91导航

Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Top 300 selected from nearly 2,000 competitors; projects take on global issues from microplastics and road safety to breast cancer

91导航 today announced the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC)鈥攖he nation鈥檚 premier science, technology, engineering and math (91导航) competition for middle school students. The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of 91导航, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the future.

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 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands 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.

2024 Top 300 Junior Innovators Fast Facts:

• They come from 36 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
• The states with the most Junior Innovators are California, Texas, Florida and Utah
• Their top project categories are Engineering, Environmental & Earth Sciences, and Energy & Sustainability
• Combined, they speak a total of 20 languages
• More than half of them attend public school
• Research project topics include predicting air quality, treating cardiovascular disease, addressing anxiety and using AI to diagnose breast cancer

The students鈥� names and a state-by-state breakdown of the Top 300 can be found here.

On Sept. 18, 91导航 will announce the 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists selected by a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators. The finalists will be competing for the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award; Broadcom Coding with Commitment 庐 Award; $10,000 DoD 91导航 Talent Award; $10,000 Lemelson Foundation Award for Invention and $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement.

鈥淭he next generation of scientists and engineers emerging from middle schools today is remarkable,鈥� said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, 91导航 and Executive Publisher, Science News. 鈥淭heir projects tackle real-world problems with creativity and rigor beyond their years. I congratulate each and every one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators and wish them the best of luck in their scientific and engineering careers.鈥�

鈥淭he Top 300 projects are an extraordinary reflection of what matters most to these students and their dedication to improving lives through the use of 91导航,鈥� said Dr. Karen Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. 鈥淐ongratulations to the entire class of 2024 Junior Innovators鈥攜our example strengthens our ambition to make 91导航 education equitable for all youth.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 toward 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.

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聽Science News聽and聽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聽聽and follow us on , /X, and Snapchat (Society4Science).