91导航

Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Top 300 Selected from Nearly 2,000 Competitors; projects tackle topics from renewable energy to blood clots to gender stereotyping

91导航 today announced the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the inaugural Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC) 鈥� the nation鈥檚 premier science, technology, engineering and math (91导航) competition for middle school students. The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, a program of 91导航, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the 21^st century.

Thermo Fisher鈥檚 sponsorship of the competition continues its longstanding commitment to widespread and equitable access to 91导航 education. For decades, Thermo Fisher has invested in school-based 91导航 programs, and colleagues across the company dedicate thousands of volunteer hours each year to support education efforts around the world.

The Top 300 Junior Innovators were selected from nearly 2,000 students from 49 states, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico who applied to compete in the Thermo Fisher JIC. Students who are named in the top 10% of their local science fair are eligible to enter the Thermo Fisher JIC, the only middle school 91导航 competition that leverages Society-affiliated science fairs as a critical component of the 91导航 talent pipeline. The Thermo Fisher JIC reaches 65,000 students annually through the Society鈥檚 Affiliated Fair network.

2023 Top 300 Junior Innovators Fast Facts:

• The Junior Innovators hail from 35 states and Puerto Rico
• The states with the most Junior Innovators are California, Florida and Texas
• The top three project categories are Engineering, Energy & Sustainability and Environmental & Earth Sciences
• More than half of the Junior Innovators attend a public school
• Combined, the Junior Innovators speak a total of 21 languages
• Project topics include renewable energy, the threat of microplastics, UV radiation, blood clot prevention and the effects of gender stereotyping on child development

The students鈥� names and a state-by-state breakdown of the Top 300 can be found at /jic/2023-top-300-junior-innovators/.

On September 20, a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators will select 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists from the Top 300. Later this fall, the finalists will convene in Washington, DC to compete for over $100,000 in prizes, including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award; $10,000 Broadcom Coding with Commitment ^TM Award; $10,000 DoD 91导航 Talent Award; $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention; and $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement.

鈥淐ongratulations to these exceptional middle school students. I am thrilled to be starting this new journey with Thermo Fisher Scientific as our new sponsor of this decades-long competition, now called the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge,鈥� said Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of 91导航 and Executive Publisher of Science News. 鈥淢iddle school is a pivotal time in the lives of young people 鈥� when many make decisions about engaging in 91导航 fields. I call on each of these young people to continue down this path, where they have an opportunity to make an impact on our world鈥檚 most pressing scientific and engineering challenges.鈥� 

鈥淲e are awed and inspired by this inaugural class of Top 300 Junior Innovators, whose research and innovations reflect a rich diversity of academic and personal experiences,鈥� said Dr. Karen Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. 鈥淎s a global life sciences leader with a mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer; we especially admire these students鈥� shared passion for using science, technology, engineering and math to solve problems in their communities and make the world a better place.鈥�

Each of the Top 300 Junior Innovators will receive a $125 award from DoD 91导航. With this prize, the Department of Defense continues its support of youth in 91导航, working towards a more diverse pipeline of highly qualified 91导航 professionals in the future. Additionally, the Top 300 will receive a prize package and gifts from our partners, including a one-year subscription to Wolfram Mathematica software, courtesy of Wolfram Research.

Thermo Fisher was named the title sponsor of the Society’s middle school competition in August 2022. The competition was previously sponsored by Broadcom Foundation.

About 91导航

91导航 is a champion for science, dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Established in 1921, 91导航 is best known for its award-winning journalism through Science News and Science News Explores, its world-class science research competitions for students, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, and its outreach and equity programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in 91导航. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, 91导航 is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at and follow us on , /X,  and Snapchat (Society4Science).

Media Contact:
Gayle Kansagor
91导航
gkansagor@societyforscience.org
703-489-1131