Laboratory in Mathematics
• Science Buddies
• WWW Virtual Library: Directory of Science Fair

Opportunities for Students/Classes

1) National Youth Science Camp – application: https://nysc.fluidreview.com/ information: http://www.nysf.com/w/programs/nysc/ This is a fabulous 4 week long, residential, all-expenses paid, summer science bonanza for graduating seniors. Those involved speak very highly of it, especially getting to know interesting people from around the country. Wisconsin can send two delegates. Applications are due by Feb 17, 2016.

2) Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge – http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/enter?utm_source=DiscoveryEducation Students in grades 5-8 are asked to propose a new invention or solution to an everyday problem, and explain their solution in a one-to-two minute video. Parents/guardians must register their child. The grand prize winner receives $25,000, though there will other finalists, and a winner from each state will receive a $250 technology package.

3) Free field trip transportation to Aldo Leopold Nature Center (ALNC), Monona, WI – http://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org During the month of January, you and your students can get free transportation to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. For a list of programs, visit their website: http://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org/, click on Programs, then click on School Programs.

4) Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision – http://www.exploravision.org/ Student teams envision a technology 20 years from now. Categories are K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. The extensive project write-up and presentation, which could certainly be linked to your science standards, is due Feb 1st .

5) EngineerGirl Essay Contest – http://www.engineergirl.org/26567.aspx In this contest open to boys and girls, students write about a new technology and how it can improve safety, health, well-being, and/or sustainability. Due Feb 1, 2016. Grade banded 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.

6) MIT Research Science Institute for Juniors – https://www.cee.org/apply-rsi During the summer after their junior year, students can participate in this prestigious summer STEM institute from June 26 to Aug 6 at MIT. The only cost is travel to get there and back. Very high academic qualifications are required.

Medical/Healthcare Opportunities:

Camp Cardiac  is a one week (8/1 – 8/5) medical career/studies program for students 15 and older, located at the NYU/Langone Medical center in Manhattan. The cost is $800 (scholarships available, & must be applied for by April 4). Camp Neuro is a similar one week program focusing on neuroscience. The cost is $800, with scholarships available. The application deadline for both programs is April 25. – learn more at these links: http://www.campcardiac.org/apply.html http://www.campcardiac.org/ http://www.campcardiac.org/new-york-city.html http://www.campneuro.org/

The Perry Initiative  offers one-day programs for girls (currently in 10th grade or higher) interested in medicine, science, or engineering, with a focus on the latest technologies in the field of orthopedic medicine. The application deadline for the next program, which takes place on May 14 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, is April 14; learn more and apply at this link: http://perryinitiative.org/programs/student-online-application/

Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan  is offering free biology-related summer courses to 9th, 10th, and 11th-graders, and also structured summer hospital internships to current high school juniors who are economically disadvantaged (free/reduced lunch) or from under-represented demographic groups (AfricanAmerican, Latino, Native American). The application deadline for all their programs is April 8. Learn more about these two programs and apply via these links: http://icahn.mssm.edu/about/diversity/ceye/programs/summer http://www.mssm.edu/static_files/MSSM/Files/Education/CMCA/Hospitalplaceme ntapplication.pdf

Bronx residents : 10th and 11th-grade students who live in the Bronx are eligible for summer medical internships in that borough. The initial application deadline is April 1. Learn more and apply at these links: http://www.bwahec.org/programs

New:  Sigma Camp  is a one-week math/science camp in Connecticut scheduled for 8/14-8/21. Students up to 16 years old may apply, and the cost is $1,150, with some limited financial aid available – the application deadline is April 18. Learn more at: http://www.sigmacamp.org/2016/info http://www.sigmacamp.org/2016/apply

The Google Science Fair  welcomes entries from high school students. The application deadline is May 18 – learn more at: https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/

The Manhattan College (in Riverdale) Summer Institute in Engineering  takes place from 7/18-7/21 and is open to all students. The cost is $100, and the deadline to apply is April 15 – learn more and apply at: http://manhattan.edu/academics/engineering/mechanical-engineering/summerinstitute http://manhattan.edu/academics/engineering/mechanical-engineering/summerinstitute/engineering-summer-institute-application

Oceanography:  The SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx  offers a ten-day program of classes and lab/fieldwork studying oceanography. All current 9th-11th graders are eligible, and the cost is $400 for the 6/27 – 7/8 sessions. Learn more at: http://www.sunymaritime.edu/Waterfront/Programs/WaterfrontSummerCamps

https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/

The Google Science Fair is one of the best-known international student science competitions. It is open to students aged 13 to 18.

eCYBERMISSION

https://www.ecybermission.com/

eCYBERMISSION is a web-based competition open to students from grades 6 to 9. Teams must use scientific, mathematical and engineering principles in order to solve a problem stemming from one of the following mission challenge categories: alternative sources of energy, food, health and fitness, forces and motion, robotics, technology, national security and safety and the environment.

Junior Solar Sprint

The Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) is a free educational program for students in the 5th through 8th grades. Entrants are required to conceptualise, construct and then race their own solar-powered cars. The aim is to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to create the fastest, best-crafted solar vehicle possible.

Young Mind Awards

http://www.youngmindawards.com/

The Young Mind Awards is a global compeition that focuses on promiting design engineering and research at the middle, high school and undergraduate levels. The competition spans five categeories: wireless, medical, research and development, electromechanical/mechanical and electronic.

Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS)

http://teams.tsaweb.org/

Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) is a one-day annual competition open to middle and high school students. During the competition, students apply their mathematical and scientific knowledge in order to help solve real-world engineering challenges.

MIT THINK Competition

http://think.mit.edu/overview/

The THINK Scholars Program is an educational outreach initiative that aims to promote the spheres of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by funding and supporting projects developed by students at the high school level. The program is run by undergraduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is sponsored by technology companies and educational organizations.

Desitnation Imagination

Destination Imagination is a worldwide competition open those kindergarten through university level. Students form teams of up to 7 members, select their preferred challenge and work together to develop a innovative and creative solution.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)

http://isef.intel.eu/

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. It draws on students who have participated in regional sciencie fairs within the Intel ISEF-affiliated network and provides them with the opportunity to showcase their independent research. Substantial prizes and scholarships are awarded. Zero Robotics

http://zerorobotics.mit.edu/

Zero Robotics is a programming competition in which the robots in question are SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites) inside the International Space Station. The competition has two divisions: the first is the the High School Tournament, focused on students in grades 9-12; the second is the 5-week Middle School Summer Program, which takes place at various locations across the United States.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl®

http://science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb/

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl® is an academic competition designed to examine middle and high school students’ knowledge across a variety of science and mathematics areas. Teams compete against one another in a rapid question-and-answer format, and are tested on a range of subject areas including chemistry, biology, Earth science, phsyics, mathematics, energy and more.

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams™

http://lemelson.mit.edu/overview

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams™ are made up of high school students, mentors and teachers who are awarded funds needed to invent technological solutions to real-world problems of their own choosing. A new program, JV InvenTeams (for 9th – 10th grade students) is designed to help develop young people’s skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through invention-based design activities.

The Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology

https://www.siemens-foundation.org/programs/the-siemens-competition-in-math-science-technology/

The Siemens Competition aims to promote excellence in mathematics, science and technology. High school students may submit either individual or team research projects to regional and national levels of the competition. College scholarships are awarded to winners.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) Program

JSHS is open to students from grades 9 -12 interested in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Entrants submit their original (field-based, experimental, observational or applied) research project before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers.

ExploraVision

http://www.exploravision.org/

ExploraVision is a science competition in which teachers sponsor and lead students in groups of 2-4 as they simulate real research and development. The aim of the competition is to envision what a current technology might look like in 20 years’ time. The competition is open to K – 12 students enrolled in public, private or home schools in the United States and Canada and is open to all interest, skill and ability levels.

Neuroscience Research Prize

http://tools.aan.com/science/awards/?fuseaction=home.info&id=11

This award was established to encourage US students in grades 9 – 12 to explore the brain and nervous system through laboratory research.

FIRST Programs

http://www.firstinspires.org/

The mission of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is to engage young people ahed K – 12 in programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills. Programs on offer include The FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competiton, among others.

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is open to students in grades 5 – 8 and asks entrants to come up with innovative solutions to solve everyday engineering and science issues.

BioGENEius Challenges

http://www.biotechinstitute.org/go.cfm?do=Page.View&pid=89

The BioGENEius Challenges provide high school students with a chance to compete and be recognized for excellent research in the sphere of biotechnology. The three challenges in which students can compete are the Global Healthcare Challenge (relating to medical biotechnology), the Global Sustainability Challenge (agricultural biotechnology) and the Global Environment Challenge (industrial/environmental biotechnology).

Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge

http://www.conradchallenge.org/

The Conrad Challenge is an annual, multi-phase competition in innovation and entrepreneurship. The competition seeks interesting and viable solutions across four areas, namely: cyber technology and security, energy and environment, health and nurtition and aerospace and aviation.

Future Engineers

http://www.futureengineers.org/

Future Engineers is an educational and design platform that hosts and develops challenges for young innovators and engineers.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE

• Alzheimer’s Association  (Multiple locations)
• American Cancer Society  (Multiple locations)
• Arthritis Foundation  (CA)
• Bay Area Red Cross Summer Internships  (CA)
• Baylor University High School Summer Science Research Program  (TX)
• Buck Institute for Age Research Summer Scholars Program  (CA)
• Cancer Research Center of Hawaii  (HI)
• Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute Cystic Fibrosis Summer Research Award  (CA)
• Children’s National Medical Center Student Innovators Program  (DC)
• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Job Shadow Program  (OH)
• City of Hope Cancer Center Summer Student Academy  (CA)
• Cleveland Clinic Department of Biomedical Engineering  (OH)
• Coriell Institute for Medical Research Summer Internships  (NJ)
• Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE)  (MA)
• Depression and Bipolar Alliance  (IL)
• Doris Duke Foundation Academy for Clinical Research  (PA)
• Drexel University College of Medicine High School Summer Research Internship Program  (PA)
• Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP)  (Multiple locations)
• Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Student Internship Program  (NY)
• The Forsyth Institute Scientific Scholars Program  (MA)
• Georgetown/Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Summer High School Volunteer Program  (DC)
• Harvard Medical School Project Success Opening the Door to Biomedical Careers  (MA)
• Harvard School of Public Health Summer Research Apprenticeship Program  (MA)
• Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research Summer Internship Program  (IN)
• HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology BioTrain Summer Internship  (AL)
• Human BioMolecular Research Institute Scientific Summer Internship  (CA)
• Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Summer Internship Program  (IN)
• Indiana University Cancer Center Summer Research Program  (IN)
• Institute on Neuroscience at Yerkes  (Multiple locations)
• J. Craig Venter Institute Internship Program  (MD, CA)
• The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program  (ME)
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Computational Biology  (MD)
• Johns Hopkins University Center Scholars Program  (MD)
• Joint Biotechnology Institute  (CA)
• Magee Women’s Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program  (PA)
• Masonic Medical Research Laboratory Summer Fellowship Program  (NY)
• Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Summer Research Internship  (FL)
• Medical College of Wisconsin Apprenticeship in Medicine Program  (AIM) (WI)
• Monmouth University School of Science Summer Research Program  (NJ)
• Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory High School Summer Research Fellowships  (ME)
• National Cancer Institute Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics Summer Internship Program  (MD)
• National Cancer Institute Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern Program  (MD)
• National Eye Institute Diversity in Vision Research and Ophthalmology Internship  (DC)
• National Human Genome Research Institute Summer Institute in Biomedical Research  (MD)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Summer Internship Program  (MD)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse Summer Research Program  (Multiple locations)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Summer Internship Program  (Multiple locations)
• National Institutes of Health Office of Biotechnology Activities Summer Internship Opportunities  (MD)
• National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research  (Multiple locations)
• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research  (MD)
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory Higher Education Research Experiences  (TN)
• Rockefeller University Science Outreach Program  (NY)
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute Summer Research Program for High School Students  (NY)
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies High School Summer Enrichment Program  (CA)
• San Diego Zoo Internships  (CA)
• Scripps Research Institute High School Student Research Education Program  (CA)
• Seattle Biomedical Research Institute  (WA)
• Stanford University Institutions of Medicine Summer Research Program  (CA)
• STEP-UP  (Multiple locations)
• Translational Genomics Research Institute Helios Scholars Program  (AZ)
• Tufts University Adventures in Veterinary Medicine Program  (MA)
• University of California-Berkeley Summer Stem Cell Research Internship Program  (CA)
• University of California-San Francisco Department of Pediatrics High School Summer Internship Program  (CA)
• University of California-San Francisco High School Biomedical Internship Program  (CA)
• University of California-Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program  (CA)
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences  (IL)
• University of Connecticut School of Medicine High School Student Research Apprenticeship Program  (CT)
• University of Massachusetts Neuroscience and Mental Health Summer Internship  (MA)
• University of Minnesota Medical School Lillehei Heart Institute Summer Research Scholars Program  (MN)
• University of Nebraska Medical Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders Travis B. Lewis Scholarship Award  (NE)
• University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Summer Academy  (PA)
• University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences  (TX)
• University of Utah Bioscience Summer Research Program for High School Students  (UT)
• University of Washington Genomics Workshops  (WA)
• Vanderbilt University Research Experience for High School Students  (TN)
• Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science  (MD)
• Washington University School of Medicine Young Scientist Program  (MO)
• Weizmann Institute of Science International Summer Science Institute  (Israel)
• The Wistar Institute Summer Fellowship Program  (PA)

BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

• Animal Internships  (Multiple locations)
• American Fisheries Society Student Opportunities and Internships  (Multiple locations)
• ARCUS Joint Science Education Program  (Greenland)
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums  (Multiple locations)
• The Bridge Student Opportunities Marine Science & Ecology  (Multiple locations)
• Bronx Zoo Teen Internship Program  (NY)
• Brooklyn Botanical Garden Apprentice Program for High School Students  (NY)
• Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University Department of Plant Biology  (CA)
• Central Park Conservancy  (NY)
• Cornell University Plant Genome Research Program Internships  (NY)
• Earth Sciences High School Internship Program  (CA)
• Earthwatch Institute Student Fellowship Programs  (Multiple locations)
• Environmental Internships  (Multiple locations)
• Environmental Internships and Volunteer Opportunities for NYC Students  (PDF) (NY)
• Environment and Marine Summer Programs and Internship Opportunities  (Multiple locations)
• Geosciences Bridge Program  (MD)
• Girls on Ice  (WA and AK)
• Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program  (Multiple locations)
• Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory High School Internships  (ID)
• IFRE Volunteers Abroad  (Multiple locations)
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) George Washington Carver (GWC) Internship Program  (IA)
• Joint Bioenergy Institute  (CA)
• Marine Advanced Technology Education Internships  (Multiple locations)
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park Summers of Discovery  (NC)
• National Park Service Student Internships  (Multiple locations)
• National Park Service Volunteer Opportunities  (Multiple locations)
• New York Botanical Garden Internships  (NY)
• New York City Recreation and Parks  (NY)
• Ocean Careers  (Multiple locations)
• Oregon Health and Science University  (OR)
• Santa Fe Institute Summer Research Program  (NM)
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Volunteer Opportunities  (DC)
• Stanford University Earth Sciences High School Internship Program  (CA)
• Student Conservation Association Internships  (Multiple locations)
• SUNY Oneonta Summer Internships at the Biological Field Station  (NY)
• Teen Advocates for Science Communicatio n (CA)
• Teen Environmental Education Mentorship  (CA)
• University of California-Davis Young Scholars Program  (CA)
• University of California-Santa Cruz Science Internship Program  (CA
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)  (IL)
• University of Missouri-St. Louis Students and Teachers as Research Scientists  (MO)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Internships  (Multiple locations)
• U.S. Department of Energy Student Internships  (Multiple locations)
• U.S. Department of Energy Student Internships in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy  (DC)
• U.S. Geological Survey  (Multiple locations)
• USDA Forest Service Temporary Student Employment Program  (OR)
• USDA Internships  (Multiple locations)
• Wave Hill  (NY)
• Woods Hole Science Aquarium Summer Internship Program  (MA)
• American Chemical Society Project SEED  (Multiple locations)
• Appalachian Regional Commission/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Summer Math-Science-Technology Institute (Multiple locations)
• ARCUS Joint Science Education Project  (Greenland)
• Argonne National Laboratory Pre-College Research Participation Program  (IL)
• Boston University Research Internship in Science & Engineering  (MA)
• Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program  (NY)
• Brookhaven National Laboratory STEM-Prep Summer Institute  (NY)
• California Academy of Sciences Careers in Science Intern Program  (CA)
• Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) Research Science Institute (RSI)  (MA)
• Cornell University Nanobiotechnology Center High School Summer Research Internship  (NY)
• Department of Homeland Security High School STEM Summer Internship Program  (Multiple locations)
• Exploratorium Explainers Program  (CA)
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory QuarkNet Summer Research Program  (IL)
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory TARGET: Science and Engineering Program  (IL)
• The Forsyth Institute Educational Outreach Program  (MA)
• George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program  (DC and VA)
• George Washington University and the Department of Defense Science and Engineering Apprentice Program  (DC)
• Idaho National Laboratory High School Internships  (ID)
• Los Alamos National Laboratory High School Cooperative Program  (NM)
• Maine Space Grant Consortium Research Internships for Teachers and Students  (ME)
• Michigan State University High School Honors Science Program  (MI)
• Monell Science Apprenticeship Program  (PA)
• Museum of Science Summer Youth Internship Program  (MA)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology Summer High School Intern Program  (Multiple locations)
• National Science Foundation Student Opportunities  (Multiple locations)
• Naval Research Laboratory Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program  (Multiple locations)
• Naval Research Laboratory Student Volunteers  (Multiple locations)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory High School Programs  (WA)
• Pathways to Science  (Multiple locations)
• Penn Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program  (PA)
• Planetary Society Global Volunteer Network  (Multiple locations)
• Sandia National Laboratory Pre-college Internship Program  (CA and NM)
• Science.gov  (Multiple locations)
• Smithsonian Institution Science Education Center Internship Program  (DC)
• Smithsonian Institution Youth Engagement Through Science  (DC)
• Stanford University Accelerator Center SLAC Youth Opportunity Program  (CA)
• Stanford University Internships for High School Students  (CA)
• Stony Brook University Simons Summer Research Program  (NY)
• SUNY Stonybrook Summer Research Program  (NY)
• Texas Tech University Clark Scholars Program  (TX)
• University of California-Berkeley Summer High School Apprenticeship Program  (CA)
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Research Opportunities for High School Students  (NC)
• University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics Summer High School Research Program  (NY)
• University of Texas Welch Summer Scholar Program  (TX)
• University of Wyoming Summer Research Apprenticeship Program  (WY)
• YouSTEM  (CA)

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15 Research Competitions for High School Students

Students benefit from participating in research competitions in a variety of ways, including learning how to present their findings and gaining experience in an important field of their interest. Competitions are not only a strong extracurricular activity, but reaching the finals can also help students earn college scholarships. Being a significant achievement, it may even open opportunities, such as laying the groundwork for a career in research and helping one land an internship.

It also aids them in becoming competitive candidates for college admissions by demonstrating students' intellectual prowess and capacity to work on a rigorous project, either individually or as part of a team. Even if they don't win or place in the competition, students can use their participation to demonstrate what they have learned about their chosen academic field and how they have explored their passion for the discipline.

In this post, we have compiled a list of 15 well-respected research competitions that are sure to boost your high school profile.

Here are 15 Research Competitions for High School Students:

1. Regeneron Science Talent Search

This talent hunt, which began in 1942 as a program of the Society for Science & the Public (the Society), is widely regarded as the nation's most renowned high school science research competition. Young scientists present their original findings to a panel of nationally recognized professional scientists as part of the competition. 300 Regeneron STS scholars are chosen from 1,800 applicants, and they and their schools are each granted $2,000. From the group of scholars, forty finalists are chosen, who get an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and compete for another $1.8 million in prizes, including a top prize of $250,000.

2. MIT THINK Scholars Program

Most research competitions require participants to have already completed the project, but the THINK program is different in that students only need to have completed background research for a project in the science, technology, or engineering fields before applying. Those whose projects are selected receive $1,000 funding and mentorship from MIT students. They also get a paid trip to MIT's campus to meet professors in their field of research, tour labs, and attend MIT's xFair. Students in grades 9th to 12th are eligible.

3. Google Science Fair

Students aged 13 to 18 submit science research ideas to be judged by a panel of scientists and experts in this competition. At various levels, victors are rewarded generous scholarships, cool gear, and unique opportunities such as internships. Past projects include battery-free lighting and wearable sensors to improve the safety of Alzheimer's patients.

4. AAN Neuroscience Research Prize

The nervous system/brain is the center of this competition, with students investigating and solving problems linked to it. Students do their own neuroscience research, which is evaluated based on its relevance to neuroscience, originality, data interpretation, and research reports. The competition is open to students in grades 9 through 12, and only individual entries are accepted.

5. Odyssey of the Mind

This challenge encourages high school students to think outside the box by identifying problems and developing innovative solutions. After a school or community group purchases membership, they qualify for the competition, which takes place at the regional, state, and national levels. The competition is open to students from grades 9th to 12th. 6. International BioGENEius Challenge

Recognizing outstanding research in biotechnology, this challenge gives students the opportunity to win cash awards for their work. Finalists present their research before a panel of expert biotech judges. Students receive the unique opportunity of being able to meet top industry professionals and gain valuable advice and insight on their projects.

7. Davidson Fellows

Students 18 and under who have completed a project in one of several subjects, including STEM, are eligible for the Davidson Fellows Scholarship, which awards $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 scholarships. It's a prestigious and competitive scholarship to obtain, and the projects the recipients generate are frequently on par with those produced by college graduates. Research projects should "contribute a work that is acknowledged as an extraordinary accomplishment by experts in the field and has the potential to benefit society."

8. ExploraVision

The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision initiative is a competition for students to improve their STEM skills. Participants research a current technology and then envision what it will look like in 20 years, including development processes, benefits and drawbacks, and challenges. Students work in groups of 2-4 with the help of a teacher who serves as a mentor.

9. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF)

As the premier science fair in the United States, Regeneron ISEF is one of the best-known high school science competitions. Even ranking within the top 100 is enough to help one's university application stand out.

Unlike Regeneron STS, students can't apply directly to the ISEF. Instead, they have to first participate in a regional science fair. Doing well there helps the student qualify for the next ISEF rounds. Key factors for winning include innovation and originality. To show originality for the ISEF, students need to tackle a problem that's interesting to the scientific community. It is important to have a good overview of academic science literature in the field that one's project is in, and it helps to have a professional academic scientist or engineer as a mentor.

10. Stemanities Research Competition

A national competition, this event invites students in their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year to conduct research in STEM and the humanities to develop a more sophisticated understanding of a topic. Stemanities is sponsored by the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, and finalists are invited to La Jolla, California to present their work and compete for monetary awards.

11. Destination ImagiNation

For students who have a penchant for problem solving, Destination ImagiNation helps one refine their critical thinking skills. An international competition for students in kindergarten through college, Destination ImagiNation teaches life skills while encouraging imagination, through problem solving, creativity, and research. In this competition, students work in groups of five to seven to develop solutions to Team Challenges.

12. Stockholm Junior Water Prize

Students compete in this competition to provide solutions to the world's present and future water problems. State winners receive a medal and an all-expenses-paid travel to the national competition at The Ohio State University. Previous winning themes at the state level include "Protecting the Aquatic Environment from Household Microfibers" and "Optimizing Straw Mulch Use in Agriculture." A $10,000 scholarship and a free ticket to the international competition in Stockholm, Sweden are awarded to the national winner. The international winner receives a prize of $15,000 for themselves and $5,000 for their school.

13. TOPPS Competition for High School Psychology Students

Students write a 3,000-word essay on a specific topic, using peer-reviewed psychological research. "Non-human animals in psychology" was the research theme for 2019. Four winners are selected for a prize of $250. Students from grades 9th to 12th are eligible to compete.

14. Clean Tech Competition

Students must identify a problem with our natural world and resource consumption that they wish to address, develop a sustainable solution, and submit a research paper to the judges as part of the Clean Tech Competition research and design challenge. There are no topic restrictions; entrants must just have one goal: to develop a long-term solution to an environmental problem.

Each team should consist of one to three students who must be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the time of submission. Following the submission of papers, the top 10 teams from the worldwide pool will be chosen to compete in the virtual global finals. They'll submit their research and prototypes to the judges and win cash awards, with the winning team receiving continued mentorship from an expert in their field.

15. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

This scholarship competition encourages students to pursue research in the fields of science, engineering, technology, or mathematics. Students can submit their original research findings in front of a judging panel and their peers at the symposia. Furthermore, attending regional or national symposia provides students with a variety of opportunities, such as seminars, panel discussions, career exploration, research lab visits, and networking events.

How to select which research competition to participate in:

While the above list includes a number of prestigious competitions, it is definitely not exhaustive in nature. If you don't find one that fits what you're looking for, it is encouraged to find one that does, with careful research! Be sure to use your judgment when considering unknown competitions, and only select those that have ample information about them transparently available. Be sure to also look out for competitions that charge unnecessarily high fees to participate.

Typically, older and national competitions are better known and have a larger chance of standing out on college applications. It is also important to remember that a cash prize may not be the only criteria to decide on what competition is worth participating in. Several competitions also give out other benefits to winners, such as mentorships and invitations to conferences, each of which are equally important as a stepping stone in a student's research career aspirations.

Additionally, you can also work on independent research in AI to present at these competitions, through Veritas AI's Fellowship Program!

Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship.  

These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. 

The   AI Fellowship  program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects   here . 

Location : Virtual

$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program

$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship 

$4,700 for both

Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply   here . 

Application deadline : On a rolling basis. Applications for fall cohort have closed September 3, 2023. 

Program dates : Various according to the cohort

Program selectivity : Moderately selective

Eligibility : Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.

Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions pertaining to the students background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest. 

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are interested in a selective, structured research program, consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers. The program pairs you with a full-time researcher to develop your own independent research project, in any discipline of your choice. Last year over 1500 students applied to 500 slots in the research program! You can find the application form here.

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CoC Annual Cancer Research Paper Competition

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) and American Cancer Society host an annual paper competition for physicians-in-training to foster the importance of oncologic research in support of its mission.

Papers can be submitted under one of the two following categories:

Clinical Research

• Basic Science

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2024 Cancer Research Paper Competition

The 2024 Cancer Research Paper Competition criteria can be found here .

2023 Cancer Research Paper Competition Winners

First place.

Lauren Janczewski, MD, MS Northwestern University

Paper Title: Identifying Barriers to Completion of Radiotherapy: Baseline Findings of a Commission on Cancer National Quality Improvement Project

Awarded $1,000 honorarium.

Presentation | Abstract

Second Place

Mohamed Aly, MD Mayo Clinic Arizona

Paper Title: Long-Term Survival After Surgical Resection for Rectal Cancer is Associated With Textbook Outcome but Not Surgical Case Volume

Awarded $500 honorarium.

Third Place

Paper Title: Volume Isn’t What It Used to Be - Reconsidering the Minimum Case Volume Threshold for Lung Cancer Resection

Home » Student Opportunities » Contests for Students

Contests for Students

The IEEE offers many opportunities for students to win contests for outstanding performance in a variety of areas. Students, here you will be able to search for opportunities to receive recognition and prizes for your innovative thinking and hard work.

Sponsors, here you can have the opportunity to recognize some of the best and brightest young engineering minds while taking the opportunity to reinforce your organization’s dedication to the support of the next generation of IEEE leaders.

Add Your Contest now  

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Organizer:  IEEE Women in Engineering

Description: To bridge the gender gap and promote gender diversity, IEEE Women-in-Engineering (WIE) is organizing a story contest. The winners‘ stories will be plotted in the format of Manga comics, which will be socialized with the community through IEEE WIE Newsletter and website. The Manga plots will be available not only to the IEEE members, but also used as a tool to engage young generations particularly girls through IEEE WIE 1000+ Affinity Groups globally. The aim of the contest is to encourage the younger generation, particularly girls, to consider a career in STEM and work towards it. The story can be either fiction or non-fic

Eligibility: Please apply as an individual or as a group. At least one representative must be an IEEE member/IEEE student member.

Description: For this competition, student will design, analyze and optimize an additively manufactured heat sink to cool a constant heat flux power electronics module subject to free convection. The student teams that are evaluated as having the most effective, unique designs will have an opportunity to test their designs using the additive manufacturing facilities at GE and state-of-the-art test equipment at Oregon State University. These student groups will also present their work at the 2023 ITherm Conference.

Eligibility: Teams of up to eight undergrad and graduate students.

Organizer: IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S)

Description: Design and build reconfigurable intelligent surfaces. The top 6 teams will receive travel funds to attend the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Symposium in Portland, Oregon, USA, July 23–28, 2023 to demonstrate their working systems. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be announced at the 2023 IEEE AP-S Awards Presentation at the conference and will receive cash awards of US $1,500, $750, and $250, respectively.

Eligibility: The team should consist of 2 to 5 students, with at least 50% being undergraduate students. For a 5-year Bachelor-cum- Master degree program, students in years 1 to 3 are considered undergraduates. Each team should be advised by one professional mentor who is a member of the IEEE AP-S, but the work needs to be done primarily by the students. No student or mentor should be involved in more than one team.

Organizer: IEEE Computer Society

Description: Encourages students to develop excellence in their communication skills and achievement in the field of computer science.

Eligibility: All IEEE student members. There will be one award for undergraduates and a second for graduate students

Organizer: IEEE Women in Engineering

Description: The IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Student Branch Affinity Group of the Year Awards are given annually to one IEEE WIE Student Branch Affinity Group and one IEEE WIE Student Affinity Group that have shown outstanding leadership and initiative in organizing activities.

Organizer: IEEE WIE

Description: The IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group of the Year Award is given annually to one IEEE WIE Affinity Group that has shown outstanding leadership and initiative in organizing activities. The award is based on programs that took place during the period of 1 January to 31 December of the preceding year.

Description: The purpose of this award is to recognize an undergraduate/graduate student member of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) who has overcome barriers to pursue engineering and/or who has made a personal impact in their community through their dedication and involvement in projects or activities directed toward fulfilling one or more of the IEEE WIE goals and objectives.

Eligibility: An IEEE Student Member or Graduate Student Member as of the submission deadline A member of IEEE WIE for at least two consecutive (2) years Must not be a past recipient of the IEEE Women in Engineering Inspiring Student Member of the Year Award

Description: The purpose of this award is to recognize a professional member of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE WIE, their community, and the engineering community, through their dedication and involvement in projects or activities directed toward fulfilling one or more of the IEEE WIE goals and objectives.

Eligibility: An IEEE Member grade or higher A professional member of IEEE WIE for at least two (2) years A professional working in industry/academia for greater than five (5) years Must not be a past recipient of the IEEE Women in Engineering Inspiring Member of the Year Award

Organizer: Region 9 SAC

Description: Exemplary Student Affinity Group will be considered those who demonstrate that they have good management of the institution’s internal and external resources and, mainly, effectively promote the theme of their affinity group through projects and activities. In addition, groups must have quality documentation, which can be used for the continuity of the group’s culture and dissemination of knowledge of good practices and ideas.

Description: If your organizational unit has carried out any innovative activity, which stands out among other activities within the Region, whether it had a correct organization, good audience, won a prize, generated funds and resources for the Branch or managed to have agreements with other universities, companies or institutions, is an excellent candidate to be chosen as a case of success!

Eligibility: • They have updated president and advisor / advisor information at IEEE vTools Officer Reporting; • They are active (have at least 10 members for Branches and 5 for Chapters / Affinity Groups). • Have submitted the 2020 student branch report. In addition, only activities carried out during the period of August 2019 until June 2020 will be considered. Each organizational unit can send just 1 (one) success case.

Description: Will be considered to be exemplary those Student Technical Chapters that prove to have a good internal and external resources management and, mainly, effectively promote their Society area of study through projects and activities. In addition, these chapters should have quality documentation that can be useful for the group continuity and to share good practices knowledge and ideas.

Description: The photo contest IEEE R9 is a fun way to show love by the institute through the activities that the Student Branches have done is through photographic records. Therefore, the photography contest of IEEE Region 9, in which all those registered images, related to IEEE can be a basis for the promotion of the Institute among the different branches, sections, advice or at the global level.

Description: The International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC) is an international student competition for innovation, conservation, and effective use of electrical energy.The competition is sponsored by the Industry Applications Society (IAS), Power & Energy Society (PES), Power Electronics Society (PELS), and Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA).

Eligibility: The competition is open to college and university student teams from recognized engineering programs in any location. Participation is on a proposal basis.

Organizer: HRL Laboratories, LLC, IEEE Photonics Society and APS Division of Laser Science.

Description: This competition was established in 2008 in memory of Theodore Maiman and in acknowledgement of his amazing invention, the first working laser, and his other outstanding contributions to optics and photonics. The program recognizes student innovation, research excellence and presentation skills in the areas of laser technology and electro-optics, and is endowed by HRL Laboratories, LLC, IEEE Photonics Society and APS Division of Laser Science.

Eligibility: undergraduate or graduate student of an educational institution of collegiate grade who is devoting more than half-time to studies within the institution at the time the paper was written.

Description: Autonomous underwater robotics is an exciting challenge in engineering, which participants get to experience at SAUVC. The competition is great learning ground for participants to experience the challenges of AUV system engineering and develop skills in the related fields of mechanical, electrical and software engineering.

Description: The NOSB is an academic competition and program that addresses a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards.

Organizer: The IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS)

Description: For outstanding student poster or oral papers as desired by each of the technical committees of NPSS that organizes a conference. The purpose of these awards is to encourage both outstanding student contributions and greater student participation as principal or sole authors of papers as well as to acknowledge the importance of student contributions to the fields embraced by the NPSS.

Eligibility: Any student who is the principal or sole author/researcher and the presenter of either a poster or oral paper at any IEEE NPSS conference that has chosen to provide outstanding student awards, and who has been identified as an eligible student author, will be eligible. If there is a tie, preference will be given 1) to IEEE NPSS members; 2) to IEEE members; or 3) to non-IEEE members.

Organizer: IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society

Description: This prestigious academic competition, founded by the University of Queensland, is designed to enhance students’ research communication and presentation skills by challenging them to describe their thesis topic in just three minutes to a general audience using one static slide.

Eligibility: To participate, simply submit a 3-minute video describing your research and thesis topic to a video platform like YouTube or TikTok. or through a private URL accessible only by the evaluation committee. Your video will be evaluated in the first round based on presentation skills (40%), scientific quality (40%) and originality (20%) of the topic presented.

Organizer: The IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society

Description: The MTT-Sat Challenge is a worldwide competition for teams of undergraduate and graduate students to design and build radio frequency (RF) and microwave hardware for small satellites. The most promising designs will undergo space environmental qualification testing and will be incorporated in a cubesat, which will be launched into orbit (in case MTT-Sat Challenge secures enough funding and a participation in cubesat projects). The main goal of the MTT-Sat Challenge is to advance space RF and microwave education, inspire students to pursue science and engineering education and careers, and prepare tomorrow’s leaders with the interdisciplinary teamwork skills, which are necessary for success. The MTT-Sat Challenge is managed by the IEEE Microwave Theory & Techniques Society (IEEE MTT-S) with additional experts and advisors in the field.

Eligibility: undergraduate and graduate students

Organizer: sponsored by the Technical Committees of the MTT

Description: The competition encourages students to employ creative problem solving and gain practical design experience by developing a circuit, or system to address a problem stated in the competition rules while following specified constraints. The students will bring their designs to the competition where they perform measurements and compete against other student teams. The winning teams are awarded cash prizes and recognized at the IMS student luncheon awards. In the IMS 2020 SDC we have 12 different competitions spanning a wide range of topics from power amplifier design to spectral sensing radios. Links to descriptions and rules for each competition rules are below.Winning teams are awarded cash prizes and a chance to publish their designs in the IEEE Microwave Magazine.

Organizer: jointly promoted and organized by IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS), IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) and IEEE Sensors Council (SC) and is sponsored by STMicroelectronics

Description: The IEEE International Contest of Sensors and Measurement Systems is jointly promoted and organized by IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS), IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) and IEEE Sensors Council (SC) and is sponsored by STMicroelectronics who will provide one SensorTile.box® to each team admitted to the competition. This multisensory device will be the common technology platform of the contest. Those willing to participate will have to submit a proposal, will have to develop their application at their University laboratories and attend one of the scheduled live demonstration sessions co-located with international conferences in the areas of sensors and instrumentation and measurement. For each demonstration event, two awards will be assigned (1st and 2nd place) for the best “Sensors and Measurement Systems” application.

Eligibility: teams of Ph.D., Master and advanced undergraduates (particularly those in fast-track, dual BS/MS, Master programs) students

Organizer: Industrial Electronics Society Awards and Honor Committee (IES A&H Committee).

Description: To recognize the student best paper in The Industrial Electronics Society publications and to encourage the student or graduate student author to contribute further in the field of industrial electronics.

Eligibility: Author(s) of papers in the Industrial Electronics Society publications during the year specified for the award, where the first author must be a student or a graduate student IEEE member. Must be student or graduate student member of the IEEE.

Description: The GRSS Student Prize Paper Award was established to recognize the best student paper(s) presented at the IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). It is believed that early recognition of an outstanding paper will encourage the student to strive for greater and continued contributions to the Geoscience and Remote Sensing profession. The award shall be considered annually. These awards go to the 2nd and 3rd place students. For the 1st place student award refer to the Mikio Takagi Student Prize.

Eligibility: The (first) author(s) must:

• contribute more than 60% of the content of the presented paper (if the contribution is less than 60%, the paper is not suitable for a student paper competition and can be submitted to the normal track),
• be a student,
• be under 33 years of age,
• be a candidate for a graduate degree (PhD students included),
• be an IEEE member,
• publish the paper in the IGARSS digest,
• be registered at IGARSS,
• personally present the paper at IGARSS, and
• be present at the IGARSS banquet to receive the award

Multiple eligible authors are allowed. An ineligible co-author, or an advisor, must verify on university letterhead that the candidate is a student, under 33 years of age, a candidate for a graduate degree, and an IEEE member on the submittal date of the paper. Eligibility and Selection process shall comply with procedures and regulation established in IEEE and Society governing documents, particularly with IEEE Policy 4.4 on Awards Limitations.

Organiser: Image Analysis and Data Fusion Technical Committee (IADF TC) of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) and the Technical University of Munich Description: The Data Fusion Contest, organized by the Image Analysis and Data Fusion Technical Committee (IADF TC) of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) and the Technical University of Munich, aims to promote research in large-scale land cover mapping from globally available multimodal satellite data. The task is to train a machine learning model for global land cover mapping based on weakly annotated samples. The 2020 IEEE GRSS Data Fusion Contest consists of two challenge tracks: Eligibility: The Contest is open not only to IEEE members but to everyone, with the goal of promoting innovation and benchmarking in analyzing multi-source big earth observation data.

Organizer: IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society, in connection with the Annual International EMB Conference

Description: Annually the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society, in connection with the Annual International EMB Conference, sponsors a Student Paper Competition (SPC).

Eligibility: an active member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society at a Student Grade; Graduate Student Member or Undergraduate Student Member

Organizer: IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society

Description: The Radar Challenge is a new event co-hosted with radar conferences that enables participants to experience the magic of radar in a personal, tangible and experiential way—offering an opportunity to create and “see” invisible radar waves interacting with their environment. The event will host an unknown target scene that participants will then sense and decipher using their self-engineered “home-brew” radar. The goal is to build a community of radar builders that collectively explore the art of the possible in making “COTS-based” radars.

Description: The Radar Challenge is a series of events co-hosted with radar conferences that enable participants to experience the magic of radar in a personal, tangible and experiential way. ​ The events invigorate participants to experiment with their self-engineered “home-brew” radar, low-cost commercial-off-the-shelf RF sensors, and publicly available radar datasets. The goal is to build a community of radar engineers that collectively explore the art of the possible for a new generation of radars by creating and experimenting with prototype radars.

Organiser: IEEE Computational Intelligence Society

Organizer: Region 10 SAC

Description: The IEEE Region 10 Student Branch Website Contest is designed to encourage student volunteers to fully utilize the power of the Internet for keeping members informed about the local activities and opportunities to participate. A well-maintained website with ease of navigation can be a great source of timely information and an appealing showcase for the local IEEE activities. IEEE Region 10 Student Activities Committee annually conducts a website contest and the Student Branches under the Sections of Region 10 are invited to submit entries of their websites.

Eligibility: IEEE Student Branches in Region 10

Description: The IEEE Region 10 Student Activities Committee recognizes the importance of research and dissemination of the findings for the The IEEE Region 10 Student Activities Committee recognizes the importance of research and dissemination of the findings for the advancement of science and technology. Researching, writing, and presenting a paper provides students with invaluable early experience in communicating ideas related to their professional fields. The contest offers IEEE Student members an opportunity to exercise and improve both written and verbal communication skills.

Eligibility: Open to all IEEE Student Members with basic degrees in electrical engineering, electronics, computer science or any other fields of interest of an IEEE Society, and are currently enrolled in a postgraduate course at a recognized educational institute. The contest is open only to IEEE Student Members in Region 10. The papers may be on any engineering subject in the field of interest of IEEE (within the scope of IEEE transactions).

Description: The IEEE Region 10 Student Activities Committee recognizes the importance of communication skills for fresh graduates as throughout their engineering career, they are constantly called upon to communicate ideas to others. The contest offers IEEE student members an opportunity to exercise and improve both verbal communication and presentation skills in a concise manner suitable for wider audience. The contest provides students with invaluable early experience in communicating ideas related to their professional field via electronic media.

Eligibility: Open to all IEEE Student Members who currently enrolled or graduated within the last six months for degrees in electrical engineering, electronics, computer science or any other field of interest of an IEEE Society. The contest is open only to IEEE Student Members in Region 10. The project video may be on any engineering subject in the field of interest of IEEE (within the scope of IEEE transactions).

Organizer: Region 8

Description: The IEEE Region 8 Student Paper Contest (SPC) started in 1967, only four years after IEEE R8 was formed. The SPC was an initiative of the second R8 Director, Jean Lebel. The first SPC was held in Lausanne, Switzerland in conjunction with the IEEE R8 Committee Meeting. Since then, it has been held every year without exception, and it is one of the main technical activities in Region 8. By organizing the Student Paper Contest, the IEEE Region 8 Student Activities Committee recognizes the importance of student research and the dissemination of their results and findings.

Description: In 1983, the Lance Stafford Larson Award was established by the Larson family in memorial for their son, who died in an electrical accident while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland. The Larson family, which includes IEEE Past President Robert Larson, created this award to encourage students to develop excellence in their communication skills and to motivate students toward achievement in the field of Computer Science.

One award of $500 is given each year to the first-place winner. First, second, and third place winners also receive a certificate of commendation. The prize is awarded to the best paper. In the case of multiple authors, the prize will be divided among the student authors.

Organizer: Partnered with IEEE RAS

Description: RoboCup is arranged with the intention to use RoboCup as a vehicle to promote robotics and AI research, by offering a publicly appealing, but formidable challenge. One of the effective ways to promote science and engineering research is to set a challenging long term goal. When the accomplishment of such a goal has signifRoboCup is an international scientific initiative with the goal to advance the state of the art of intelligent robots. When established in 1997, the original mission was to field a team of robots capable of winning against the human soccer World Cup champions by 2050. While that mission remains, RoboCup has since expanded into other relevant application domains based on the needs of modern society. Today, RoboCup covers the themes of robot soccer, personal service robotics in living spaces, manipulation and manufacturing at work, and rescue robotics. In addition, RoboCupJunior is a project-oriented educational initiative that sponsors local, regional, and international robotic events for young students. It is designed to introduce RoboCup to primary and secondary school children.

Description: This year’s challenge will be based on a study recently published in Cancer Cell by the ProCan team (Gonçalves et al., 2022). The study aimed to generate a comprehensive pan-cancer proteomic map of human cell lines to aid in the discovery of cancer biomarkers and the development of new cancer treatments. The main challenge will be to create an integrated overview of cell-type / tissue-type / cancer-type distributions of both single proteins as well as protein categories. There will also be a re-design challenge connected to the improvement of the representation/interaction strategies used for one of the figures in the paper.

Organizer: IEEE VIS 2020

Description: The 2020 IEEE SciVis Contest is dedicated to create novel approaches or state of the art visualizations to assist domain scientists to better understand the complex transport mechanisms of eddies in the Red Sea under uncertainty.

Description: The MATE competition challenges K-12, community college, and university students from all over the world to design and build ROVs to tackle missions modeled after scenarios from the ocean workplace. Eligibility: Pre-University Students

Organiser: IEEE IAS Eligibility: Open for all

Organiser: IEEE IAS Eligibility: At least one member of the team should be an IAS, IEEE member.

Description: The IEEE Xplore® Challenge for Researchers is open to academics, research scholars, and engineers from select areas, who are from universities, corporations, and government institutions and who have a subscription to IEEE Xplore, and are at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry. The respondents with the highest quiz scores will be entered into a drawing to win one of several prizes.

Eligibility: All academics, research scholars, and engineers from Pakistan, Brazil, Asia, or Mexico, who are from universities, corporations, and government institutions who have a subscription to IEEE Xplore, and are at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry.

Organizer: IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society

Description: Each year the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society sponsors the Student Poster Competition at the spring and fall OCEANS Conferences. Cash awards for the winning posters and the travel, food, lodging, and registration expenses of all students participating in the competition are provided by OES.

Eligibility: Open for all

Organizer: IEEE Signal Processing Society

Description: The Signal Processing Cup (SP Cup) competition is held annually and encourages teams of students to work together to solve real-world problems using signal processing methods and techniques. Each year, three final teams are chosen to present their work during ICASSP to compete for the US$5,000 grand prize!

Eligibility: Each team participating should be composed of one faculty member or someone with a PhD degree employed by the university (the Supervisor), at most one graduate student (the Tutor), and at least three, but no more than ten undergraduate students. At least three of the undergraduate team members must hold either regular or student memberships of the IEEE Signal Processing Society. Undergraduate students who are in the first two years of their college studies, as well as high school students who are capable to contribute are welcome to participate in a team. A participant cannot be on more than one team.

Organiser : IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CAS)

Description: The CASS Student Design Competition is a worldwide competition where undergraduate students will team with high school students. The teams should suggest and execute projects aimed at encouraging High School Students to study Electrical Engineering and related areas. The focus should be on finding a solution to a real-life problem based on circuits and systems.

Organizer: IEEE Communications Society

Description: The competition, Communication Technology Changing the World, recognizes students or teams of students who demonstrate the capacity to improve the lives of people through the application of communication technology and the development of projects that meet the needs of humanity.

Organizer: IEEE Computer Society Description: IEEEmadC (Mobile Applications Development Contest), is a 6-8 month competition which was initially focused to inspire student members in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to develop mobile applications. It has escalated into a globally recognized competition.

Organizer: MGA Student Activities Committee Description: IEEEXtreme is a global challenge in which teams of IEEE Student members – advised and proctored by an IEEE member, and often supported by an IEEE Student Branch – compete in a 24-hour time span against each other to solve a set of programming problems.

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Research Competitions for Psychology

In early 2013, APA is working to revise “Conducting Psychological Research for Science Fairs: A Teacher's Guide and Resource Manual” (PDF, 454KB). The following information will replace “Appendix A” in this manual.

A psychology science fair project can be entered through a category that has been labeled “social and behavioral sciences.” Local high school fairs often provide the first opportunity to compete, with additional regional and national competitions available for winners of local competitions. There are many regional science fairs available in the United States, and most of these fairs are affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Because entry requirements vary with each regional fair, we refer you to the local sponsor for specific information. This appendix includes information about the largest national science fair competition (ISEF) and other related science-oriented competitions available to high school students.

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

This fair is open to students with winning entries from local, state and regional ISEF-affiliated fairs. The Intel ISEF is the world’s largest precollege celebration of science. Held annually in May, the ISEF brings together more than 1,500 students from nearly 70 countries, regions and territories to compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips, and the grand prize — a $75,000 college scholarship. Students who win a local or regional competition are invited to advance to larger competitions. Information regarding eligibility and the instructions for competing in this fair are listed at the Society for Science and the Public website. Check this site for information on local, state and regional ISEF-affiliated fairs that are open to all students.

Intel Science Talent Search (STS)

The STS is open to high school seniors in the United States and territories, and American students attending school abroad. Each year, nearly 2,000 students accept the challenge of completing an entry for the STS, with finalists competing for the top prize — a $100,000 scholarship. The Intel Science Talent Search School Award recognizes excellence in teaching and school support of individual student research. Each school will receive an award of $1,000 for each semifinalist named. For complete details and procedures for submitting entries, please check the Society for Science and the Public website.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

This scholarship competition encourages students to get involved in science, engineering, technology or mathematics related research. The symposia give students an opportunity to present their original research findings in front of a judging panel and their peers. In addition, participation in the regional or national symposia offer a number of experiences for students including workshops, panel discussions, career exploration, research lab visits and networking events. For more details, visit the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium website.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge

This competition asks high school students to identify and help offer sustainable, replicable solutions for environmental issues that have a global impact. Chosen environmental issues can fall into one or more of the challenge topic areas — energy, biodiversity, land management, water conservation and clean-up, and/or air and climate. Students are asked to conduct thorough scientific research to identify an environmental problem, hypothesize a solution, and study its success and ability to be replicated on a global scale. For more details, visit the Siemens We Can Change the World Competition website.

United States Army’s eCybermission Competition

High school freshman — along with sixth, seventh and eighth graders — are invited to compete for state, regional and national awards given by the United States Army in this Web-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics competition. The eCybermission competition challenges students to choose one of seven challenges — alternative sources of energy; environment; food, health and fitness; forces and motion; national security and safety; robotics; or technology. After identifying a problem in their community related to one of these challenges, students are asked to use the scientific method or the engineering design process to come up with a viable solution. For more details, visit the eCybermission competition website.

Google Science Fair

This global online science competition is open to all students who are between 13 and 18 years old. The competition, which launched in 2011, accepts submissions in all areas science. From thousands of submissions, 60 semifinalists are selected, and 15 finalists are chosen to participate in a final live Google Science Fair at the Google headquarters. The prizes are furnished by Google and partners CERN, LEGO, National Geographic and Scientific American. For details, visit the Google Science Fair website.

THINK Scholars Program

The THINK Scholars Program is an educational outreach initiative that promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics by supporting and funding projects developed by high school students. The program is run by undergraduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and sponsored by technology companies and educational organizations. THINK project proposals are science and engineering ideas that span many fields from green technologies and practical devices to software applications. Projects must be completed by an individual or team of two in the spring semester with a $1,000 budget. Winners also receive a $200-$500 scholarship and an all expenses paid trip to MIT to meet and network with MIT professors and students. For more details, visit the THINK Scholars Program website . 

The University of Florida's Science Project Encyclopedia offers useful information about the steps involved in designing a project, and helpful tips on how to prepare for science fairs that are affiliated with the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Chris Gould at the University of Southern California maintains a virtual library of state, regional, national and international science fairs.

The Society for Science and the Public (SSP) publishes rules and guidelines for entering projects for Intel ISEF and Intel STS.

Neuroscience for Kids provides specific information to help students design strong psychology projects. Links to additional sites provide information about ideas for science fair projects, guidelines for preparation of projects, and steps for completing a successful project.

Science Buddies has over one thousand project ideas in over 30 different areas of science, and includes resources for teachers and an “ask an expert” section that provides an online help environment.

APA offers additional resources about science fairs, clubs and student research .

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Student Research Paper and Poster Competitions

During the LACCEI Annual Conference (July),  the Student full paper research competition  and  the Student poster research competition  are held. The objectives of the student competitions are:

• Motivate engineering students to use and demonstrate their creativity, knowledge and skills to solve problems.
• Promote academic exchange between students from different universities and countries.
• Provide an opportunity for research professors to recruit potential graduate students.

Description

The work could be based on a final project for a course or a thesis. The work and paper must be original and cannot be results of faculty research. A full paper or short paper must be submitted and accepted to compete. There is a  limit of 3 papers per author and 7 authors per paper  and  Students are required to show their Student ID  when registering at the conference. Presentations must be done by students and at least one student author must be registered (either student or full registration) by the author registration deadline for the submission to be published.

• Student research full paper competition

A student or team of students submits a full article (10 pages maximum) after it is verified by at least one professor at their university, designated as Mentor (s). All authors must be students and the teacher is listed as a mentor, not an author. The top 10 articles are classified as finalists in the competition and they should give a 5 minutes presentation and answer questions from judges and participants to determine the winners. All papers in this category also compete in Student Research Poster Competition.

• Competition of poster student

A student or a team of students submits a short article (2 to 5 pages maximum) after it is verified by at least one professor at their university, designated as Mentor (s). All authors must be students and the teacher is listed as a mentor, not an author. All works in this category must be presented to a series of judges for 3 minutes using a poster and they should answer questions from judges and participants to determine the winners.

All the full articles of this contest will be reviewed by 3 members of the technical committee of the student competition stipulated by LACCEI. Short articles are reviewed by 1 member of the technical committee.

The medals and monetary prizes are presented during the Gala Dinner of the annual LACCEI Conference. All participants and mentors receive a certificate of participation, and their paper is published in the Conference Proceedings under ISBN and ISSN numbers and archived online for future citations.

The top 10 finalist papers in the Student Research Full Papers Competition will have DOI and will be indexed by SCOPUS.

First place in the Student Research Full Papers Competition will receive the LACCEI Award medal and a full entry for an international conference or a monetary award.

Instructions for the poster competition

• We recommend a minimum font size of 24 pts. Bold section names. The poster should be clearly readable from a distance of 2 meters (24″ wide x 36″ high – 60.96cm wide x 91.44cm high).
• Language: Spanish or English
• We encourage the use of pictures, graphics, and any other illustrative material.
• Students who submitted a full paper and were selected as finalists will present in a special session within the conference just prior to the poster competition. The finalists will make a Power Point presentation: 10 minutes maximum.
• All participants at the poster competition will present in front of their poster an elevator speech (3 minutes maximum) giving an overview of the problem and results at the poster competition. They will be asked questions by the judges and the audience and can give a demonstration or show a video if appropriate.
• You may want to include the followings: title, authors, affiliations, faculty mentor, abstract, introduction, methods, results, conclusions, and future work.
• The following links are examples of how to make a poster:

Spanish http://www.postersessiononline.es/diseno_powerpoint.asp English http://www.tltc.ttu.edu/posters/How_to_Make_a_Poster_Using_PowerPoint.pdf http://www.cns.cornell.edu/documents/ScientificPosters.pdf http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/posters.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/drs18/postershow/

Important Links

• Follow this example format:   TEMPLATE FILE
• Click  HERE   for instructions on how to submit.
• Click  HERE  to go to the submission website EasyChair. Use the track: International Student Research Paper Competitions (Full and Short Papers)

Important Dates (deadlines): April  1st

NOTE: The top 10 Student Full Papers will be published with an ISBN, ISSN and  DOI  and will be indexed in recognition of their effort.

Announcing the NeurIPS 2023 Paper Awards 

Communications Chairs 2023 2023 Conference awards , neurips2023

By Amir Globerson, Kate Saenko, Moritz Hardt, Sergey Levine and Comms Chair, Sahra Ghalebikesabi 

We are honored to announce the award-winning papers for NeurIPS 2023! This year’s prestigious awards consist of the Test of Time Award plus two Outstanding Paper Awards in each of these three categories: 

• Two Outstanding Main Track Papers 
• Two Outstanding Main Track Runner-Ups 
• Two Outstanding Datasets and Benchmark Track Papers  

This year’s organizers received a record number of paper submissions. Of the 13,300 submitted papers that were reviewed by 968 Area Chairs, 98 senior area chairs, and 396 Ethics reviewers 3,540  were accepted after 502 papers were flagged for ethics reviews . 

We thank the awards committee for the main track: Yoav Artzi, Chelsea Finn, Ludwig Schmidt, Ricardo Silva, Isabel Valera, and Mengdi Wang. For the Datasets and Benchmarks track, we thank Sergio Escalera, Isabelle Guyon, Neil Lawrence, Dina Machuve, Olga Russakovsky, Hugo Jair Escalante, Deepti Ghadiyaram, and Serena Yeung. Conflicts of interest were taken into account in the decision process.

Congratulations to all the authors! See Posters Sessions Tue-Thur in Great Hall & B1-B2 (level 1).

Outstanding Main Track Papers

Privacy Auditing with One (1) Training Run Authors: Thomas Steinke · Milad Nasr · Matthew Jagielski

Poster session 2: Tue 12 Dec 5:15 p.m. — 7:15 p.m. CST, #1523

Oral: Tue 12 Dec 3:40 p.m. — 4:40 p.m. CST, Room R06-R09 (level 2)

Abstract: We propose a scheme for auditing differentially private machine learning systems with a single training run. This exploits the parallelism of being able to add or remove multiple training examples independently. We analyze this using the connection between differential privacy and statistical generalization, which avoids the cost of group privacy. Our auditing scheme requires minimal assumptions about the algorithm and can be applied in the black-box or white-box setting. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by applying it to DP-SGD, where we can achieve meaningful empirical privacy lower bounds by training only one model. In contrast, standard methods would require training hundreds of models.

Are Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models a Mirage? Authors: Rylan Schaeffer · Brando Miranda · Sanmi Koyejo

Poster session 6: Thu 14 Dec 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. CST, #1108

Oral: Thu 14 Dec 3:20 p.m. — 3:35 p.m. CST, Hall C2 (level 1) 

Abstract: Recent work claims that large language models display emergent abilities, abilities not present in smaller-scale models that are present in larger-scale models. What makes emergent abilities intriguing is two-fold: their sharpness, transitioning seemingly instantaneously from not present to present, and their unpredictability , appearing at seemingly unforeseeable model scales. Here, we present an alternative explanation for emergent abilities: that for a particular task and model family, when analyzing fixed model outputs, emergent abilities appear due to the researcher’s choice of metric rather than due to fundamental changes in model behavior with scale. Specifically, nonlinear or discontinuous metrics produce apparent emergent abilities, whereas linear or continuous metrics produce smooth, continuous, predictable changes in model performance. We present our alternative explanation in a simple mathematical model, then test it in three complementary ways: we (1) make, test and confirm three predictions on the effect of metric choice using the InstructGPT/GPT-3 family on tasks with claimed emergent abilities, (2) make, test and confirm two predictions about metric choices in a meta-analysis of emergent abilities on BIG-Bench; and (3) show how to choose metrics to produce never-before-seen seemingly emergent abilities in multiple vision tasks across diverse deep networks. Via all three analyses, we provide evidence that alleged emergent abilities evaporate with different metrics or with better statistics, and may not be a fundamental property of scaling AI models.

Outstanding Main Track Runner-Ups

Scaling Data-Constrained Language Models Authors : Niklas Muennighoff · Alexander Rush · Boaz Barak · Teven Le Scao · Nouamane Tazi · Aleksandra Piktus · Sampo Pyysalo · Thomas Wolf · Colin Raffel

Poster session 2: Tue 12 Dec 5:15 p.m. — 7:15 p.m. CST, #813

Oral: Tue 12 Dec 3:40 p.m. — 4:40 p.m. CST, Hall C2 (level 1)  

Abstract : The current trend of scaling language models involves increasing both parameter count and training dataset size. Extrapolating this trend suggests that training dataset size may soon be limited by the amount of text data available on the internet. Motivated by this limit, we investigate scaling language models in data-constrained regimes. Specifically, we run a large set of experiments varying the extent of data repetition and compute budget, ranging up to 900 billion training tokens and 9 billion parameter models. We find that with constrained data for a fixed compute budget, training with up to 4 epochs of repeated data yields negligible changes to loss compared to having unique data. However, with more repetition, the value of adding compute eventually decays to zero. We propose and empirically validate a scaling law for compute optimality that accounts for the decreasing value of repeated tokens and excess parameters. Finally, we experiment with approaches mitigating data scarcity, including augmenting the training dataset with code data or removing commonly used filters. Models and datasets from our 400 training runs are freely available at https://github.com/huggingface/datablations .

Direct Preference Optimization: Your Language Model is Secretly a Reward Model Authors: Rafael Rafailov · Archit Sharma · Eric Mitchell · Christopher D Manning · Stefano Ermon · Chelsea Finn

Poster session 6: Thu 14 Dec 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. CST, #625

Oral: Thu 14 Dec 3:50 p.m. — 4:05 p.m. CST, Ballroom A-C (level 2)  

Abstract: While large-scale unsupervised language models (LMs) learn broad world knowledge and some reasoning skills, achieving precise control of their behavior is difficult due to the completely unsupervised nature of their training. Existing methods for gaining such steerability collect human labels of the relative quality of model generations and fine-tune the unsupervised LM to align with these preferences, often with reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). However, RLHF is a complex and often unstable procedure, first fitting a reward model that reflects the human preferences, and then fine-tuning the large unsupervised LM using reinforcement learning to maximize this estimated reward without drifting too far from the original model. In this paper, we leverage a mapping between reward functions and optimal policies to show that this constrained reward maximization problem can be optimized exactly with a single stage of policy training, essentially solving a classification problem on the human preference data. The resulting algorithm, which we call Direct Preference Optimization (DPO), is stable, performant, and computationally lightweight, eliminating the need for fitting a reward model, sampling from the LM during fine-tuning, or performing significant hyperparameter tuning. Our experiments show that DPO can fine-tune LMs to align with human preferences as well as or better than existing methods. Notably, fine-tuning with DPO exceeds RLHF’s ability to control sentiment of generations and improves response quality in summarization and single-turn dialogue while being substantially simpler to implement and train.

Outstanding Datasets and Benchmarks Papers

In the dataset category : 

ClimSim: A large multi-scale dataset for hybrid physics-ML climate emulation

Authors:  Sungduk Yu · Walter Hannah · Liran Peng · Jerry Lin · Mohamed Aziz Bhouri · Ritwik Gupta · Björn Lütjens · Justus C. Will · Gunnar Behrens · Julius Busecke · Nora Loose · Charles Stern · Tom Beucler · Bryce Harrop · Benjamin Hillman · Andrea Jenney · Savannah L. Ferretti · Nana Liu · Animashree Anandkumar · Noah Brenowitz · Veronika Eyring · Nicholas Geneva · Pierre Gentine · Stephan Mandt · Jaideep Pathak · Akshay Subramaniam · Carl Vondrick · Rose Yu · Laure Zanna · Tian Zheng · Ryan Abernathey · Fiaz Ahmed · David Bader · Pierre Baldi · Elizabeth Barnes · Christopher Bretherton · Peter Caldwell · Wayne Chuang · Yilun Han · YU HUANG · Fernando Iglesias-Suarez · Sanket Jantre · Karthik Kashinath · Marat Khairoutdinov · Thorsten Kurth · Nicholas Lutsko · Po-Lun Ma · Griffin Mooers · J. David Neelin · David Randall · Sara Shamekh · Mark Taylor · Nathan Urban · Janni Yuval · Guang Zhang · Mike Pritchard

Poster session 4: Wed 13 Dec 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. CST, #105 

Oral: Wed 13 Dec 3:45 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. CST, Ballroom A-C (level 2)

Abstract: Modern climate projections lack adequate spatial and temporal resolution due to computational constraints. A consequence is inaccurate and imprecise predictions of critical processes such as storms. Hybrid methods that combine physics with machine learning (ML) have introduced a new generation of higher fidelity climate simulators that can sidestep Moore’s Law by outsourcing compute-hungry, short, high-resolution simulations to ML emulators. However, this hybrid ML-physics simulation approach requires domain-specific treatment and has been inaccessible to ML experts because of lack of training data and relevant, easy-to-use workflows. We present ClimSim, the largest-ever dataset designed for hybrid ML-physics research. It comprises multi-scale climate simulations, developed by a consortium of climate scientists and ML researchers. It consists of 5.7 billion pairs of multivariate input and output vectors that isolate the influence of locally-nested, high-resolution, high-fidelity physics on a host climate simulator’s macro-scale physical state. The dataset is global in coverage, spans multiple years at high sampling frequency, and is designed such that resulting emulators are compatible with downstream coupling into operational climate simulators. We implement a range of deterministic and stochastic regression baselines to highlight the ML challenges and their scoring. The data (https://huggingface.co/datasets/LEAP/ClimSim_high-res) and code (https://leap-stc.github.io/ClimSim) are released openly to support the development of hybrid ML-physics and high-fidelity climate simulations for the benefit of science and society.   

In the benchmark category :

DecodingTrust: A Comprehensive Assessment of Trustworthiness in GPT Models

Authors: Boxin Wang · Weixin Chen · Hengzhi Pei · Chulin Xie · Mintong Kang · Chenhui Zhang · Chejian Xu · Zidi Xiong · Ritik Dutta · Rylan Schaeffer · Sang Truong · Simran Arora · Mantas Mazeika · Dan Hendrycks · Zinan Lin · Yu Cheng · Sanmi Koyejo · Dawn Song · Bo Li

Poster session 1: Tue 12 Dec 10:45 a.m. — 12:45 p.m. CST, #1618  

Oral: Tue 12 Dec 10:30 a.m. — 10:45 a.m. CST, Ballroom A-C (Level 2)

Abstract: Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) models have exhibited exciting progress in capabilities, capturing the interest of practitioners and the public alike. Yet, while the literature on the trustworthiness of GPT models remains limited, practitioners have proposed employing capable GPT models for sensitive applications to healthcare and finance – where mistakes can be costly. To this end, this work proposes a comprehensive trustworthiness evaluation for large language models with a focus on GPT-4 and GPT-3.5, considering diverse perspectives – including toxicity, stereotype bias, adversarial robustness, out-of-distribution robustness, robustness on adversarial demonstrations, privacy, machine ethics, and fairness. Based on our evaluations, we discover previously unpublished vulnerabilities to trustworthiness threats. For instance, we find that GPT models can be easily misled to generate toxic and biased outputs and leak private information in both training data and conversation history. We also find that although GPT-4 is usually more trustworthy than GPT-3.5 on standard benchmarks, GPT-4 is more vulnerable given jailbreaking system or user prompts, potentially due to the reason that GPT-4 follows the (misleading) instructions more precisely. Our work illustrates a comprehensive trustworthiness evaluation of GPT models and sheds light on the trustworthiness gaps. Our benchmark is publicly available at https://decodingtrust.github.io/.

Test of Time

This year, following the usual practice, we chose a NeurIPS paper from 10 years ago to receive the Test of Time Award, and “ Distributed Representations of Words and Phrases and their Compositionality ” by Tomas Mikolov, Ilya Sutskever, Kai Chen, Greg Corrado, and Jeffrey Dean, won. 

Published at NeurIPS 2013 and cited over 40,000 times, the work introduced the seminal word embedding technique word2vec. Demonstrating the power of learning from large amounts of unstructured text, the work catalyzed progress that marked the beginning of a new era in natural language processing.

Greg Corrado and Jeffrey Dean will be giving a talk about this work and related research on Tuesday, 12 Dec at 3:05 – 3:25 pm CST in Hall F.  

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McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023

After a tumultuous 2022 for technology investment and talent, the first half of 2023 has seen a resurgence of enthusiasm about technology’s potential to catalyze progress in business and society. Generative AI deserves much of the credit for ushering in this revival, but it stands as just one of many advances on the horizon that could drive sustainable, inclusive growth and solve complex global challenges.

To help executives track the latest developments, the McKinsey Technology Council  has once again identified and interpreted the most significant technology trends unfolding today. While many trends are in the early stages of adoption and scale, executives can use this research to plan ahead by developing an understanding of potential use cases and pinpointing the critical skills needed as they hire or upskill talent to bring these opportunities to fruition.

Our analysis examines quantitative measures of interest, innovation, and investment to gauge the momentum of each trend. Recognizing the long-term nature and interdependence of these trends, we also delve into underlying technologies, uncertainties, and questions surrounding each trend. This year, we added an important new dimension for analysis—talent. We provide data on talent supply-and-demand dynamics for the roles of most relevance to each trend. (For more, please see the sidebar, “Research methodology.”)

New and notable

All of last year’s 14 trends remain on our list, though some experienced accelerating momentum and investment, while others saw a downshift. One new trend, generative AI, made a loud entrance and has already shown potential for transformative business impact.

Research methodology

To assess the development of each technology trend, our team collected data on five tangible measures of activity: search engine queries, news publications, patents, research publications, and investment. For each measure, we used a defined set of data sources to find occurrences of keywords associated with each of the 15 trends, screened those occurrences for valid mentions of activity, and indexed the resulting numbers of mentions on a 0–1 scoring scale that is relative to the trends studied. The innovation score combines the patents and research scores; the interest score combines the news and search scores. (While we recognize that an interest score can be inflated by deliberate efforts to stimulate news and search activity, we believe that each score fairly reflects the extent of discussion and debate about a given trend.) Investment measures the flows of funding from the capital markets into companies linked with the trend. Data sources for the scores include the following:

• Patents. Data on patent filings are sourced from Google Patents.
• Research. Data on research publications are sourced from the Lens (www.lens.org).
• News. Data on news publications are sourced from Factiva.
• Searches. Data on search engine queries are sourced from Google Trends.
• Investment. Data on private-market and public-market capital raises are sourced from PitchBook.
• Talent demand. Number of job postings is sourced from McKinsey’s proprietary Organizational Data Platform, which stores licensed, de-identified data on professional profiles and job postings. Data is drawn primarily from English-speaking countries.

In addition, we updated the selection and definition of trends from last year’s study to reflect the evolution of technology trends:

• The generative-AI trend was added since last year’s study.
• We adjusted the definitions of electrification and renewables (previously called future of clean energy) and climate technologies beyond electrification and renewables (previously called future of sustainable consumption).
• Data sources were updated. This year, we included only closed deals in PitchBook data, which revised downward the investment numbers for 2018–22. For future of space technologies investments, we used research from McKinsey’s Aerospace & Defense Practice.

This new entrant represents the next frontier of AI. Building upon existing technologies such as applied AI and industrializing machine learning, generative AI has high potential and applicability across most industries. Interest in the topic (as gauged by news and internet searches) increased threefold from 2021 to 2022. As we recently wrote, generative AI and other foundational models  change the AI game by taking assistive technology to a new level, reducing application development time, and bringing powerful capabilities to nontechnical users. Generative AI is poised to add as much as $4.4 trillion in economic value from a combination of specific use cases and more diffuse uses—such as assisting with email drafts—that increase productivity. Still, while generative AI can unlock significant value, firms should not underestimate the economic significance and the growth potential that underlying AI technologies and industrializing machine learning can bring to various industries.

Investment in most tech trends tightened year over year, but the potential for future growth remains high, as further indicated by the recent rebound in tech valuations. Indeed, absolute investments remained strong in 2022, at more than $1 trillion combined, indicating great faith in the value potential of these trends. Trust architectures and digital identity grew the most out of last year’s 14 trends, increasing by nearly 50 percent as security, privacy, and resilience become increasingly critical across industries. Investment in other trends—such as applied AI, advanced connectivity, and cloud and edge computing—declined, but that is likely due, at least in part, to their maturity. More mature technologies can be more sensitive to short-term budget dynamics than more nascent technologies with longer investment time horizons, such as climate and mobility technologies. Also, as some technologies become more profitable, they can often scale further with lower marginal investment. Given that these technologies have applications in most industries, we have little doubt that mainstream adoption will continue to grow.

Organizations shouldn’t focus too heavily on the trends that are garnering the most attention. By focusing on only the most hyped trends, they may miss out on the significant value potential of other technologies and hinder the chance for purposeful capability building. Instead, companies seeking longer-term growth should focus on a portfolio-oriented investment across the tech trends most important to their business. Technologies such as cloud and edge computing and the future of bioengineering have shown steady increases in innovation and continue to have expanded use cases across industries. In fact, more than 400 edge use cases across various industries have been identified, and edge computing is projected to win double-digit growth globally over the next five years. Additionally, nascent technologies, such as quantum, continue to evolve and show significant potential for value creation. Our updated analysis for 2023 shows that the four industries likely to see the earliest economic impact from quantum computing—automotive, chemicals, financial services, and life sciences—stand to potentially gain up to $1.3 trillion in value by 2035. By carefully assessing the evolving landscape and considering a balanced approach, businesses can capitalize on both established and emerging technologies to propel innovation and achieve sustainable growth.

Tech talent dynamics

We can’t overstate the importance of talent as a key source in developing a competitive edge. A lack of talent is a top issue constraining growth. There’s a wide gap between the demand for people with the skills needed to capture value from the tech trends and available talent: our survey of 3.5 million job postings in these tech trends found that many of the skills in greatest demand have less than half as many qualified practitioners per posting as the global average. Companies should be on top of the talent market, ready to respond to notable shifts and to deliver a strong value proposition to the technologists they hope to hire and retain. For instance, recent layoffs in the tech sector may present a silver lining for other industries that have struggled to win the attention of attractive candidates and retain senior tech talent. In addition, some of these technologies will accelerate the pace of workforce transformation. In the coming decade, 20 to 30 percent of the time that workers spend on the job could be transformed by automation technologies, leading to significant shifts in the skills required to be successful. And companies should continue to look at how they can adjust roles or upskill individuals to meet their tailored job requirements. Job postings in fields related to tech trends grew at a very healthy 15 percent between 2021 and 2022, even though global job postings overall decreased by 13 percent. Applied AI and next-generation software development together posted nearly one million jobs between 2018 and 2022. Next-generation software development saw the most significant growth in number of jobs (exhibit).

Image description:

Small multiples of 15 slope charts show the number of job postings in different fields related to tech trends from 2021 to 2022. Overall growth of all fields combined was about 400,000 jobs, with applied AI having the most job postings in 2022 and experiencing a 6% increase from 2021. Next-generation software development had the second-highest number of job postings in 2022 and had 29% growth from 2021. Other categories shown, from most job postings to least in 2022, are as follows: cloud and edge computing, trust architecture and digital identity, future of mobility, electrification and renewables, climate tech beyond electrification and renewables, advanced connectivity, immersive-reality technologies, industrializing machine learning, Web3, future of bioengineering, future of space technologies, generative AI, and quantum technologies.

End of image description.

This bright outlook for practitioners in most fields highlights the challenge facing employers who are struggling to find enough talent to keep up with their demands. The shortage of qualified talent has been a persistent limiting factor in the growth of many high-tech fields, including AI, quantum technologies, space technologies, and electrification and renewables. The talent crunch is particularly pronounced for trends such as cloud computing and industrializing machine learning, which are required across most industries. It’s also a major challenge in areas that employ highly specialized professionals, such as the future of mobility and quantum computing (see interactive).

Michael Chui is a McKinsey Global Institute partner in McKinsey’s Bay Area office, where Mena Issler is an associate partner, Roger Roberts  is a partner, and Lareina Yee  is a senior partner.

The authors wish to thank the following McKinsey colleagues for their contributions to this research: Bharat Bahl, Soumya Banerjee, Arjita Bhan, Tanmay Bhatnagar, Jim Boehm, Andreas Breiter, Tom Brennan, Ryan Brukardt, Kevin Buehler, Zina Cole, Santiago Comella-Dorda, Brian Constantine, Daniela Cuneo, Wendy Cyffka, Chris Daehnick, Ian De Bode, Andrea Del Miglio, Jonathan DePrizio, Ivan Dyakonov, Torgyn Erland, Robin Giesbrecht, Carlo Giovine, Liz Grennan, Ferry Grijpink, Harsh Gupta, Martin Harrysson, David Harvey, Kersten Heineke, Matt Higginson, Alharith Hussin, Tore Johnston, Philipp Kampshoff, Hamza Khan, Nayur Khan, Naomi Kim, Jesse Klempner, Kelly Kochanski, Matej Macak, Stephanie Madner, Aishwarya Mohapatra, Timo Möller, Matt Mrozek, Evan Nazareth, Peter Noteboom, Anna Orthofer, Katherine Ottenbreit, Eric Parsonnet, Mark Patel, Bruce Philp, Fabian Queder, Robin Riedel, Tanya Rodchenko, Lucy Shenton, Henning Soller, Naveen Srikakulam, Shivam Srivastava, Bhargs Srivathsan, Erika Stanzl, Brooke Stokes, Malin Strandell-Jansson, Daniel Wallance, Allen Weinberg, Olivia White, Martin Wrulich, Perez Yeptho, Matija Zesko, Felix Ziegler, and Delphine Zurkiya.

They also wish to thank the external members of the McKinsey Technology Council.

This interactive was designed, developed, and edited by McKinsey Global Publishing’s Nayomi Chibana, Victor Cuevas, Richard Johnson, Stephanie Jones, Stephen Landau, LaShon Malone, Kanika Punwani, Katie Shearer, Rick Tetzeli, Sneha Vats, and Jessica Wang.

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