Applications Open for Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, a Nationwide Search for the Most Inventive College Students

The Lemelson-MIT Program, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating invention and inspiring youth, is currently accepting applications for the 2017 Student Prize. The Lemelson-MIT Student Prize seeks to serve as a catalyst for burgeoning inventors at all schools across the country and honors promising collegiate inventors. Applications are due by September 30.

The category-based invention competition is open annually to teams of undergraduate students and individual graduate students nationwide. The categories are:

• “Cure it!” for students with inventions that can improve healthcare. Stephen John and Joseph Barnett from WMU won the 2015 "Cure it" prize!
• “Drive it!” for students with inventions that can improve transportation
• “Eat it!” for students with inventions that can improve food and agriculture
• “Use it!” for students with inventions that can improve consumer devices

Graduate student winners receive $15,000 each and winning undergraduate teams receive $10,000 each, along with national media exposure and exposure to the investment and business communities.

Recent Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winners have been awarded for inventions including an emotional learning aid for children with autism based on smart glasses, an easy-to-use powdered additive that can be mixed into disinfectant solutions to make them colorized and highly visible, the world’s first lightweight clutchless transmission for high-performance hybrid vehicles, robots that can garden in space, the world’s first completely automated restaurant, ultra-fast optics to film light in motion and a pair of gloves that have the potential to revolutionize communication.

For more information on the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize and how to apply visit Lemelson.MIT.edu/StudentPrize.