Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Each year, ISEF brings over 1,800 high school students from 75 countries to exhibit and demonstrate ingenuity and innovation through science projects of their own design. For more information, visit https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/.

USAID presents the Science for Development Award to recognize innovative student projects in science and technology that could advance our ability to meet current and future development challenges. Student projects are recognized with first place ($5,000), second place ($3,000), and third place ($2,000) awards in four categories. Since 2014, USAID has provided over $300,000 in awards. Additionally, USAID presents the Science Champion Award to exceptional students or teams exhibiting at ISEF-Affiliated Fairs around the world whose projects have the potential to make an impact on addressing international development challenges.

USAID’s Involvement in ISEF Fact Sheet

At the 2022 Regeneron ISEF, USAID presented the Science for Development Award to the following projects:

Global Health Category

1st Place: Kulpatch Chananam, Kunat Khongtong, and Pakitta Kriangasame, Thailand:Sawasdee-AMP: Highly Efficient, Portable and Low-Cost Point of Care Test Kit for Future Emerging RNA/DNADiseases Diagnosis
2nd Place: João Pedro Silvestre Armani, Brazil: Application of Agroindustrial Residues in the Combat of the Arbovirus-Vector Mosquito (Aedes aegypti), Phase II
3rd Place: Maggie Zhang, Kansas: The Effect of Polymer Coating on Taste-Masking Ability of AZT (HIV Drug) for Pediatric Oral Deliver

Agriculture and Food Security

1st Place: Mehdi Mohsen Achour, Oklahoma: Orange is the New Green; From Waste to Water Absorbent BioPolymer: How Can Orange Peels Help Plants Resist Drought?
2nd Place: Nathan Elias, Texas: A Novel Method for Automated Identification and Prediction of Invasive Species Growth Using Deep Learning
3rd Place: Ava Zhang, New York: Soilization of Sand Indicated by Photosynthetic Rate, Water Retention Rate, and Health of Plants

Climate and Environmental Protection

1st Place: Nyaradzo Nicole Mutiti, Omar Chinyanga, and Stanley Madziyire, Zimbabwe: Development of a Low-Cost Highly Efficient Filter for Heavy Metal and Organic Contaminant Removal
2nd Place: Chinmayi Ramasubramanian, India: Averting Human-Elephant Conflict Using Machine Learning on Elephant Vocalizations
3rd Place: Jacqueline Prawira, California: Cyclo.Cloud: Development of Fish Scale Waste-Derived Materials for Adsorbance of Aquatic Pollutants

Working in Crisis and Conflict

1st Place: Matthew Hansol Jabez Kim, Georgia: Search and Rescue System Using Omni-Orientation Mapping Robots
2nd Place: Sunny You, Florida: Predicting Future Tropical Cyclone Intensity Using a Convolutional Neural Network
3rd Place: Phong Tran and Chi My Tran, Vietnam: A Humanitarian Blood Donation Application That Facilitates the Search for Potential Blood Donors and the Smart Management of Blood Storage

Read more about the 2022 winning projects and the 2021 USAID Science for Development Award Winners.

Related Articles:

• At Intel ISEF 2019, 48 organizations Know That Young Scientists Are the Future
• USAID Provides Awards for First Time at Intel ISEF 2014
• Remarks by Administrator Rajiv Shah at the USAID Forward Progress Event