Find out how we determine the winners.
Each year, 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 by phone about two months before the final judging round.
Round 2
In October, all Finalist teams meet with our final judging panel and formally present their inventions at the United States Patent and Trademark Office headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
The final judging panel consists of NIHF Inductees and special guest judges, which have included 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 presentations, the judging panel deliberates and selects winners in each category.
Enter the Competition
Entries for the 2020 CIC are closed. Check back in the spring for information on the 2021 CIC.
Meet our 2019 Judges
NIHF Inductees
CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor Camera-on-a-Chip
2011 NIHF Inductee
Microprocessor
1996 NIHF Inductee
Optical Fiber
1993 NIHF Inductee
Implantable Heart Defibrillator
2002 NIHF Inductee
Portable Optical Biosensors
2017 NIHF Inductee
Nanocomposite Dental Materials
2018 NIHF Inductee
Carbon Dioxide Laser
2012 NIHF Inductee
Digital Camera
2011 NIHF Inductee
Polarization-Control Technology
2015 NIHF Inductee
Post-it® Notes
2010 NIHF Inductee
Electret Microphone
1999 NIHF Inductee