Find out how we determine the winners.
Judging is completed in two rounds
Round 1
Each Collegiate Inventors Competition® (CIC) entry is reviewed by our initial judging panel made up of scientists, researchers and experts in a variety of fields.
The Judges’ collective scores and rankings, along with data collected by independent researchers, are used by the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) to determine the Finalists.
All Finalists are notified two months before the final judging round.
Round 2
In October, Finalist teams meet virtually with our final judging panel to formally present the work they’ve done to bring their extraordinary inventions to life.
The final judging panel consists of NIHF Inductees and special guest Judges, which have included intellectual property experts from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Abbott Laboratories, among others.
Following the Finalists’ presentations, the Judges deliberate and select the winners in each category.
Enter the Competition
The 2021 Collegiate Inventors Competition is now open for entries! Applications are due by June 7.
Meet our 2020 Judges
NIHF Inductees
CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor Camera-on-a-Chip
2011 NIHF Inductee
Microprocessor
1996 NIHF Inductee
Portable Optical Biosensors
2017 NIHF Inductee
Nanocomposite Dental Materials
2018 NIHF Inductee
Robust Network Routing and Bridging
2016 NIHF Inductee
Digital Camera
2011 NIHF Inductee
Post-it® Notes
2010 NIHF Inductee
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Technology Center 1600 Quality Assurance Specialist