Enter the Collegiate Inventors Competition
The Collegiate Inventors Competition® (CIC) gives you the chance to bring national attention to your work, enjoy unique networking opportunities, gain valuable feedback from our National Inventors Hall of Fame® Inductees, and compete for cash prizes and patent acceleration.
Review our application process
To enter CIC, you’ll need to complete our online application. Here’s what you’ll be asked to provide:
- Your student information
- An essay including a brief description or abstract of your invention, like this example
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty adviser or professional reference. (This template can help.)
- A literature/patent search and summary
- Any relevant supporting or supplemental materials you wish to submit, such as charts, graphs, videos, articles, samples, etc.
Make sure you’re eligible to compete
Individual Eligibility
If you are a part-time or full-time student enrolled in a U.S. college or university, you are eligible to enter. You must have been enrolled at least part time between June 2024 and June 2025.
Team Eligibility
If you are part of a team of inventors, all your team members must be enrolled as either part-time or full-time students. Each team member must have been enrolled at least part time between June 2024 and June 2025.
Citizenship
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you are still eligible as long as you are enrolled in a U.S. college or university and can meet the student eligibility requirement described above.
Please note that if an Applicant is awarded competition winnings of $600 or more, a 1099 form will be issued to them at the conclusion of the tax year. The Applicant must be legally eligible to provide a completed and signed W-9 prior to payout. Please see the following link for details and instructions: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9.
Patents
Your entry will be ineligible if (1) your invention has already been patented or disclosed by another party/inventor, or (2) you have been issued a patent for the invention more than one year prior to the date of your submission to the competition.
Questions
For questions about eligibility requirements, please contact us at [email protected].
Have Questions?
For more information visit our FAQs or contact us at [email protected] or 800-968-4332, option 5.