BACKGROUND: Five thousand students, teachers, judges and corporate executives took part in Intel's 2005 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), intended to reward and celebrate the scientific and technology leaders of the future. Participating students competed for more than $3 million in scholarships and awards in 14 different categories.
THE PRIZES: The Intel ISEF Grand Awards are valued at nearly $1 million in scholarships, tuition grants and scientific field trips. The top three students each receive a $50,000 scholarship, as well as an all-expense-paid trip to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar during the Nobel Prize ceremonies in December. There are also numerous Best of Category Winners, who each receive a $5,000 award and an Intel Centrino notebook computer.
THIS YEAR'S WINNERS:
- Ameen Abdulrasool, 18, Chicago, Illinois
"Prototype for Automony: Pathway for the Blind" - Stephen Schultz, 19, Nordrhein-Westfahlen, Germany
"From Synthesis to Analysis of Radical Inhibitors" - Gabrielle Alyce Gianelli, 17, Orlando, Florida
"Fractal Dimension Analysis of Putative Martian Coastlines"
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Participants earn the right to compete in ISEF by winning a top prize at a local, regional, state or national science fair.
ABOUT ISEF: The International Science and Engineering Fair was established more than 50 years ago: the first competition was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1950. It is held annually in a different host city in the U.S. or Canada. ISEF is administered by Science Service, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages through publications and educational programs. Intel sponsors ISEF as part of its Innovation in Education initiative to help prepare students to succeed in a knowledge-based economy.
NEXT YEAR: Indianapolis will host the 2006 Intel ISEF, on May 7-13.