For most people, the term “scientific research� conjures a formal laboratory filled with specialized equipment and scientists in white coats. But for Miles Wu, the 2025 winner of the nationwide Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the four walls of his family’s apartment became his lab as he explored how the ancient art of origami could help solve modern engineering challenges.

At a small desk in his family’s New York City living room, 14-year-old Miles built a makeshift testing station using plastic bricks as guardrails. Exercise weights, soup cans and textbooks held his experiments in place. His primary tool was even simpler: a piece of paper.

Miles loves origami. What began as a fun hobby when he was seven years old, eventually became a passion for the engineering behind origami, and how art and science could help address real-world needs.

One fold in particular, Miura-Ori, caught Miles’ attention in middle school and would eventually lead him to earn the coveted top prize of $25,000 at the 2025 Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of À¦°óÇ¿¼é and the premier U.S. À¦°óÇ¿¼é competition for middle school students. His rigorous research and curiosity reinforce the idea that sophisticated labs and equipment aren’t always necessary to drive innovation.

Miles learned that the fold’s easily compressible repeating pattern of parallelograms could be applied across a variety of À¦°óÇ¿¼é fields. After reading about people displaced by natural disasters, he began thinking about how the fold’s strength and compressibility could one day be used to create lightweight, portable shelters for people in need. For his eighth-grade science fair project, he set out to determine how he could optimize its strength-to-weight ratio.

Miles changed just a few variables at a time – including the weight of the paper and the steepness of each fold – to understand what made the structures stronger.

“During my testing, I organized hundreds of Miura-Ori into old shoeboxes and paper grocery bags that covered almost every surface in my family’s living room,â€� Miles said.

After 250 hours of testing, Miles found that the lightest Miura-Ori with the smallest and least acutely angled panels had the greatest strength-to-weight ratio, holding more than 10,000 times its own weight.

Like Miles, many Thermo Fisher JIC finalists started their research at home using household items or inexpensive materials, proving that scientific discovery is within closer reach than some may think.

“When students get curious about their environment, they start asking questions, testing ideas and uncovering their potential,� said Meron Mathias, vice president, corporate social responsibility & sustainability, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Programs like the Thermo Fisher JIC fuel that discovery by recognizing young people of all backgrounds who pursue their curiosity with whatever tools they can access. By supporting them, we’re ensuring a more innovative, inclusive future for society.�

For former Thermo Fisher JIC winner , curiosity led her to find inspiration for her research in a particularly familiar and unremarkable place: the dinner table.

Tina had just learned about the global lack of access to clean drinking water and was researching potential solutions. Then, one night after finishing a bowl of soup at home with her family, she noticed that the porous structure of the leftover bones resembled materials used for water filtration. Her observation led her to develop a prototype filter made entirely of natural and household materials.

“Now when I look at everyday objects, I think, ‘What are their properties? And how could those properties help solve a real-world challenge?’” Tina said.

Competitions like the Thermo Fisher JIC are a critical piece of the À¦°óÇ¿¼é learning ecosystem because they promote curiosity in a way that complements and accelerates what students are learning in the classroom.

“The Thermo Fisher JIC isn’t just about proficiency in À¦°óÇ¿¼é. As students progress through the competition, they gain hands-on experiences that expand their sense of possibility, teach them to collaborate effectively, build their confidence and help them develop skills they’ll carry well beyond Finals Week,â€� said Meron.

Hands-on scientific inquiry is strongly associated with higher science scores. In the latest , conducted in 2024, 63% of eighth graders with higher science scores said they often or always used evidence from experiments in science class to explain why something happens, compared with 32% of students with lower science scores.

The demand for talent is higher than ever, with À¦°óÇ¿¼é jobs in the US between 2024 and 2034. Unfortunately, , only 28% of U.S. eighth graders reported a high level of interest and enjoyment in science (down from 38% in 2019) and only 28% reported high confidence in their science knowledge and skills (down from 34% in 2019), which makes middle school an incredibly important window to engage and support students in À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

“Middle school is such an important time to nurture a young person’s curiosity,â€� said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of À¦°óÇ¿¼é and executive publisher of Science News. “Students are beginning to discover what excites them and what they’re capable of. Giving them meaningful opportunities to ask questions, test ideas and experience the thrill of discovery can help them see themselves as scientists and carry that confidence and sense of possibility into high school and beyond.â€�

The Thermo Fisher JIC reaches more than 60,000 middle school students each year through roughly 300 À¦°óÇ¿¼é-affiliated fairs across the country and U.S. territories. Students in the top 10% of their Society-affiliated fairs are eligible to enter the Thermo Fisher JIC, with an independent panel of evaluators and judges selecting the Top 300 students and then the Top 30 finalists. Those finalists present their research and engage in team challenges during Thermo Fisher JIC Finals Week in Washington, D.C.

“After presenting their research to the judges, you’ll see one student start explaining something they’ve been working on for months, and suddenly three of their peers are leaning in and asking questions,� said Meron. “Those moments are a great reminder of what happens when you bring curious young people together and give them the opportunity to learn from one another.�

“I love getting together with friends and learning with them because it makes problem solving more fun and playful, which is how À¦°óÇ¿¼é should be,â€� said , winner of the inaugural Thermo Fisher JIC.

As a sixth-grader, Shanya began investigating fire safety after a restaurant behind her family’s Bay Area home burned down. She wondered why the fire hadn’t been caught earlier, and whether heat could signal danger before smoke.

Testing that idea required a skill she didn’t yet have. Shanya taught herself to code, eventually programming a thermal camera to distinguish between people, pets and potential fire sources. After months of trial and error in her own kitchen, she developed a prototype that could detect an unattended hot object and send an alert.

“Letting kids use the kitchen table and not worry about the mess is great,â€� Shanya said. “I think it’s great if parents let their kids experiment in anything—cooking, crafting, muddy puddles—because it gets their gears turning.â€�

The post Science starts anywhere appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

• À¦°óÇ¿¼é 56% of finalists speak more than one language. Beyond English, some finalists speak Spanish, Mandarin, Telugu, Arabic, Russian and more!
• Twenty-two finalists are athletes who participate in sports including swimming, track/cross country, tennis, football, archery, hockey, figure skating and badminton.
• Twenty-two finalists also play an instrument or are in choir.
• Eight finalists are involved in theater or drama clubs and five are in an art club.
• Twelve finalists participate in student council.
• More than half of the finalists participate in community service.

Join us for Public Day on Oct. 24 from 1–3 p.m. at Planet Word Museum to meet the finalists and explore their projects. Learn more about this year’s Top 30 finalists here

The post The 2026 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists have more than science in common appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

For Alice Feng, 14, Granite Ridge Intermediate School, (Thermo Fisher JIC 2025, 2^nd place in the Technology category), learned about engineering fundamentals and processes at the engineering summer camp.

A typical day for Alice looked a little like a day in the life of an undergraduate student. She started the mornings in the dining hall for breakfast and proceeded to morning classes After exploring the university campus in the morning, she and her peers attended two more classes and presented their blueprints and drawings and physical models to the class.

Alice says obtaining feedback from the class helped to gain new ideas from one another.  In the evenings, she participated in organized team recreational time.

“As a Thermo Fisher JIC finalist, I sharpened my teamwork and collaboration skills, and explored different scientific principles,� Alice says. “I utilized these principles in the Education Unlimited engineering summer camp to work with like-minded young scientists, as well as developed models based on ideas I learned during Thermo Fisher JIC.�

Luca McGill, 15, Tanque Verde High School, (Thermo Fisher JIC 2025, 2^nd place in the engineering category), spent a week in Huntsville, Alabama at . There, he nurtured his interest in space and engineering and trained like an astronaut using different simulators, worked through À¦°óÇ¿¼é challenges, learned about space exploration and participated in simulated space missions. He says the best part was getting to know so many people from all over the United States.

“Winning second place in the engineering category at the Thermo Fisher JIC gave me the opportunity to choose this À¦°óÇ¿¼é adventure and fly from Arizona to Alabama all by myself. I was nervous, but it turned out to be the best adventure ever!â€� Luca says. “I am so grateful for this experience. Space Camp was the highlight of my summer and an experience I will remember forever. Thank you to Thermo Fisher Scientific and À¦°óÇ¿¼é for giving me this opportunity for an epic summer!â€�

Caden Pohlkamp, 14, Brookside Intermediate School, (Thermo Fisher JIC 2025, 1^st place in the engineering category) also had the opportunity to nurture his interest in marine biology.  Located in Surf City, North Carolina, Caden attended a marine biology immersion program at the . There, he volunteered in the sea turtle hospital, cleaning tanks, feeding turtles and learning about their anatomy.

At the hospital, he rotated between three stations: cleaning tanks, caring for healthy turtles and taking care of the patients in the sick bay.

“My favorite part of the experience was feeding the sea turtles because it was neat to watch them eat. Each sea turtle species got different food,� Caden says. “My favorite turtle was a Kemp’s ridley who was fed mostly fish, to simulate what they eat in the wild. I also liked a loggerhead turtle named ‘Pumpkin Spice’ who had an “emotional support bucket� in his tank that he loved to sleep in.�

Siddharth Vazhkudai, 14, Running Brushy Middle School, (Thermo Fisher 2025, 1^st place in the mathematics category) found himself busy with not just one À¦°óÇ¿¼é program, but two! One was an advanced competitive math class through Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth where he worked on challenging competition-style problems regarding infinite series, combinatorics and modular arithmetic. Siddharth says the class pushed him to think more creatively and carefully instead of relying on methods he has learned in school.

Siddharth’s second À¦°óÇ¿¼é experience was an robotics camp. There, he collaborated with instructors and fellow students to design, build and field test a combat robot. A typical day involved perfecting the design of the robot and learning about mechanical design, motors and C++ programming.

Sophia Zhang, 15, Waterford School, (Thermo Fisher JIC 2024, 2^nd place in the technology category), found herself at Stanford University online as well as at Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, a summer enrichment program that provides students in grades 8–11 with intensive study in a single online course over a two-week period. Sophia specifically participated in the Orbital Mechanics and Aerodynamics course.

At 9 a.m. each weekday, Sophia logged on for a two-hour class. She says her favorite part of the program was working on projects. In her first project, Sophia teamed up with other students to propose a way to address space junk. In the second project, she worked individually to design, build and test different paper airplane designs, using what she learned in the aerodynamics portion to create the best performing paper airplane. Although the program only lasted two weeks, with two hours of class every weekday, she says she learned so much about orbital mechanics and aerodynamics. “One of our last activities during Finals Week of the Thermo Fisher JIC was visiting the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters. I have always been enraptured with the science and exploration of our universe, and my visit to the NASA Headquarters only strengthened my interest. Naturally, when I applied for the program, I mentioned the Orbital Mechanics and Aerodynamics course as one of my top courses,� Sophia says. “My experience as a Thermo Fisher JIC finalist taught me so much about the creative and scientific process, which helped me get accepted into this program.�

Meet the 2026 Top 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists here,Ìýand check back on October 27, 2026, to see who wins this year’s awards!

The post Catching summer rays: Thermo Fisher JIC alumni explore science beyond the classroom appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

Lia González and Anya Terón Villodas from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico came together as a team from Colegio Rosa-Bell. Their project looked at how to repel ants that invade beehives, one of the many threats honeybees face, alongside disease and environmental stress. They came across the African Tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) and found that it could repel and kill ants.

“I felt a profound sense of excitement and pride in this accomplishment,� Lia says.  “Knowing I was one of the first students from Puerto Rico to become a finalist made the experience feel bigger than just something I achieved on my own. It felt like I was carrying a part of my island with me.�

“I also felt a real sense of responsibility. I wanted to show that students from Puerto Rico can compete, innovate and lead in À¦°óÇ¿¼é at the highest levels. It made me proud, and it pushed me to keep working hard, keep learning, and help open doors for other students who will come after me. I will be forever grateful for the experience and will continue to encourage other middle school students to participate so Puerto Rico can continue to be represented in this competition.â€�

Partner Anya shared a similar sentiment towards being Hispanic in this field.

“Representation in À¦°óÇ¿¼é matters because younger students need people they can look up to who show them that their dreams are possible,â€� Anya says. “I get excited when I see Latina women growing and succeeding in scientific fields such as medicine, chemistry and many others. When you see someone who looks like you or comes from the same place as you working hard and achieving big things, you start believing that you can do it too. In the future, I hope I can be someone’s inspiration to keep pursuing what they love.â€�

In 2025, Camila Isabel Gonzalez-Thompson, a student at the Caribbean School in Ponce, Puerto Rico, took home the 2025 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement. Camila investigated the island’s dengue outbreak, which involved more than 6,000 cases. The viral infection is spread by mosquitoes. Most cases are mild, but serious ones can lead to shock and organ failure. Camila worked with a scientist at Ponce Health Sciences University to test people’s blood for whether they had been exposed to dengue. Camila got serum samples from 440 people in Puerto Rico and found that people older than 50 had more IgG antibodies, meaning they had had dengue in the past while individuals younger than 50 had IgM antibodies, suggesting a more recent infection. The findings suggest dengue has circulated in Puerto Rico over time. Camila hopes that her work can help public health officials learn where to put out vaccines or work to prevent the disease.

“My main message would be don’t underestimate what you can do because of who you are,� Camila says. “Academic spaces are often intimidating but taking that first step through the door is your first step to a new world of knowledge and opportunity. Be yourself because yourself is often the best version compared to anything else.�

Lia and Anya leave a lasting message for young scientists.

Lia: “I want young scientists to know that your heritage is something powerful that you carry with you in every experiment, every idea and every challenge. The creativity, resilience and determination in our communities are strengths that can really make a difference in À¦°óÇ¿¼é.â€�

Anya: “I’d say that no matter where you are from, you should always dream big. Growing up on a small island and having the chance to participate as a finalist alongside students from science fairs across the United States was a meaningful and encouraging experience. Being part of that group and connecting with talented young scientific investigators, who were also kind, supportive and people I now consider friends, meant a lot to me. It reminded me that passion for science exists everywhere, and that young people from all backgrounds can lift each other up and make an impact together.�

Learn more about the 2025 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists here. Tune in on October 27 to meet the 2026 winners.

The post Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Thermo Fisher JIC alumni appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

Key Takeaways:

• À¦°óÇ¿¼é named the 30 finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é research competition.
• The finalists were selected from the Top 300 Junior Innovators, announced Sept. 2.
• Finalists represent 17 U.S. states and Puerto Rico
• Environmental & Earth Sciences is the most prevalent project category.
• Finalists will advance to Thermo Fisher JIC Finals Week (Oct. 23–28) in Washington, D.C. where they will compete for more than $100,000 in awards, including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 16, 2026) – À¦°óÇ¿¼é today announced the 30 finalists in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (À¦°óÇ¿¼é) competition. A nationwide cohort of scientists, engineers and educators selected the 30 finalists from this year’s Top 300 Junior Innovators, announced earlier this month. The finalists will participate in Thermo Fisher JIC Finals Week (Oct. 23–28) in Washington, D.C. An esteemed panel of judges will evaluate their scientific research along with their communication, creativity and collaboration skills during team challenges.

The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of À¦°óÇ¿¼é, aims to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators who will solve the grand challenges of the future. This year’s finalists are investigating questions across a variety of project areas, from how sea urchins affect kelp forest recovery and whether hydrogels could help reduce wildfire risk, to the effectiveness of an alternative treatment for traumatic brain injury and how the specificity of language can shape controversy on social media. That same problem-solving mindset shaped past winning projects, including a novel thermal-sensing fire detection system and a water filter made from waste materials and household items.

“Every year, our Thermo Fisher JIC finalists remind us of what’s possible when curiosity meets courage — even in middle school. This year’s Top 30 are already using science to tackle problems that matter to their communities and the world,â€� said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, À¦°óÇ¿¼é and Executive Publisher, Science News. “I’m proud to welcome these 30 remarkable young scientists and engineers to Washington, D.C., this October.â€�

Thermo Fisher’s sponsorship of the Junior Innovators Challenge reflects its longstanding commitment to broadening access to À¦°óÇ¿¼é education. For decades, the company has invested in school-based and community À¦°óÇ¿¼é programs, and colleagues across the company volunteer thousands of hours each year to support education initiatives around the world.

“Reaching the Top 30 is an extraordinary achievement and a testament to the creativity and determination these students bring to science,� said Karen Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We hope they walk away from Finals Week more confident in their own ideas, inspired by their peers and motivated to examine the challenges they encounter in their daily lives through the lens of science.�

Thermo Fisher JIC finalist fast facts:

• They represent 17 states, led by California, and Puerto Rico.
• The most prevalent project category is Environmental & Earth Sciences, followed by Chemistry, Energy & Sustainability, Engineering and Microbiology.
• Nearly two thirds of the finalists attend public school.

A full list of the finalists can be viewed here: /jic/2026-finalists/

Thermo Fisher JIC reaches 60,000 students annually through the Society’s Affiliated Fair Network. Students in the top 10% of their local affiliated science fair are eligible to enter the Thermo Fisher JIC, the only national middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é competition that leverages Society-affiliated science fairs as a critical component of the À¦°óÇ¿¼é talent pipeline. To find your local science fair, visit https://findafair.societyforscience.org/.

All finalists receive a $500 cash award and will participate in Thermo Fisher JIC Finals Week in Washington, D.C.; where they will compete for the following awards:

• $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award, presented to the student who demonstrates mastery of all À¦°óÇ¿¼é fields and exemplifies how research, innovation and teamwork come together to impact our everyday lives.
• $10,000 Broadcom Coding with Commitment® Award, presented to a finalist whose project and performance combine expert À¦°óÇ¿¼é knowledge and passion for helping or improving one’s community through computation/coding.
• $10,000 Citadel | Citadel Securities Innovation Award, presented to a finalist for utilizing data-driven decision making to create innovative solutions to problems.
• $10,000 DoW À¦°óÇ¿¼é Talent Award, presented to a finalist who demonstrates excellence in science, technology, engineering or math, along with the leadership and technical skills necessary to excel in the 21^st-century À¦°óÇ¿¼é workforce.
• $10,000 The Lemelson Foundation Award for Invention, awarded to a young inventor creating promising solutions to real-world problems.
• First Place and Second Place Awards issued in each category of À¦°óÇ¿¼é ($3,500 and $2,500, respectively).
• Team Award, which recognizes each member of the team that best demonstrates an ability to work together and solve problems through shared decision making, communication and scientific and engineering collaboration, with a $200 gift card to a science supply company.

Thermo Fisher JIC recognizes finalists’ schools with $1,000 each to use toward À¦°óÇ¿¼é activities.

À¦°óÇ¿¼é À¦°óÇ¿¼é

STEM 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, STEM 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 À¦°óÇ¿¼é Outreach programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in À¦°óÇ¿¼é. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, STEM is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

The post Thirty inspiring middle school scientists and engineers named finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

• These Junior Innovators can certainly hold a tune: 72% participate in music, whether by singing in choir or playing an instrument.
• Beyond their À¦°óÇ¿¼é accomplishments, they are just as active outside the lab. À¦°óÇ¿¼é 70% participate in athletics, with swimming, tennis, track and cross country, soccer and basketball among the most popular sports.
• The Top 300 are a notably multilingual group: 66% speak at least one language in addition to English. Collectively, they reported 34 additional languages, including Hindi, Spanish, Mandarin, Tamil and Telugu.
• Most students selected engineering as their project category, accounting for 23% of projects, followed by environmental and earth sciences, medicine and health sciences, and energy and sustainability.
• Most students entered solo projects, while 43 of the Top 300 collaborated on team projects. Many of these students are charting their own research paths: 90% said they conducted at least part of their research at home or outside of school hours.
• The Top 300 represent 231 schools, 55 of which are celebrating their first-ever Junior Innovator
• Eighth graders lead the class, making up 57% of the Top 300, followed by seventh graders at 32% and sixth graders at 11%.

Congratulations to the 2026 Thermo Fisher JIC Top 300 Junior Innovators!

Stay tuned for the Top 30 finalists announcement on September 16th at noon E.T. and follow the Society on ,ÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý to learn more about this year’s Junior Innovators.

The post Meet the musical, multilingual and inventive Thermo Fisher JIC Top 300 appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

Key Takeaways:

• À¦°óÇ¿¼é named the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é research competition.
• The Top 300 were chosen from a competitive pool of nearly 2,000 applicants and represent the best and brightest middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é talent in the U.S. and its territories.
• The Thermo Fisher JIC reaches 60,000 students annually through the Society’s Affiliated Fair network; students qualify by placing in the top 10 percent of their local science fair.
• The Top 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists will be announced on Sept. 16 and will compete for more than $100,000 in awards, including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award.

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 2, 2026 – STEM is proud to announce the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC)—the nation’s premier science, technology, engineering and math (À¦°óÇ¿¼é) competition for middle school students. Chosen from a competitive pool of nearly 2,000 applicants, the Top 300 represent the best and brightest middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é talent in the U.S. and its territories.

The Top 300 Junior Innovators are addressing challenges, including designing a solar-powered air purifier, identifying the best materials to generate electric power from friction, using machine learning to predict asthma risk and using artificial intelligence to improve aviation safety.

“I am incredibly proud of this year’s Top 300 Junior Innovators. Their curiosity, creativity and determination to tackle some of our most pressing challenges—from clean water to chronic disease—show what’s possible when young people are empowered to pursue their ideas. They remind us why investing in the next generation of scientists and engineers is so important, and I can’t wait to see where their research and ingenuity take them next,â€� said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of À¦°óÇ¿¼é and Executive Publisher of Science News.

The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of À¦°óÇ¿¼é, is the nation’s premier À¦°óÇ¿¼é competition for middle school students, inspiring young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the future. Thermo Fisher’s sponsorship of the competition reflects its longstanding commitment to broadening access to À¦°óÇ¿¼é education. For decades, the company has invested in school-based and community À¦°óÇ¿¼é programs, and colleagues across the company volunteer thousands of hours each year to support education initiatives around the world.

2026 Top 300 Junior Innovators Fast Facts:

• They represent 34 states, Puerto Rico and Guam.
• The states with the most Junior Innovators are California, Texas and Florida.
• The Top 300 projects cover 15 categories, from animal science to robotics. Top project categories are engineering, earth & environmental sciences and medicine & health sciences.
• Combined, they speak 34 languages.
• 64 percent of them attend public school.
• Research project topics include building earthquake-proof bridges, understanding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, improving bicycle safety and removing microplastics from water.

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

“Every year, these students remind us that meaningful science starts with caring deeply about a problem and having the curiosity to ask whether there is a better way,� said Karen Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “This year’s Top 300 are taking on challenges that will shape our future by questioning assumptions and testing new ideas. Their passion and bold thinking make us optimistic about the impact this next generation of innovators will have on the world.�

The Top 300 Junior Innovators were selected from nearly 2,000 applicants across 47 states and five territories. Students who place in the top 10% of their local science fair are eligible to enter the Thermo Fisher JIC, the only middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é competition that leverages Society-affiliated science fairs as a critical component of the À¦°óÇ¿¼é talent pipeline. The Thermo Fisher JIC reaches 60,000 students annually through the Society’s Affiliated Fair network.

On Sept. 16, À¦°óÇ¿¼é will announce the Top 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists, selected from among the Top 300 by a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators. The finalists will compete for the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award; $10,000 Broadcom Coding with Commitment® Award; $10,000 Citadel | Citadel Securities Innovation Award; $10,000 DoW À¦°óÇ¿¼é Talent Award and $10,000 The Lemelson Foundation Award for Invention.

Each of the Top 300 Junior Innovators will receive a $125 award from DoW À¦°óÇ¿¼é. With this prize, the Department of War is working to develop a À¦°óÇ¿¼é talent pool ready to serve our Nation and evolve the DoW’s competitive edge. Additionally, the Top 300 will receive a prize package and gifts from our partners.

What is À¦°óÇ¿¼é?

STEM 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, STEM 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 À¦°óÇ¿¼é Outreach programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in À¦°óÇ¿¼é. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, STEM is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on , , , and .

The post À¦°óÇ¿¼é Announces Top 300 for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

Key Takeaways:

• Thermo Fisher Scientific will extend its title sponsorship of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), a program of Science for Science, through 2030.
• The Thermo Fisher JIC provides young scientists and engineers the opportunity to showcase their À¦°óÇ¿¼é research, compete at a national level and connect with a community of like-minded peers.

WASHINGTON, D.C., À¦°óÇ¿¼é (the Society) today announced that global life sciences leader Thermo Fisher Scientific has renewed its title sponsorship of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge through 2030. The renewed sponsorship ensures that the program continues to inspire innovation and nurture talent among middle school students nationwide.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific,â€� said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of À¦°óÇ¿¼é and Executive Publisher of Science News. “Their support enables us to reach young scientists at a critical moment in their development — the middle school years, when curiosity is high, foundational À¦°óÇ¿¼é skills are taking shape and students are forming their identities. Together, we are delivering a real and lasting impact for the next generation of innovators.”

Thermo Fisher’s sponsorship of the Thermo Fisher JIC reflects its longstanding commitment to broadening access to À¦°óÇ¿¼é education. For decades, the company has invested in school- and community-based À¦°óÇ¿¼é programs, and employees across the company volunteer thousands of hours each year to support education initiatives around the world.

“Access to hands-on À¦°óÇ¿¼é learning experiences like the Thermo Fisher JIC can change how students see the world and their ability to improve it,â€� said Meron Mathias, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Through our continued partnership with À¦°óÇ¿¼é, we can help more students of all backgrounds build critical skills, connect with peers and mentors and recognize the potential of their ideas to shape a healthier, cleaner and safer world.â€�

Each year, nearly 300 middle school science fairs across the country affiliate with the Society’s science fair network and nominate students to compete in the Thermo Fisher JIC. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students who place in the top 10% of their science fairs are eligible. Finalists go on to showcase their projects in Washington, D.C., compete in team challenges, visit historical sites and vie for more than $100,000 in awards, including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award.

This enduring partnership between À¦°óÇ¿¼é and Thermo Fisher demonstrates their shared vision of empowering young minds to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

To find out whether your local science fair is affiliated with the À¦°óÇ¿¼é, or to find an affiliated fair in your area, visit .

What is À¦°óÇ¿¼é?
STEM 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, STEM 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 À¦°óÇ¿¼é Outreach programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in À¦°óÇ¿¼é. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, STEM is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on , , , and .

The post À¦°óÇ¿¼é and Thermo Fisher Scientific extend partnership to support premier U.S. middle school À¦°óÇ¿¼é research competition appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

In his project, Peter investigated whether artificial intelligence image-generation platforms perpetuate stereotypes about scientists. By asking four AI image generators to create images of five different types of scientists, he found that the systems often reinforced gender stereotypes and male bias in science, highlighting how AI tools can reflect limitations and biases in the data they learn from.

We caught up with Peter to learn more about his experience at Finals Week, the friendships he formed and his advice for future applicants.

During Finals Week in Washington, D.C., when did you feel most like yourself, not just as a young scientist, but as a person?

For me, being part of a community with shared interests, collaborating, sharing curiosity with like-minded peers from throughout the nation and seeing that same innate curiosity in others made me feel most like myself.

The simple joy of having fun, of returning to childhood memories of playing with Legos and building contraptions with rubber bands, brings out my true self. I think the challenges we completed during Finals Week reignited that sense of excitement.

If I had to point to one specific moment, it would be during the third team challenge, when my group used Play-Doh to secure wooden blocks while transporting a ball from one side of our table to another team’s. Feeling that excitement and unlocking my curious nature during the challenges made me feel completely like myself.

What’s something another finalist said or did that has stuck with you? Or is there something you learned from a fellow finalist that you’d like to share?

One finalist who had a big impact on me was Miles Wu.

From the first day, Miles always had a huge smile on his face. Even before I got to know him, he struck me as approachable and kind. Once we became friends, I realized my instincts were correct.

The first time I really talked with him was during presentation day. Before the judges arrived, I walked around the room looking at projects and talking with other finalists. When I stopped at Miles’s project, he spoke with enthusiasm and conviction about his work.

Miles taught me the value of maintaining an optimistic mindset and simply “going with the flow.” He reminded me that nobody lacks the qualifications to be a Thermo Fisher JIC finalist.

Later, backstage during the awards ceremony, everyone was eagerly waiting to hear who had won the ASCEND Award. Akhil, Evan, Camila and I were all making guesses. When it was my turn, Miles’ smiling face immediately came to mind.

“I bet it’s Miles,” I said.

And it was.

Miles truly embodies the passion, enthusiasm and kindness that defined the 2025 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists.

If you had unlimited time and resources, how would you take your idea further or in a completely new direction?

I would expand Generations AI into a larger initiative focused on accessible AI education across generations.

Right now, Generations AI is still developing as a community-centered project designed to help people of different ages learn about AI in practical, accessible and ethical ways. The goal is to make AI feel less intimidating and more participatory, allowing families and communities to explore it together.

With more resources, I would expand it into a network of community workshops, multilingual digital resources and collaborative spaces where people could use AI not only to learn about technology, but also to imagine solutions to real-world challenges.

At its core, the project is about AI for good: widening access and helping more people feel empowered to shape the future. I would also love to create my own AI model designed to be representative of the world’s population and less susceptible to bias.

What’s a question you wish adults asked you more often about your research, or about being a young scientist?

I wish adults asked young scientists more often about what they’re curious about.

Curiosity is the starting point for every project. Students need opportunities to explore their questions and receive feedback that helps them develop their ideas further.

I think what students my age need most is reassurance that their questions have a place in the scientific community when pursued with rigor and passion. Simple words of encouragement can become the motors that drive young scientists to push beyond the limits of their imagination.

More than anything, I wish adults asked about the story behind the poster board and the interests that inspired the research. Those conversations often reveal the passion that fuels the science.

Before you applied, what did you think the competition would be like, and what surprised you once you got there?

Last year was my first time competing in a science fair, and I always thought of myself as the underdog.

I was in shock when I received the call announcing that I had been selected as a Thermo Fisher JIC finalist. Before arriving in Washington, D.C., I imagined the competition would be intense. The best comparison I can think of is American Ninja Warrior.

I expected rigorous presentations, ruthless competitors and everyone racing toward the equivalent of the red buzzer: the awards.

What I found instead was a compassionate and welcoming community.

I formed lasting friendships with finalists from across the country, and we still keep in touch through our Thermo Fisher group chat. The experience completely changed my perception of the À¦°óÇ¿¼é community. What I once imagined as an elite and closed-off group turned out to be a vibrant community of curious, supportive and like-minded people.

I hope our paths cross again someday, whether at ISEF or later in our careers.

What would you say to a student who’s unsure if their project is “good enough” to apply?

To any student who is passionate about science, I would say this: You do not have to be a genius, have extensive À¦°óÇ¿¼é experience or conduct experiments in a professional laboratory. Curiosity begins at home.

You can use the materials available to you and still accomplish incredible things. Having access to advanced equipment is not a requirement for success. Passion, curiosity and courage (because presenting can be intimidating) are what truly drive innovation.

I don’t come from a À¦°óÇ¿¼é background. Last year was my first time competing in a science fair. Through that experience, I learned what the À¦°óÇ¿¼é community truly represents.

The questions I have at home can be welcomed and explored through À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

Above all, I would share this advice: If I can do it, you can do it too.

Learn more about Peter’s award-winning research exploring bias in artificial intelligence image-generation systems and how technology can shape perceptions of who belongs in science: /jic/2025-student-finalists/peter-fernandez-dulay/

Applications for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge are open now. Apply here: . Applications close June 10, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The post Five Questions with Peter Fernández Dulay, winner of the 2025 $10,000 DoW À¦°óÇ¿¼é Talent Award appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.

Camila’s project examined blood samples from Puerto Ricans for antibodies to dengue virus and showed that the virus is endemic to Puerto Rico, helping public health officials better target interventions. Earlier this year, Camila was featured in for her research investigating dengue transmission in Puerto Rico and its implications for public health. She was also the first Puerto Rican student to receive a top award at Thermo Fisher JIC.

We caught up with Camila to learn more about her experience at Finals Week, what she learned from fellow finalists and what advice she has for future applicants.

During Finals Week in Washington, D.C., when did you feel most like yourself, not just as a young scientist, but as a person?

The first time I remember truly having a good time and feeling like myself was when I went out to dinner with the other finalists. Up until then, we had been friendly, but we hadn’t really had the chance to connect on a deeper level. That dinner changed everything.

It was the moment I started forming some of my strongest friendships at Thermo Fisher JIC. Before that night, I had been feeling stressed and focused on proving myself, which made it hard to relax. But being surrounded by people going through the same experience helped me let my guard down. From that point on, I felt more comfortable, more confident and genuinely excited to spend time with the people who quickly became my friends.

What’s something another finalist said or did that stuck with you? Or is there something you learned from a fellow finalist that you’d like to share?

There is so much to learn from 29 different people in a room with you that it’s hard to name only one thing. So I’ll just say that the exchange of different finalists’ points of view and daily lives really stuck with me.

Living in Puerto Rico, I had never really realized how much my day-to-day life differed from a typical American school environment. It helped me expand my worldview and see how differently people live and learn depending on where they are.

If you had unlimited time and resources, how would you take your idea further or in a completely new direction?

Having unlimited time and resources would allow any scientist to expand their research much further than they otherwise could. For me, that would mean growing my participant pool and obtaining an equal number of participants across all categories.

In my opinion, the biggest limitation of my project was the inability to determine dengue infection trends by sex and municipality. That was mainly because I wasn’t able to obtain an equal number of participants from all municipalities and both sexes. Some municipalities had representation in the hundreds, while others had as few as 10 people.

While this was outside of my control, due to time and financial constraints, we were not able to balance the data as originally planned and had to move forward using the information we had rather than waiting for additional data. With more time and resources, expanding the study could have revealed significant findings that were not possible to identify in the current project.

What’s a question you wish adults asked you more often about your research, or about being a young scientist?

Everyone has a part of their project that they enjoyed a little more than the rest, or a part of their research that they found slightly more interesting than everything else. But there comes a point in your presentation when every adult around you asks the same four questions about the same topics over and over again.

When you get back to your room at night and lie down to sleep, you realize, “I never really got to mention that one thing I researched.”

For me, that was the history of dengue epidemics in Puerto Rico. I spent countless hours brushing up on the subject and trying to find papers from as many reputable sources as I could. But at the end of the day, I didn’t really get to elaborate on it as much as I would have liked. Nerves got the better of me, and I focused on the science and accidentally left the story of why the science was important as an afterthought.

Before you applied, what did you think the competition would be like, and what surprised you once you got there?

Before applying, I expected the competition to be friendly, but I also anticipated a highly intense and stressful environment. I spent the weeks leading up to the competition watching videos from previous years and studying to see if there was anything I should be prepared for.

As I began receiving my schedules and counting down the days, my excitement grew, though I quietly worried that others might be overly serious and uninterested in connecting. In reality, while the competition maintained a level of seriousness, it was far more supportive and enjoyable than I had imagined.

Although everyone hoped to win a top prize, there was a shared understanding that outcomes were uncertain, which created a more relaxed and encouraging atmosphere. More than anything, the experience became an opportunity to meet people who shared a passion for science and build friendships that extended beyond the final awards ceremony.

What would you say to a student who’s unsure if their project is “good enough” to apply?

I was once in that position where I believed my project wasn’t good enough.

When I was first nominated for Thermo Fisher JIC, I didn’t really understand the competition that well. So, I started searching online, and when I saw all these amazing inventions, I thought I wasn’t going to win anything. Since my project didn’t invent anything or create a magical solution, I assumed it wasn’t good enough to compete, much less qualify.

I filled out my application and attended the seminars, but to be honest, I expected so little that I hit submit and forgot about it completely. When I first made the Top 300, my mother told me, “You know, Finals Week is at the end of October,” and I ignored her because I thought that was it. Then I made the Top 30 and thought my luck had to have run out by then.

I went to Washington, D.C., hoping for a certificate, an experience and a good time. Then hearing my name called during the awards ceremony was surreal, and it still plays back in my head at least once a week.

The moral of the story is that even if you think you aren’t supposed to be there, the world has funny ways of making things happen.

Applications for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge are open now. Learn more and apply at . Applications close June 10, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The post Five Questions with Camila González-Thompson, winner of the $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement appeared first on À¦°óÇ¿¼é.