International Science and Engineering Fair
Professional services
UnclaimedAn annual international science and engineering research competition for high school students.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
The International Science and Engineering Fair, commonly called ISEF and currently titled the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, is an annual research competition for secondary-school students. It is owned and administered by the Society for Science, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization formerly known as Science Service. Although the final fair is held in the United States, its qualifying network is international: millions of students take part in affiliated local, regional, district, state, and national competitions, from which approximately 1,800 finalists are selected each year. ISEF was established in 1950 as a national science fair organized by Science Service. Over time, it developed into a global championship for pre-university scientific research and engineering. Students in grades 9 through 12 may enter individually or in teams of two to four, with projects evaluated across 22 scientific and engineering categories. Finalists present their work to professional judges and to the public, while also attending seminars, ceremonies, social activities, and educational programs connected with the host city. The fair’s purpose is broader than awarding prizes. It gives young researchers access to expert evaluation, international peers, scientific institutions, scholarships, internships, field trips, and opportunities to communicate technical work to non-specialist audiences. Its awards recognize both fundamental research and practical innovation. The highest honors include the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards, and the Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations. Other awards recognize innovation, basic research, science communication, and participation in international youth-science programs. The total value of awards and related scholarships has been reported at more than $9 million. Intel sponsored the fair from 1997 through 2019, a period in which the competition was widely known as the Intel ISEF and its top honors included Intel Foundation awards and, later, the Gordon E. Moore Award. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals became title sponsor in 2020. That year’s in-person event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced by an online program. The 2021 fair was fully virtual, while the 2022 event combined online and in-person participation in Atlanta. In-person editions subsequently took place in Dallas in 2023, Los Angeles in 2024, and Columbus in 2025, with Phoenix scheduled for 2026 and Los Angeles for 2027 according to the cited reference material. ISEF has also served as a notable pathway into scientific, technical, academic, and public careers. Alumni identified in published accounts include Nobel laureates John Clauser and Paul Modrich, National Medal of Science recipients Richard Zare, James Gunn, and Susan Solomon, CRISPR researcher Feng Zhang, and former U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The fair is therefore positioned as both a high-level student competition and a long-running international talent-development institution.
History
The International Science and Engineering Fair grew out of the work of Science Service, the nonprofit scientific-education organization that later became the Society for Science. Founded in 1950, the fair was created to give high school students a formal venue for presenting original scientific investigations and engineering projects. Its early role was primarily national, but the affiliated-fair structure gradually expanded the competition’s reach beyond the United States. The modern ISEF system is based on a distributed qualification model. Students generally begin in local, regional, district, state, or national science fairs affiliated with the Society for Science. The strongest projects from those events advance to the international fair. This approach allows students from many educational systems to compete under a common framework while preserving local selection processes. Published descriptions estimate that roughly seven million students participate in the wider feeder network each year, with about 1,800 finalists reaching ISEF from approximately 75 countries. Finalists compete as individuals or in teams of two to four students in grades 9 through 12. Projects are organized into 22 subject categories and assessed by judges with relevant scientific, engineering, or professional expertise. In addition to formal judging, the program includes public exhibition, awards presentations, seminars, mentoring opportunities, social events, and activities introducing participants to the host city. The fair consequently combines research evaluation with international student exchange and science communication. Corporate sponsorship became a major feature of the event in 1997, when Intel began supporting the competition. During Intel’s sponsorship, the event was commonly called the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and the top prizes were associated with Intel Foundation awards. In 2010, the highest honor was renamed the Gordon E. Moore Award in recognition of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. A later award structure introduced honors for innovation, fundamental research, science communication, and future social impact. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals became the title sponsor in 2020. The transition coincided with an unprecedented disruption: the planned in-person 2020 fair was cancelled because of COVID-19 and replaced with an online program. The following year’s event was fully virtual. In 2022, ISEF adopted a hybrid online and in-person format in Atlanta, and it returned to an in-person model in Dallas in 2023. Subsequent host cities included Los Angeles in 2024 and Columbus in 2025, with later host locations announced for Phoenix and Los Angeles. The competition’s recognition extends beyond its annual awards. ISEF alumni have included scientists who later received Nobel Prizes, National Medals of Science, MacArthur Fellowships, and other major distinctions, as well as figures who pursued technology, education, government, and public service. Since 2001, MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Ceres Connection has commemorated selected ISEF winners by naming asteroids after them. The fair’s special-award ecosystem has also involved organizations such as the National Security Agency, Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE Foundation, and Patent and Trademark Office Society. Through these activities, ISEF has developed from a national student fair into a prominent global institution for identifying and encouraging young researchers.
- 2025
In-person fair in Columbus
[1]The competition was held in person in Columbus, Ohio.
- 2024
In-person fair in Los Angeles
[1]The competition was held in person in Los Angeles, California.
- 2023
In-person fair in Dallas
[1]The competition was held in person in Dallas, Texas.
- 2022
Hybrid return in Atlanta
[1]ISEF combined online and in-person participation in Atlanta, Georgia.
- 2021
Fully virtual ISEF
[1]The fair was held entirely online.
- 2020
Regeneron sponsorship and pandemic cancellation
[1]Regeneron became title sponsor, while the planned physical fair was cancelled and replaced by an online program because of COVID-19.
- 2019
Intel sponsorship ends
[1]Intel’s sponsorship period concluded after more than two decades.
- 2010
Top honor renamed for Gordon E. Moore
[1]The highest Intel-era honor was renamed the Gordon E. Moore Award.
- 2001
Ceres Connection begins
[1]MIT Lincoln Laboratory began naming asteroids after selected ISEF winners through the Ceres Connection.
- 1997
Intel sponsorship begins
[1]Intel became the event’s sponsor, beginning a period in which the competition was widely known as Intel ISEF.
Products and positioning
A premier global pre-university science and engineering research competition that connects secondary-school students with professional scientists, educators, institutions, and sponsors.
Academic competition · 1950
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair
The central annual event is a research competition for high school students selected through affiliated science fairs. Individual and team projects are presented to expert judges across 22 scientific and engineering categories. The program combines judging, public exhibition, seminars, ceremonies, and student activities.
Qualification network
ISEF affiliated-fair network
Local, regional, district, state, and national fairs provide the qualification pathway to ISEF. The network enables students in many countries and educational systems to compete for places at the international event.
Scholarships and recognition
ISEF awards and special awards
The award program includes major scholarships, category prizes, innovation and fundamental-research honors, science-communication recognition, and awards sponsored by external scientific and technical organizations.
Brand decisions
2020
Cancelled the physical fair and moved onlineOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic made the planned in-person event impractical.
Action taken
The physical fair was cancelled and replaced with an online version; the event was not judged under the normal competition structure.
Aftermath
ISEF remained virtual in 2021 and adopted a hybrid format in 2022 before returning to in-person events.
2020
Changed title sponsorship from Intel to RegeneronStrategyBackground
Intel’s sponsorship period ended after 2019.
Action taken
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals became the title sponsor.
Aftermath
The event adopted the Regeneron ISEF name, which remains its principal public title.
1997
Adopted Intel sponsorshipStrategyBackground
The competition sought sustained support and broader visibility as its international scope developed.
Action taken
Intel began sponsoring the fair, which subsequently became widely known as Intel ISEF.
Aftermath
The sponsorship continued through 2019 and was associated with expanded corporate-branded awards.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/international-science-and-engineering-fair · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled