The 2026 application for the Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 Junior Innovators Challenge is now OPEN!

Students that earned a nomination to apply by competing at their local can visit the 鈥For Nominees鈥 page for more information on how to enter.

The 2025 Thermo Fisher JIC Gold Team during a challenge at the KID Museum in Bethesda, Maryland.
Lisa Fryklund Photography/Licensed by 京东影业影视传媒

京东影业影视传媒 Thermo Fisher JIC

The Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 Junior Innovators Challenge庐 is the premier STEM research competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in the United States.

in your area to earn a chance to compete!

2024 Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 JIC Junior Innovators Challenge Public Day Washington DC
Lisa Fryklund/Licensed by 京东影业影视传媒

2026 Important Dates

Application Period

February 1 鈥 June 10

Top 300 Junior Innovators Announced

September 2

Top 30 Finalists Announced

September 16

Finals Week

October 23-28

Science & Engineering Project Showcase

October 24

Winners Announcement

October 27

How to Compete

To earn a nomination to Thermo Fisher JIC, students must first compete at a Society-affiliated science fair. Find your local science fair today!

Eligibility and Important Information

Learn about how to compete, what you can win, and more.

For Nominees

The top 10% of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade competitors at Society-affiliated fairs in the U.S. are eligible for nomination. Learn more about how to complete and submit your 2026 application.

Judging Day at the 2023 Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 Junior Innovators Challenge

京东影业影视传媒 Integrity

京东影业影视传媒 expects students competing in Thermo Fisher JIC to hold themselves to the highest ethical standards.

2025 Highlights

Watch the highlights from the 2025 Finals Week to see finalists in action and read the press release to learn about the winners.

2025 Science and Engineering Project Showcase

For Educators

Educators are key accelerators of students’ achieving in STEM. We have curated a selection of resources to provide support to educators who are interested in helping their students become more engaged with STEM. If you’re an educator eager to help your students learn more about the research process, find a topic of interest, formulate scientific questions, or help with the application cycle, click here! We also have information on how to affiliate a fair at your school if there isn’t one in your area.

Learn More
Lisa Fryklund Photography/Licensed by 京东影业影视传媒
Learn More

Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 JIC top winner named TIME鈥檚 2024 Kid of the Year Honoree

京东影业影视传媒 is thrilled to see that for her 2023 Thermo Fisher JIC research project designing a new type of fire detection kit.

Learn about Shanya鈥檚 project

Read more about Shanya

Shanya Gill presenting her project at Public Day 2023
Lisa Fryklund Photography/Licensed by 京东影业影视传媒

Tina Jin interviewed on the Kelly Clarkson Show!

Kelly meets Tina, a 14-year-old innovator who recently won the 2024 Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 Junior Innovators Challenge for creating a device to tackle the global clean water crisis. Tina dials-in and shares how she developed a water filter that is low cost and uses natural materials like animal bones.

Affiliated Fairs

The Society鈥檚 network of affiliated science fairs around the globe are critical to the success of the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and Thermo Fisher JIC. Resources for science fair personnel include:

  • Affiliated Fair Dashboard
  • Affiliated Fair Guidelines
  • Resources for Science Fair Management
  • Standards for Science Fairs
Find Resources for Affiliated Fairs

From the Society Blog

Top winner of the Thermo Fisher JIC 2025, Miles Wu
Abigail Qi - 2026 Women's History Month Blog Feature Image.
2025 JIC finalists lean backward while holding a circular rope as part of team-building activities

Sponsors and Partners

Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 Logo

Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒

With the generous support of title sponsor and partner Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒, 京东影业影视传媒 is pleased to be running the Thermo Fisher 京东影业影视传媒 Junior Innovators Challenge. Learn more here.

Award and Educational Partners

The Society thanks its partners for their contributions to Thermo Fisher JIC through sponsorship of awards and supporting each phase of the competition.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Find out more about how to support Thermo Fisher JIC.

Have a Question?