Enter the Collegiate Inventors Competition
The Collegiate Inventors Competition® (CIC) gives you the chance to bring national attention to your work, enjoy unique networking opportunities, gain valuable feedback from our National Inventors Hall of Fame® Inductees, and compete for cash prizes and patent acceleration. Entries for the 2025 Collegiate Inventors Competition are closed. Check back next spring for information on the 2026 competition.
Review our application process
To enter CIC, you’ll need to complete our online application. Here’s what you’ll be asked to provide:
- Your student information
- An essay including a brief description or abstract of your invention, like this example
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty adviser or professional reference. (This template can help.)
- A literature/patent search and summary
- Any relevant supporting or supplemental materials you wish to submit, such as charts, graphs, videos, articles, samples, etc.
Make sure you’re eligible to compete
Individual Eligibility
If you are a part-time or full-time student enrolled in a U.S. college or university, you are eligible to enter. You must have been enrolled at least part time between June 2024 and June 2025.
Team Eligibility
If you are part of a team of inventors, all your team members must be enrolled as either part-time or full-time students. Each team member must have been enrolled at least part time between June 2024 and June 2025.
Citizenship
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you are still eligible as long as you are enrolled in a U.S. college or university and can meet the student eligibility requirement described above.
Please note that if an Applicant is awarded competition winnings of $600 or more, a 1099 form will be issued to them at the conclusion of the tax year. The Applicant must be legally eligible to provide a completed and signed W-9 prior to payout. Please see the following link for details and instructions: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9.
Patents
Your entry will be ineligible if (1) your invention has already been patented or disclosed by another party/inventor, or (2) you have been issued a patent for the invention more than one year prior to the date of your submission to the competition.
Questions
For questions about eligibility requirements, please contact us at [email protected].
Have Questions?
For more information visit our FAQs or contact us at [email protected] or 800-968-4332, option 5.