Top teen scientists compete for $4M in prizes at Intel ISEF

Arriving from 47 countries, regions and territories across the globe, nearly 1,500 young scientists and inventors will compete for $4 million in scholarships and awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), presented by Agilent Technologies.

They come with projects that could ultimately solve some of science’s most vexing problems, among them developing effective alternative energy sources, finding treatments for autism and other learning disabilities, reducing contaminants in the water supply, and reducing electronic waste. In all, more than 1,200 projects will be on display as students meet with senior scientists, exchange ideas and present their findings.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Intel’s title sponsorship of the fair, one of the key programs comprising Intel’s $100 million annual commitment to improving education around the world.

“More than a science competition, the Intel ISEF is an investment in the next generation of scientists,” said Brenda Musilli, Intel Corporation director of education. “Over the past decade, our investment in this world class program has helped to increase the number of participants by 36 percent, and doubled the number of countries represented. What’s more, the scientific projects students are tackling have grown increasingly sophisticated.”

This year’s finalists range in age from 12 to 20. Among the finalists, 16 percent have previously competed at the Intel ISEF, 15 percent hold or have applied for a U.S. patent and 47 percent are female. The “Engineering” category has the most entries with 200 projects, followed by “Environmental Sciences” with 155, and “Medicine and Health” with 125. Together these encompass 40 percent of all entries.

Intel ISEF Awards

Finalists compete for a wide range of awards, including:
* Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award: The top three finalists each receive $50,000 college scholarships.
* Seaborg Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar (SIYSS) Award: Three individual “Best of Category” winners will be selected to attend the SIYSS program and the Nobel Prize Ceremonies in December.
* Grand Awards: Grand Awards are given in each of the 14 categories and for the team category, in first, second, third and fourth places. Awards are $3,000, $1,500, $1,000 and $500 for first- through fourth-place, respectively. In addition, a “Best of Category” award of $5,000 and an Intel® Centrino® mobile technology-based notebook computer are presented to the top-scoring student in each category.