STEM Competitions in Biomedical Engineering
There is no better way to experience engineering than to try testing your own solution to a Biomedical Engineering issue yourself! This field provides vast opportunities to form a team of your fellow students and submit your creation to a group of professionals that can provide real feedback and introductions to other professionals. Whether you are committed to entering the world of Biomedical Engineering or just wish to try something new, here is a list of different competitions for high school and college students in the United States.
Source America Design Challenge
The Source America Design Challenge is an annual design challenge in which high school and college students are paired with a person with disabilities in their community to co-design software, a device, or process to solve workplace challenges. Inventions are judged based on their positive impact, scalability, and potential to increase wages. Students form a team and submit their creation to a judging board which invites a group of finalists to show their solution with a poster and 15 minute presentation.
Source America is a national nonprofit that creates job opportunities for people with disabilities since 1974.
To learn more and enter the competition, visit https://www.sourceamerica.org/design-challenge/home
International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Poster Competition
The ISPE Student Poster Competition is an annual competition held by local ISPE Affiliates and Chapters before 31 July each year. The poster presentation consists of a visual display of research findings combined with an interactive question and answer period with a panel of judges. College students that register for membership within the ISPE can submit the results of their own research through this poster for review by a professional board and have their work published in official journals and compete for cash prizes.
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering is the world’s largest not-for-profit association serving its Members by leading scientific, technical and regulatory advancement throughout the entire pharmaceutical life cycle.
To learn more and enter the competition visit
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Student Paper Competition
The EMBS student paper competition challenges undergraduate and graduate student members of the association engaged in Biomedical Engineering to submit a written report of their research or project containing a significant design element. Finalists from different geographic locations around the world will be invited to their international conference to present their work and compete for cash awards and travel sponsorship.
IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) is the world’s largest international society of biomedical engineers. The organization’s 12,000 members reside in some 97 countries around the world.
To learn more and enter the competition visit https://www.embs.org/about-embs/awards-recognition/society-awards/embs-student-paper-competition/
BrainCo NeuroMaker Creative Challenge
The NeuroMaker Creative Challenge is an annual design challenge in which middle school and high school students are challenged to create a prototype of a solution centered around STEM and Biomedical Engineering. All students use a standardized STEM hand kit and may program and add onto their materials to customize their own creative solution. Students submit a video and written description of their creation to a panel of Harvard, MIT and other engineering and education graduates to compete for different awards and accolades.
BrainCo is a Harvard Innovation Labs incubated Brain Machine Interface company located in Boston, Massachusetts that develops education, medical and technological solutions.
To learn more and enter the competition visit:
