The Collegiate Inventors Competition® (CIC), a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame®, is a national competition that recognizes and rewards innovations, discoveries, and research by college and university students and their faculty advisers. Introduced in 1990, the competition encourages students who actively pursue invention. While Finalists frequently come from science, engineering, mathematics, and technology studies, creativity and innovation can emerge from any course of study.

Individual Eligibility   

If you are a part-time or full-time student enrolled in a U.S. college or university, you are eligible to enter. You must have been enrolled at least part time between June 2023 and June 2024.

Team Eligibility   

If you are part of a team of inventors, all your team members must be enrolled as either part-time or full-time students. Each team member must have been enrolled at least part time between June 2023 and June 2024.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you are still eligible as long as you are enrolled in a U.S. college or university and can meet the student eligibility requirement described above.

Please note that if an Applicant is awarded competition winnings of $600 or more, a 1099 form will be issued to them at the conclusion of the tax year. The Applicant must be legally eligible to provide a completed and signed W-9 prior to payout. Please see the following link for details and instructions: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9.