The Collegiate Inventors Competition

Overview How To Enter Winners Videos FAQs Resources

Overview

Objectives
Eligibility
Judging
Awards
Sponsors

OBJECTIVES

Introduced in 1990, the Collegiate Inventors Competition has recognized, rewarded, and encouraged hundreds of students to share their inventive ideas with the world. The Competition promotes exploration in invention, science, engineering, technology, and other creative endeavors and provides a window on the technologies from which society will benefit in the future.

ELIGIBILITY

Students must be enrolled (or have been enrolled) full-time in any U.S. or Canadian college or university at least part of the 12-month period prior to the date the entry is submitted. In the case of a team (maximum of four students), at least one member of the team must meet the full-time eligibility criteria. The other team members must have been enrolled on a part-time basis (at a minimum) sometime during the 24-month period prior to the date the entry is submitted.

JUDGING

The committee of judges represents various fields, including mathematics, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, information technology, materials science, and medicine.

Entries are judged on the originality and inventiveness of the new idea, process, or technology. The entry must be complete, workable, and well articulated. Entries are also judged on their potential value to society (socially, environmentally, and economically), and on the scope of use. The judges' decisions are final.

judges
Standing (l to r): Robert Bower, NIHF Inductee; Rangaswamy Srinivasan, NIHF Inductee; Jeff Pan, Abbott; Donald Bateman, NIHF Inductee
Sitting (l to r): Jim West, NIHF Inductee; Jasemine Chambers, USPTO; Edith Flanigen, NIHF Inductee

AWARDS

Each year up to 12 finalists in Graduate and Undergraduate Divisions receive an all-expenses paid trip to present their work to a panel of expert judges. The top Graduate prize is $15,000, the top Undergraduate Prize is $10,000. Other prizes will be awarded to select finalists. Academic advisors of each winning entry also receive a cash award.