engineering essay contests

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EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Every year, EngineerGirl hosts a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The topic and detailed instructions for the contest are posted in September with a deadline for submissions on February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the summer.

The 2024 EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students to write a piece exploring the lifecycle of an object that you use in your daily life.

Learn more about the 2024 EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Read the 2023 Writing Contest Winning Essays

Read the winning essays here!

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Our 4th Annual STEM Writing Contest

We invite students to choose an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health, then write an engaging 500-word explanation. Contest Dates: Jan. 18 - Feb. 15, 2023.

By The Learning Network

Update, Jan. 9, 2024: We are not running our STEM Writing Contest for the 2023-24 school year, but students might be in participating in our new informational writing contest .

Update, April 11, 2023: Winners have been announced!

What makes sea dragons so strange? How did chewing shape human evolution? Why do thunderstorms occur much less frequently over the ocean than over land? What does the Webb telescope reveal about events in the early millenniums of the universe?

If you click on any of these articles, you’ll see that they are written for a general reader. Special technical or scientific knowledge is not required, and each is designed to get our attention and keep it — by giving us “news we can use” in our own lives, or by exploring something fascinating in a way that makes it easy to understand and shows us why it matters.

That’s what Times journalists do every day across our Science , Health and Technology sections, and it’s what Science News and Science News Explores do on their sites too, where journalists explain things like why sea sponges sneeze , how face mites clean our skin and why noises sound different on Mars than on Earth.

For this contest, The Learning Network invites you to bring that same spirit of inquiry and discovery to finding a STEM-related question, concept or issue you’re interested in, and, in 500 words or fewer, explaining it to a general audience in a way that not only helps us understand, but also engages us and makes us see why it’s important.

So what questions do you have about how the world works? What science, technology, engineering, math or health questions might be inspired by your own life or experiences? What innovations, processes or problems in any of these areas puzzle or intrigue you? What concepts in STEM — whether from biology, physics, psychology, computer science, algebra or calculus — have you learned about, in or out of school, that might be useful or fun to explain to others?

The best of this kind of writing includes three elements we’ll be asking you to include, too:

It begins with an engaging hook to get readers’ attention and make us care about the subject.

It quotes experts and/or includes research on the topic to give context and credibility .

It explains why the topic matters . Why do you care? Why should we care? Whom or what does it affect, why and how? How is it relevant to broader questions in the field, to the world today and to our own lives?

Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at [email protected]. And, consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board.

Here’s what you need to know:

Contest guidelines, resources for teachers and students, frequently asked questions, how to submit.

1. Choose a STEM topic you care about.

Maybe it’s something personal — you just found out you’re nearsighted and you want to know what that means, or you want to learn about the brain and how to create more efficient study habits.

Or, maybe it’s something cool you observed in science lab that you’d like to explain, or a phenomenon you’ve noticed in your own neighborhood, school or backyard that you’d like to investigate. It could be a topic you already know a great deal about and want to explain to others, or something you’ve never thought about until now.

Please choose something you are genuinely curious about. We’ve been running student writing contests for over a decade, and one thing we know for sure is that the best writing is inspired by students’ real interests, not from a one-size-fits-all assignment given to an entire class.

2. Make sure your topic is narrow enough that you can cover it well in 500 words or fewer.

You probably can’t explain the entire circulatory system within our word limit, but you probably can explain why the heart keeps beating. You probably can’t get across all the thinking and research on the science of happiness , but you probably can choose one research-backed recommendation and explore it.

3. Do research, and cite your sources.

For this contest, we are collaborating with Science News. At least one of your sources must be from either The New York Times, Science News OR its sister site, Science News Explores. But of course you can use all three, and any other additional sources.

We provide you with a separate field to make a list of sources you used to write your article or essay. You can format your list however you want; we will not judge your entry based on formatting in this section. And, internal citations are not necessary.

We also encourage you to interview experts whose work is relevant to your chosen topic. But that doesn’t mean you have to call the head of the U.S. Forest Service if you want to write about butterfly habitats. You can talk to a local park ranger or gardener who has experience with and extensive knowledge about the topic.

And, of course, part of your research can be your own investigations. Let’s say you’re writing about teenagers’ use of e-books. You might survey your own class or grade about their habits and preferences, then use those findings in your piece.

4. But be very careful to put quotations around any direct quotes you use, and to cite the source of anything you paraphrase.

Make sure your work is your own. If we put a sentence from your submission into a search engine, we don’t want to find it anywhere else — unless you’re clearly quoting or citing that source.

5. Your submission must be 500 words or fewer, not including the title.

6. Here is the rubric that shows exactly what we’re looking for .

7. We have a new required field this year about your research and writing process.

While our judges will NOT use what you write in this section to select finalists, we’d love some insight into how you decided what to write about, as well as how you researched and composed.

8. Please submit only one entry per student.

Write your essay by yourself or with a group, but please submit only one essay per student. If you are working as a team, just remember to submit all of your names when you post your entry. And if you’re submitting as part of a team, you should not also submit as an individual.

9. You must be a student age 13 to 19 in middle school or high school to participate.

See below for more details.

10. The deadline for this contest is Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

We provide a small window of time after that deadline to allow for technical difficulties. However, at some point after the deadline, our contest submission form closes and you will not be allowed to submit an entry, so please be mindful of the deadline and submit early.

Our full Informational Writing Unit .

A webinar, available on YouTube , with Learning Network staff and expert educators on teaching informational writing with The New York Times.

Mentor texts that demonstrate three important elements of STEM writing: hooking the reader , quoting and paraphrasing experts and research and explaining why a topic matters .

Examples of STEM writers discussing the process behind their work: an annotated article by Nicholas St. Fleur , a science reporter at The Times; an annotated essay and video by a 2021 contest winner; an annotated article on Covid misinformation by a technology reporter; and a video conversation with two students who won the contest in 2020.

Short videos with advice from Times writers on hooking the reader ; explaining why a topic matters ; quoting and paraphrasing ; research ; and selecting the right topic .

The work of our 2022 , 2021 and 2020 winners.

A writing prompt: What Questions Do You Have About How the World Works?

A lesson plan: Teaching Science with the ‘Trilobites’ Column , and all of our Lessons of the Day that concern STEM-related topics .

A teacher background sheet on science journalism and a “Think Like a Science Journalist” activity guide for students, both created by Science News Learning .

Our contest rubric .

Answers to your questions about judging, the rules and teaching with this contest. Please read these thoroughly and, if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, post your query in the comments or write to us at [email protected].

QUESTIONS ABOUT JUDGING

How will my essay be judged?

Your work will be read by journalists from The New York Times and Science News as well as by Learning Network staff members and STEM educators from around the United States. We will use this rubric to judge entries.

What is the “prize”?

Having your work published on The New York Times Learning Network.

When will the winners be announced?

About two months after the contest has closed.

My essay wasn’t selected as a winner. Can you tell me why?

We receive thousands of entries for this contest, so, unfortunately, our team does not have the capacity to provide individual feedback on each student’s essay.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RULES

Who is eligible to participate in this contest?

This contest is open to students ages 13 to 19 who are in middle school or high school around the world. College students cannot submit an entry. However, high school students (including high school postgraduate students) who are taking one or more college classes can participate. Students attending their first year of a two-year CEGEP in Quebec Province can also participate. In addition, students age 19 or under who have completed high school but are taking a gap year or are otherwise not enrolled in college can participate.

The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest. Nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.

My essay was published in my school newspaper. Can I submit it to this contest?

No. We ask that your essay be original for this contest. Please don’t submit anything you have already published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.

Do I need a Works Cited page?

Yes. We provide you with a separate field to list the sources you used to write your essay. You’re allowed to format your list however you want; we will not judge your entry based on formatting in this section. Internal citations are not necessary.

Can I have someone else check my work?

We understand that students will often revise their work based on feedback from teachers and peers. That is allowed for this contest. However, be sure that the final submission reflects the ideas, voice and writing ability of the student, not someone else.

Who can I contact if I have questions about this contest or am having issues submitting my entry?

Leave a comment on this post or write to us at [email protected].

QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHING WITH THIS CONTEST

I’m a teacher. What resources do you have to help me teach with this contest?

Start with our unit plan for informational writing . It includes writing prompts, mentor texts and lesson plans that can support this contest.

You might also invite your students to read the winners of last year’s contest to get inspiration for their own work.

Do my students need a New York Times subscription to access these resources?

No. All of the resources on The Learning Network are free.

If your students don’t have a subscription to The New York Times, they can also get access to Times pieces through The Learning Network . All the activities for students on our site, including mentor texts and writing prompts, plus the Times articles they link to, are free. Students can search for articles using the search tool on our home page.

This contest is closed.

This contest is a collaboration with the Society for Science , publisher of Science News , a source of independent nonprofit journalism on the latest in science, medicine and technology since 1921, Science News Explores and the Science News Learning program .

Attention NAE Members

Starting June 30, 2023, login credentials have changed for improved security. For technical assistance, please contact us at 866-291-3932 or [email protected] . For all other inquiries, please contact our Membership Office at 202-334-2198 or [email protected] .

Click here to login if you're an NAE Member

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• Activities Overview

EngineerGirl

• EngineerGirl Website Awarded NSB Science and Society Award

The National Academy of Engineering is seeking suggestions for experts and collegiate representatives to be considered for membership rotation or other engagement with the Steering Committee for the Inclusive, Diverse, and Equitable Engineering for All (IDEEA) programs. Do you know someone who could be a good fit for our committee?

Research has shown that girls with STEM role models show more interest in STEM subjects and feel more confident in their STEM abilities than girls without them 1 . EngineerGirl is making hundreds of role models visible to girls around the world to demonstrate that any girl can explore engineering and the opportunities it offers. EngineerGirl is designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women, and to inform, inspire, and support girls and to encourage them to consider the rewards of an engineering education and career. Why girls and women? Because despite an increase in female participation in many traditionally male-dominated professions such as medicine and law, women remain grossly under-represented in engineering. Diversity of thought is crucial to creativity, and by leaving women out of the process of innovation, we lose a key component of diversity and stifle innovation and progress. The EngineerGirl program has many facets, the base of which is a website filled to the brim with information about engineering careers and fields, resources for pursuing a career in engineering, design projects to try, and most importantly, a Gallery of Women Engineers and “Ask an Engineer” section. The Gallery of Women Engineers features engineers from around the world, at many different levels in their careers, and representing a wide array of companies. It serves to dispel stereotypes of engineers and allows students to see the many different paths that may be available to them, from engineers who are similar to them. Those engineers also answer questions submitted by site visitors to the Ask an Engineer section. Question topics range from types of projects engineers are working on to what classes to take for a specific field, to how to deal with academic pressure or being the only girl in the room. The annual EngineerGirl Writing Contest opens every fall with hundreds of submissions from around the world. The contest gives student the opportunity to combine interests in writing and communication with science and technology and learn about engineering’s contributions to the world and the way we live. In 2018, the EngineerGirl Ambassadors program was launched. The Ambassadors are high school girls in the United States who design, develop, and implement projects in their communities to encourage younger girls – particularly those with little access to engineering role models – to think about engineering and engineering careers and give them practical experience in engineering design. Ambassadors also receive an all-expenses paid trip to receive training in outreach and network with engineers. As of 2020, 45 girls have participated in the program.    “EngineerGirl has really helped me grow as a person and strengthened my passion for outreach. I truly learned of the importance of reaching out and setting an example for younger girls interested in STEM. Being an ambassador has helped me persevere through one of my most difficult times. I have become more bold and confident as a leader. I learned to embrace my mistakes rather than fretting over them, and have trained myself to have a more positive outlook on my decisions.” - Rachel Chae. 2019-2020 EngineerGirl Ambassador You can follow EngineerGirl on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram and sign up for the newsletter . 1. https://news.microsoft.com/europe/features/girls-in-stem-the-importance-of-role-models/

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EngineerGirl Essay Contest

Target Applicant: Pre-University

The EngineerGirl website is part of an NAE project to bring national attention to the opportunity that engineering represents to all people at any age, but particularly to women and girls. Every year, the EngineerGirl website sponsors a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world.

The contest is open to individual girls and boys in each of three categories: — 3rd grade to 5th grade (Ages 8-11) — 6th grade to 8th grade (Ages 12-14) — 9th grade to 12th grade (Ages 15-18)

Entries must be submitted through the submission form on the EngineerGirl! website and must include all required information. Essays will be judged on the basis of organization, depth of detail, and use of language by the author. All winning entries will be published on the EngineerGirl! website. In addition, all winners will receive the prizes noted below. — First-place winners will be awarded $500. — Second-place entries will be awarded $250. — Third-place entries will be awarded $100.

Learn more about the EngineerGirl Essay Contest

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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  

Filter by Category

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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Engineering Essay Contest by EngineerGirl

Engineering Council, San Diego County

The EngineerGirl writing contest is, for the first time, asking students in grades 3 - 12 to submit works of creative fiction. They are looking for stories about women and girls saving the day with their wits, skill, and whatever resources they can find to solve the problem. Maybe they are working alone, maybe they are part of an elite team. Maybe they just find themselves in an unusual situation that requires some innovative thinking.The challenge is to write a story that celebrates a female character using engineering design and problem solving. Enter the EngineerGirl Essay Contest and win cash prizes. Applications are due February 1, 2019.

Essay contest with the on-line application due Feb 1, 2019

Other learning opportunities from this partner

Engineering teacher honor award.

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Award for making significant contributions in advancing student engagement in engineering.

Teacher / educator award nominations are due by December 31, 2018

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Volunteer judges are needed for this regional engineering qualifying competition.

Engineer's Week Awards Banquet

A celebration of engineering and San Diego engineering achievements on February 22, 2019.

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Essay Contest

Great women in engineering and science essay contest.

To foster an interest in science, engineering, and technology and introduce students to female role models who have achieved significant success in science and engineering.

Essay Contest Details

Sixth grade students at schools in Colorado and Wyoming are invited to participate in the “Great Women in Engineering and Science” essay contest. The goal of the contest is to foster an interest in science, engineering, and technology in middle school students and to introduce students to female role models who have achieved significant success in areas of science and engineering. Over 250 students participate annually and prizes and certificates are awarded. Read about past contest award recipients on the  RMS Blog – O u t r e a c h .

2024 Essay Contest Is Closed

Check back in January 2025 to find out how you can participate in the 38 th Annual Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest.

READ ABOUT THE 2024 ESSAY CONTEST RESULTS ON THE BLOG!

To enter, write an original essay of approximately 500 words on one of the women engineers and scientists listed below:

• Katherine Johnson – 20th Century Physicist and Mathematician
• Mary Anning – 18th Century Paleontologist
• Edith Clarke – 19th Century Electrical Engineer
• Rosalyn Yalow – 20th Century Medical Physicist
• Sylvis Earle – 20th Century Marine Biologist and Aquanaut

Winning essays should:

• Describe in detail the woman’s life, achievements and any awards she received in recognition of her work
• Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of her work
• Show originality
• Include three or more research sources from varying media (bibliography)
• Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Present the information in an organized, neat fashion with good sentence structure

Submission details:

• Your school’s name and address
• Your teacher’s name and email address
• The number of 6th graders in your class
• The essay file name must include your first and last name
• PDF, Word, and Google Doc file formats accepted
• All entries must be received by Friday, March 15, 2024

Win These Prizes!

First Place: Science Kit, Science Book, and $250 cash prize

Second Place: Science Kit, Science Book, and $150 cash prize

Third Place: Science Kit, Science Book, and $100 cash prize

Honorable Merit: Science Kit

Honorable Mention: Science Book

School Awards:

All schools with 20% or more of their 6 th graders submitting essays will receive a book award for their library.

Attention teachers, if your school won a participation award in previous years, be sure to check your school library for potential references for this year’s contest!

Upload essay to the Google form. Requires Google login.

For teachers submitting multiple entries, you may email a list of participating students along with the school name and address, your name and email address, and the number of 6th graders in your class to [email protected] rather than completing multiple submission forms.

For additional details, please see below for the Essay Contest Flyer and Frequently Asked Questions and Essay Scoring Guidelines.

For further information or to sign up for the essay contest email list, contact the contest chair at  [email protected]

Attention SWE RMS members: Please contact the contest chair at [email protected] if you are interested in being a volunteer judge for this year’s Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the 500 word length is a guideline, not an exact word limit. Students will not be penalized for essays slightly over or under 500 words. It is possible that an essay that is significantly shorter or longer could lose points if the length affects the organization of the essay.

The contest is open to all genders. We hope to inspire all students to explore STEM fields and feel that it is beneficial for all students to learn about the achievements of these notable scientists and engineers, most of whom they would not otherwise learn about in school.

This number is used to determine which schools are awarded a book prize for high participation (20% or more participating). These books are great additions to school or classroom libraries and can be used as a resource for future contests.

You will receive an email confirmation that the submission has been received. Please contact us at [email protected] if you do not receive a confirmation within 48 hours of submitting the essay electronically or within 5 days of submitting the essay by mail.

The contest results will be announced in early April after two rounds of judging. The announcement will be sent to participating teachers by email and will be posted on the SWE-RMS website. Prizes will be mailed to teachers shortly after the announcement.

Check your school or classroom library for book participation prizes from past years. These books all include biographies of female scientists/engineers and may include some of this year’s subjects. Some previous titles include:

•  Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science – and the World
•  Magnificent Minds: 16 Pioneering Women in Science and Medicine
•  Remarkable Minds: 16 More Women in Science and Medicine
•  A to Z of Women in Science
•  Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers
•  Women in Engineering: Pioneers and Trailblazers
•  Women at the Edge of Discovery: 40 True Science Adventures
•  Women in Space: 23 Stories of First Flights, Scientific Missions, and Gravity-Breaking Adventures

Online and print encyclopedias also work well for these essays. For online research, encourage students to look for sources beyond Wikipedia – biographies of these women can often be found on the websites of professional societies, universities, or agencies like NASA.

The essay contest is a good opportunity to introduce bibliographies to students and to discuss how to incorporate information from various sources into an essay without plagiarizing.

• Top essays accurately describe a broad range of the subject’s achievements (research, awards, and/or prizes) across many years and/or areas with significant detail.
• Top essays demonstrate understanding of the subject’s achievements by providing both facts and relevance (e.g. global impacts, why this person and their achievements are important).
• Top essays have a logical order of information (introduction, body of text, conclusions). Main points are vivid; key information is easy to spot; clear connections between paragraphs.
• Top essays are clearly written in the “voice” of the student. Sentences flow smoothly – could be read aloud. May include anecdotal references to child’s own life, which support understanding of impacts of scientist’s achievements.
• Top essays have few errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Paragraphs are indented to show where new ideas begin.
• Top essays are neatly laid out with even margins and clear type (or very neat handwriting). Student name and associated information neatly included.
• Top essays have three or more references presented in a neat, standard format. At least two different types of resources are used (books, periodicals, internet sources, encyclopedias). Judges are aware that students may be limited to internet sources for some of the more modern subjects.

2024 Essay Contest Sponsor

If interested in sponsoring the essay contest at $500-750, please email [email protected] . Your financial contribution directly supports students, cover prizes and shipping.

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YOUR CHALLENGE IS:

Imagine leading a one-week expedition on the moon and write an essay that tells nasa all about it, challenge closed, ** march 23 virtual astronaut event at 1pm et ** https://youtu.be/7w4v5tymyce.

• Grades K-4: Essay, up to 100 words
• Grades 5-8: Essay, up to 200 words
• Grades 9-12: Essay, up to 300 words
• Please DO NOT put your name in your entry
• For all entry requirements and judging criteria please read the RULES

DATES / JUDGING CRITERIA / PRIZES

Who can enter, judging criteria, how to enter.

• Trip to Artemis-1 Launch
• Trip to NASA's Johnson Space Center
• Artemis Prize Pack & 4 Virtual Artemis Explorer Sessions with NASA
• Trip to the Artemis-1 Launch

The National K-4th Grade winner receives a family trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center to watch the Artemis-1 launch

Three K-4th Grade finalists get a trip for two to NASA's Johnson Space Center to learn about Moon Exploration

One K-4th Grade semifinalist per state will get an Artemis Prize Pack and 4 virtual Artemis Explorer sessions with NASA

The National 5th-8th Grade winner receives a family trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center to watch the Artemis-1 launch

Three 5th-8th Grade finalists get a trip for two to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to learn about Moon Exploration

One 5th-8th Grade semifinalist per state will get an Artemis Prize Pack and 4 virtual Artemis Explorer Sessions with NASA

The National 9th-12th Grade winner receives a family trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center to watch the Artemis-1 launch

Three 9th-12th Grade finalists get a trip for two to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to learn about Moon Exploration

One 9th-12th Grade semifinalist per state will get an Artemis Prize Pack and 4 virtual Artemis Explorer Sessions with NASA

Dive Into The Challenge

Lesson plan details and challenge tips, 1. links & lessons, 2. brainstorm & design, learn about the challenge, links & lessons.

Brainstorm & Design

Brainstorming idea, the moon's south pole.

Your pod will spend 7 days exploring the lunar South Pole so it's important to know your environment! The Moon does not have an atmosphere like Earth, which means that there is no air to breathe. There is also no protection from the sun and its radiation, so midday temperatures can reach 127°C (hotter than boiling water) whereas at night they can fall as low as -173°C. So you must wear a spacesuit at all times when you are outside your habitat. Also, don’t forget that the moon has about 1/6 th  the amount of gravity as we have here on Earth, so it will feel like you’re walking on a trampoline!

The Moon's Craters

Large craters at the Moon's South Pole are home to "permanently shadowed regions" that never see sunlight. Robotic missions like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed that these spots of total darkness may contain patches of frost or ice. Could the ice be melted and filtered for drinking water? Or, could it be broken down into its elements (hydrogen and oxygen) to create breathable air for your spacesuits or rocket fuel to get back home? Many of the crater rims will have near constant sunlight, where you could harvest solar energy to power your rover habitat.

Expedition Goals

What will define your expedition? How will your crew’s time on the Moon be a building block for the future? What do you hope to learn or accomplish in one week? Will you be building a structure? Conducting an experiment? Exploring a new area? Making a machine? Mining minerals? Harvesting water? Starting a lunar farm? Technology will play a major role in all aspects of your journey. But don’t forget, this is human exploration. Your pod must always thrive and survive – both physically and mentally.

Personality Traits

As the leader of the expedition, think about what types of skills you would bring to the team. What are the kinds of personalities or character traits that you would want your crewmates to have? Should they have similar personalities or different? There will be times to relax, laugh, and be silly – just like if you were camping here on Earth. But there will also be extreme situations that may test character - from staying calm while solving a problem to being brave in the face of fear or encouraging others to persevere. 

Work Skills

Think about the goals of your expedition and the type of skills that your crew would need for success. Would you work together on a single goal or divide and conquer different tasks? Also, you are 250,000 miles from Earth, so what skills would your pod need to deal with the unexpected, such as if something breaks? Consider how technology may reduce the number of human skills that are needed. For example, do you need a doctor to do daily health check-ups or will you rely on biometric sensors? Or both! Lastly, how will you share your adventure with the billions of people back on Earth cheering you on? Communication is a skill too.

Representing Humanity

In the history of our world, there have been approximately 570 people that have traveled to space – ever. And when astronauts do travel to space, all eyes are on them. Astronauts inspire not only a nation, but a world. They represent humanity in our quest to explore and understand more about our universe and they become role models for kids across the globe. How will that factor into your crew choices?

Sustainable Technologies

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is the most powerful rocket in the world, but it is still limited in how many crew members and how much gear it can bring. What resources ON the Moon might you be able to incorporate into your plan? Similar too how we use water, solar power and raw materials here our Earth, the Moon has resources on its surface (and subsurface!) that may play a role in your mission – from lunar soil to mining metals to harvesting ice. Your pod is only there for one -week, but future astronauts that stay on the Moon for longer durations will need to survive using more than what they bring. Bringing 6 months' worth of water and frozen burritos is HEAVY, and kind of ridiculous, so start thinking and building sustainably for future crews! Maybe your idea will improve life here on Earth too!

Robotic Explorers

NASA has set their sights on exploring the surface of the Moon with human and robotic explorers. Much like NASA has used rovers to study Mars, they plan to do the same on the Moon. Imagine exploring the Moon with robotic helpers. It’s not science fiction anymore, NASA is making it science fact! How could robotic explorers be useful to your crew and future crews?   What information do you hope to investigate or discover as you study different areas of the lunar South Pole? What new knowledge might you learn about the Moon, Earth, and our origins in the solar system?

Going the Distance

Walking is great. It’s healthy. It’s invigorating. But don’t forget that you are in a spacesuit that’s not quite as comfy as spandex. What if you wanted to explore an area of the moon one mile away where no one has been before? How would you get there? What mobility or transport vehicles might help you or future crews to move around? How will they be powered? Keep in mind there is sun on the crater rims the Moon’s polar mountain peaks (crater rims and ridges), but once you move off those peaks, you are in the crater you will have dark days and dark nights.  

Getting There

To be clear, your essay should be about your time ON the Moon. Nonetheless, we wanted to take a moment to share how NASA’s Artemis program plans to take future astronauts, like you,   TO the Moon. A crew of astronauts will ride in the Orion spacecraft, which will sit atop the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket that travels at speeds up to 24,500 mph. The Orion capsule will dock with an orbiting lunar outpost called “Gateway”. The astronauts will board Gateway as a staging point (it’s kind of like changing planes at an airport, but in space, and orbiting the Moon). Then when the moment is right, astronauts will use lunar landers to travel to the Moon's surface. Three companies are working hard at work designing lunar landers now, including Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Dynetics. And that massive SLS rocket? The winners of this contest will get to watch its first Artemis – 1 launch, so get creative and start writing now!  J

Your Imagination

NASA has been hard at work developing a plan to go back to the moon, you can read all about it here Artemis Program , but there is no idea too big or too small, or invention too crazy or far-fetched when it comes to space exploration. We can’t wait to hear how you would explore the Moon!

Digital Tools

Build & iterate, educator tools, launching the innovators of tomorrow.

The Artemis Moon Pod Essay Contest is presented in support of NASA's Artemis program. The student challenge is part of NASA's efforts to engage the public in its missions to the Moon and Mars. NASA is returning to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation. Working with its partners throughout the Artemis program, the agency will fine-tune precision landing technologies and develop new mobility capabilities that allow robots and crew to travel greater distances and explore new regions of the Moon. On the surface, the agency has proposed building a new habitat and rovers, testing new power systems and much more to get ready for human exploration of Mars. Charged with returning to the Moon in the next four years, NASA’s Artemis program will reveal new knowledge about the Moon, Earth, and our origins in the solar system.

In Support of NASA's Artemis Program

Thank you for your interest in contacting Future Engineers. We look forward to connecting with you!

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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 magazine article; ages 15–18; deadline likely to be July 2024; prize includes £50 and being published in the magazine)
• 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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Extracurriculars.

10 Engineering Academic Competitions for High Schoolers

What’s covered:, how do engineering academic competitions affect my admissions chances.

Colleges like to see applicants with a demonstrated interest in their intended major, whether through high school academics or extracurricular achievements. For example, they want to see writing experience for English majors and lab work for those preparing to study pre-med. Students thinking about careers as engineers—whether it’s mechanical, electrical, industrial, or one of the numerous other engineering fields—will want to get their hands dirty and begin building something.

Engineering academic competitions are a great way for high schoolers to learn what it takes to develop technologies and decide whether engineering is the right path for them. Some even sweeten the pot with prize money! 

1. The Clean Tech Competition

The Clean Tech Competition allows teens to learn about environmental preservation and develop technologies that could help preserve the earth’s natural resources. This national competition involves intensive research into a specific environmental issue, designing an innovative solution, and presenting this solution in the form of a paper and prototype. The competition is a great opportunity to get involved in the movement to save the planet and gain valuable experience designing and building a prototype. All registered high school students are encouraged to apply.

The prizes for this competition are as follows:

• 1st place: $10,000
• 2nd place: $7,000
• 3rd place: $5,000
• 4-10th place: $1,000 each
• 20 Finalists: $200 stipend to develop a prototype for their design

Date(s): 10/26/21-8/11/22

Type: International

2. Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) International ROV Competition

The MATE International ROV Competition gives students exposure to STEM and robotics by allowing them to experiment with and develop underwater robotics technologies. Participants build an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) demo and submit it to a regional competition in their area. The competition is broken down into classes that divide students by experience and age, with each class given a specific underwater robotics challenge whose difficulty is based on their age. Any student—whether in kindergarten, middle school, high school, or college—may apply.  

Date(s): 5/16/22-5/26/22

Type: Regional and International  

3. Rube Goldberg Machine Contest

This lighthearted competition requires participants to build hilarious machines to complete a simple task using discarded household items, or more simply, junk. The competition is inspired by the cartoons of Rube Goldberg and is designed for students of any age to compete. The competition provides students with a fun, low-cost opportunity to gain hands-on experience engineering a working machine. Ten winners are chosen and they each receive: 

• A $200 Visa gift card
• An award plaque
• RGMC-2022 stickers & buttons

Date(s): 3/22/22

4. The High School Bridge Building Contest

The High School Bridge Building Contest allows students to dive into the realms of physics and engineering as they design and construct their own model bridge. This competition provides students with a glimpse of the life of a civil engineer, and participants can even see their designs tested for functionality in the real world. This competition exists on the local, regional, and national levels. All registered high school students are encouraged to compete.

Date(s): N/A

Type: Regional, national, and international

5. FIRST Robotics Competition

The First Robotics Competition provides participants with real-world engineering experience—tasking them with building industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against competitors. Open to students in grades nine through 12, participants in the competition build more than just engineering skills, they also learn about coding, teamwork, communication, and entrepreneurship. Every participant in the competition is also eligible to apply for college scholarships. 

6. VEX Robotics Competition

This engineering challenge is presented to middle and high school students across the globe. Students compete in teams in a game using robots they built and programmed. In addition to honing engineering skills, participants also build valuable soft skills such as teamwork, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Last season, more than 100,000 students competed in more than 2,600 events both in the U.S. and internationally. 

Date(s): Vary

7. NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge

This is an annual challenge put on by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to get young people involved in developing the next generation of space travel technology. This competition challenges high school students to design, develop, and test technologies that could operate and fulfill specific functions in simulated extraterrestrial environments. It’s also a chance for aspiring engineers to have an authentic engineering experience with the agency that pioneered human space travel. 

The prizes for the competition are:

• 1st Place: $3,000
• 2nd Place: $1,000
• 3rd Place: $500

Date(s): 6/29/21-4/30/22

Type: National

8. Solar Car Challenge

What makes this competition unique is that it teaches students while they are competing. Participants are provided with workshops, curriculum material, and virtual learning videos. Each two-year educational cycle concludes with a closed-track event that allows students to display and drive their solar cars. In order to participate, you need to be a registered high school student, and your high school needs to participate in the Solar Car Challenge Program.  

Date(s): 3/1/22

Type: National    

9. IDEATE Engineering Competition

This SourceAmerica Design Challenge allows high school and college students to help people with disabilities succeed in the workplace. Competitors collaborate with a person with a disability in their community to identify a need for disabled people in the workplace and develop an innovative solution to the issue that makes a difference. Demonstrable results, not technological sophistication, is how winners are chosen. All registered high school and college students are welcome to participate in this competition.

Type: National 

10. Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC)

The Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is the biggest student rocket competition in the United States. It was designed to help the U.S. defense industry develop a more advanced STEM workforce. About 5,000 students from across the nation compete annually. Every year, the contest rules and challenge changes to encourage a fresh approach to rocket design. The prize for the first-place team is $20,000. 

Date(s): 5/18/22-5/20/23

The effect engineering academic competitions and other extracurricular activities have on your college odds varies depending on numerous factors, including your performance in the competition, the prestige of the event, and the value a particular college places on activities outside the classroom. 

The four tiers of extracurricular activities are useful for understanding how colleges view extra-academic activities. The highest tiers—tiers one and two—have the most influence on college admissions and are reserved for the most distinguished and competitive extracurricular activities. Lower-tier activities—tiers three and four—are less well-known, less distinguished, and ultimately have less impact on college admissions than their higher-tiered counterparts. That said, lower-tier activities do have value in college admissions; for example, they highlight your interests and demonstrate a willingness to pursue your passions outside of school.  

How does participating in an engineering academic competition influence your odds of getting into your dream school? CollegeVine can help you find out! Our free chancing calculator considers factors such as grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—like engineering competitions—to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.

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IEI $1,000 Annual Scholarship Essay Contest

We are no longer accepting submissions for the 2024 scholarship essay contest. the 2025 contest will open this fall. please check back in september for new essay prompts., please note: we have a new policy regarding the use of ai apps for scholarship writing. please read the below scholarship entry requirements carefully..

T he Ivey Engineering $1,000 annual scholarship provides college and university students an opportunity to earn money to further their education.

Winner Payout and Announcement

• The deadline for Ivey Engineering scholarship entries is annually on May 1. The winner’s name and photo will be published at the bottom of the scholarship contest page .
• If there are fewer than 20 entries, the deadline will be extended.
• The winner will be notified by e-mail about four weeks after the deadline.
• Scholarship entries will be carefully reviewed by a team of judges at Ivey Engineering.
• The scholarship will be paid out in amounts of $1,000 (U.S.) to each winner in the form of a check that will be mailed directly to the college or university attended by the winning student.

Eligibility Requirements

The requirements for eligible student entries are:

• You should presently be a senior in high school;
• Or be transitioning from high school to a college or university;
• Or be already enrolled as an undergraduate in a college or university inside the United States.
• You should be a legal U.S. citizen.
• Employees and their immediate family members of Ivey Engineering are not eligible to participate.
• Students with full academic scholarships are not eligible to enter.
• Past winners are not eligible to participate in the contest.

Scholarship Entry Requirements

Carefully research and compose an essay of 800 to 1,000 words on one of the following topics. The essay will be judged on content and creativity and should use correct grammar and punctuation. It must be your own work and not previously published or entered in other competitions.

We will allow the use of AI apps to assist in pre-writing your essay. This means you may use AI to generate an outline or subtopics and ideas for your essay, not an entire essay. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If you use AI for pre-writing purposes, please provide details such as the prompts you provide to the AI app. If we find you did not provide accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. If you’re wondering whether or not to use AI for essay writing, check out this informative article .

Choose a topic below for your essay: ( Third-party sites such as Fastweb may not have updated topics. Please use our list of topics. )

• X Reasons Why Your Toilet Doesn’t Flush Properly*
• X Costly Renovation Mistakes to Avoid*
• X Types of Mold Found in a Building or Home*

(*Please replace the X with a number you want to use.)

How We Would Like to Receive Your Entry

• Email your essay in Microsoft Word document or plain text format to [email protected] . Please use the subject line, “IEI 2024 Scholarship Contest,” on your e-mail. Only one entry per person will be permitted.
• Please specify your name, date of birth, contact telephone number, email address and mailing address. Your contact information will be held in confidence and will not be shared.
• Please indicate how you heard about the scholarship. (If you saw it advertised on another website, such as Fastweb, please provide the name).
• If you are under 18 years old, please provide a parent or guardian’s e-mail address.
• Include the name of the college or university and the mailing address of the financial aid office that you are presently attending or that you’ll be attending after high school. (College or university information must be included at time of application. If you have not applied or been accepted to a college yet, we suggest you wait and apply for the scholarship during the next round of applications.)
• Please attach a headshot photo of yourself in .JPG or .PNG format that is at least 300 pixels wide .
• If we don’t receive all requested information by the deadline or in the required format, your submission may be disqualified.

All submitted essays and photos become the property of Ivey Engineering and can be used for future editorial content on the company’s web site, blog, social media pages or in marketing materials.

Recent Scholarship Winners

Summer 2023: Conner Daehler

IEI is pleased to announce that Conner Daehler of McHenry, Illinois, is the winner of the 2023 scholarship essay contest. Conner is a sophomore at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, and is majoring in electrical engineering. He chose electrical engineering as a major because he is interested in making an impact on the world. In the future, he wants to be a researcher, helping advance power-related technologies, such as the advancement of grid-wide energy efficiency.

Summer 2022: Ria Jain

Congratulations to Ria Jain of Dublin, California, who is the winner of the summer 2022 scholarship essay contest. Ria is a freshman at UC Berkeley and is majoring in electrical engineering and computer science. She chose these areas of study because they allow her to apply her interest in science and math to real-world problems. In the future she sees herself working as a research scientist in the field of computational sustainability, where she would use computer science and technology to tackle sustainability-related problems.

Summer 2021: Lydia Powers

Ivey Engineering congratulates Lydia Powers of Swartz Creek, Michigan, as the winner of the summer 2021 scholarship essay contest. Lydia is a senior at the University of Michigan-Flint and is majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. She chose these areas of study because of her interest in math and science and her passion for languages. In the future she sees herself working for an automotive company and contributing to its cross cultural communication while also traveling overseas. 

Winter 2020: Sydney Taylor

Ivey Engineering is pleased to announce that Sydney Taylor of Foxfield, Colorado, is the winner of the winter 2020 scholarship essay contest. Sydney is a junior at Brigham Young University-Idaho and is majoring in English. She chose English as a major since it will allow her to specialize in a variety of fields. Sydney is considering a higher degree in pyschology or a career as a technical writer. Overall, her goal is to have a career that is fullfilling and that will allow her to take care of a family in the future.

Summer 2020: Charu Vijay

Congratulations to Charu Vijay of Saratoga, California, who won the summer 2020 scholarship essay contest. Charu will start college in fall 2020 as a freshman at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. As an environmental engineering major, she is passionate about saving the planet and exploring paths of sustainability, as well as contributing to the technological advancement of conservation.  Her 10-year goal is to start a company that utilizes new technology to provide cities and businesses sustainable solutions around the world.

Winter 2019: Gregory Moser

Ivey Engineering congratulates Gregory Moser of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, as the winner of the winter 2019 biannual scholarship essay contest. Gregory is a sophomore at York College of Pennsylvania and is majoring in finance. His goal in 10 years is to have a bachelor’s degree in finance and work for a great company that rewards him financially and personally. Gregory finds great satisfaction in helping people and organizations meet their financial goals through proper money management. 

Summer 2019: Max Barte

A big shout out to Max Barte of Vienna, Virginia, who is the winner of the summer 2019 biannual scholarship essay contest. Max is a sophomore at the University of Virginia and is studying economics. His goal is to eventually practice law by working in a private practice or for the government. Max hopes to contribute to improving the economic condition of disadvantaged groups through housing policy. Congratulations Max!

Winter 2018: Marissa Fukas

Congratulations to Marissa Fukas of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who is the winner of the winter 2018 biannual scholarship essay contest. Marissa is a senior at Shaler Area High School and plans to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in fall 2019. She plans to major in accounting, which she says she can picture herself doing as a career in the future. Her goal in the next 10 years is to be a successful business woman. Way to go Marissa!

Summer 2018: Aubrey Butler

Ivey Engineering is pleased to announce that Aubrey Butler of Upland, California, has been chosen as the winner of the summer 2018 biannual scholarship essay contest. Aubrey graduated from Upland High School with a 4.8 GPA and will enter the University of California, Los Angeles’ honor program in the fall. She plans to major in chemistry/biochemistry with the intent to work in the biotech industry. Aubrey’s love of science motivates her to help solve issues related to earth’s sustainability. Congratulations Aubrey!

Winter 2017: Aaron Kofsky

Ivey Engineering congratulates Aaron Kofsky of Ann Arbor, Michigan, the second winner of the IEI biannual scholarship essay contest! Aaron is a senior at Pioneer High School and is planning to attend The University of Michigan after high school. Having taught himself computer programming in the seventh grade, Aaron plans to major in computer science. Eventually, he would like to work for a company that developes robotics and technologies like self-driving cars.

Summer 2017: Kaylee Martin

Congratulations to Kaylee Martin of Spokane, Washington, the first winner of the IEI biannual scholarship essay contest! Kaylee is a freshman at The University of Washington and is majoring in neurobiology. She wants to use her degree to do research on brain disease and would like to eventually pursue a master’s degree. In the future she hopes to be a university professor or work for a pharmaceutical company doing research.

Ivey Engineering is based in San Diego, California, with an additional office in Richmond, Virginia. The firm has performed expert witness and forensic consulting services since 1994 and serves clients in more than 30 states. Our staff is comprised of engineers, former construction executives and service and repair professionals who are licensed in various states.

Get in Touch

Phone: 858.587.2874

Fax: 858.587.6749

Address: 8330 Juniper Creek Lane

San Diego, CA 92126

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$10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia, 2024

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The $10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia, 2024, is a prestigious scholarship opportunity aimed at celebrating the enduring legacy of Ayn Rand and fostering critical thinking and philosophical exploration among Australian students. Organized by the Ayn Rand Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the ideas of individualism, free markets, and personal responsibility, this contest offers a platform for students to engage deeply with Rand’s philosophy through educational programs and scholarship opportunities.

Scholarship Provider

The Ayn Rand Institute, the organizer of this contest, is a renowned non-profit organization committed to advancing Rand’s ideas. The Institute focuses on promoting Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasizes individualism, rational self-interest, and laissez-faire capitalism. Through educational programs, publications, and scholarships, the Ayn Rand Institute aims to inspire and support the next generation of thinkers who are passionate about these principles.

Host Country Overview

Australia, the host country for the 2024 essay contest, is a diverse and vibrant nation known for its stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and strong commitment to education. With world-class universities and a thriving academic community, Australia provides an ideal setting for students to engage with Ayn Rand’s ideas and explore their own philosophical beliefs.

Eligible Applicants

The $10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia, 2024, is open to:

• High school students
• Undergraduate students
• Graduate students
• Aspiring writers of all ages

Participants should be passionate about philosophy and interested in exploring themes of individualism, capitalism, and Objectivism in their essays. Participants are encouraged to delve into Ayn Rand’s works and draw upon her philosophy to craft compelling arguments that resonate with contemporary issues and societal concerns.

Scholarship Benefits

The scholarship benefits include:

• A grand prize of $10,000 for the winning essay entry
• Additional prizes for runners-up
• Publication of the winning essay on the Ayn Rand Institute website
• Recognition for intellectual achievements

Level and Field of Study

The essay contest is open to students from all disciplines and academic backgrounds. Whether studying literature, philosophy, economics, or any other subject area, participants are welcome to join this thought-provoking competition that encourages critical thinking and creative expression.

Application Process

To apply for the $10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia, participants must:

• Submit an original essay of no more than 1,500 words on a topic related to Ayn Rand’s philosophy or works.
• Ensure that essays are clear in argumentation, original in thought, and engaging with relevant themes.

Essays will be judged based on clarity of argumentation, originality of thought, and engagement with relevant themes.

Eligible Countries

The essay contest is open to:

• Australian students
• Students from neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region

Students from diverse backgrounds and academic institutions are encouraged to submit their entries and contribute to a stimulating intellectual dialogue that transcends borders.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the $10,000 scholarship prize, applicants must:

• Adhere to the word count limit of 1,500 words
• Follow the specified formatting guidelines
• Meet the submission deadline
• Carefully review and meet all eligibility criteria set forth by the Ayn Rand Institute

How to Apply

Interested individuals can apply for the essay contest by:

• Visiting the official website of the Ayn Rand Institute.
• Following the detailed instructions on how to submit entries electronically.
• Carefully reading through all guidelines before preparing their essays to ensure compliance with all requirements.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the $10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia, 2024, is June 30, 2024. Applicants are advised to submit their materials well before the deadline to ensure consideration.

Application Link

For more information about the $10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia and to access the online application form, visit the Ayn Rand Institute website .

The $10,000 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest in Australia, 2024, offers an incredible opportunity for students passionate about philosophy and critical thinking to explore Ayn Rand’s ideas in depth. By participating in this contest, students not only compete for significant financial rewards but also gain recognition for their intellectual efforts. This scholarship program serves as a beacon for aspiring philosophers and writers, encouraging them to engage with profound themes that impact contemporary society. Apply today and take the first step toward making a meaningful contribution to philosophical discourse.

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Environmental engineering students find success at national contest

Students in the “Environmental Engineering Capstone” course at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis won eight awards at the WERC Environmental Design Contest at New Mexico State University in April.

“This is a high-profile event that is the gold standard for environmental design competitions in the nation,” said Joshua Yuan , chair of energy, environmental and chemical engineering and the Lucy & Stanley Lopata Professor. “That we won the most awards among all universities says a lot about the quality of our program and students.”

Kristen Wyckoff , a senior lecturer in energy, environmental and chemical engineering, teaches the course with Zhen (Jason) He . Students estimated they spent an average of 20 hours a week since October planning, designing and building their projects as teams.  

Eleven environmental engineering students comprised two teams for the contest, in which teams design a working bench-scale system that provides proof of concept for one of various tasks. The tasks for the 2024 competition included stormwater management, net-zero electrical grid, modular carbon dioxide removal, water treatment, and their own proposed environmental challenge. Eighteen teams competed this year from across the United States.

Read more on the McKelvey School of Engineering website .

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