Broadcom MASTERS, a program of Society for Science, is a national science competition for U.S. middle school students.[1] The Broadcom Foundation launched the competition in 2010 and pledged $6 million over the next 6 years.[2] In 2014, approximately 6,000 middle school students were eligible for entry and 2,054 students completed and submitted an application. As of 2023, the competition is known as the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator's Challenge.
The name MASTERS is an acronym for Math, Applied Science, Technology, & Engineering for Rising Stars.[3] Each year, the top 10% of students from certain SSP-affiliated regional and state science fairs across the nation are eligible for entry in the Broadcom MASTERS competition.[4] The first stage is an online application that consists of project information and other essays. On the basis of the online application, 300 semifinalists are selected and announced. The 30 finalists are selected from the pool of semifinalists, and the finalists are then invited to meet and compete with the other finalists in-person. From 2011 through 2022, finalist week has occurred either in Washington DC or virtually due to COVID-19. Judging occurs over three days and consists of project judging as well as a variety of STEM challenges performed by six teams of five students each. Judges weigh individual performance much more than combined team performance.[5]
Broadcom MASTERS grand prizes include:[6]
Various awards are also given to all finalists as well as to the top 300 finishers and their teachers.
The Samueli Foundation Prize: $25,000Winner: Annie Ostojic, 13, of Munster, Indiana.Project: A Novel Microwave Cavity Design Using Cylindrical Parabolic Reflectors to Optimize Energy EfficiencyGrand prize winner Annie Ostojic was awarded the Samueli Foundation Prize for her mastery of STEM principles and team leadership demonstrated throughout the rigorous weeklong competition. Her science fair project expanded upon knowledge she accumulated in prior competitions in order to apply science and engineering to innovating a more energy efficient microwave design. Ostojic performed complex experiments and designed prototypes to achieve the next level of creative solutions for environmentally friendly microwave cooking.
A three time Broadcom MASTERS participant, Ostojic won the Rising Star award as a 2014 Broadcom MASTERS finalist and represented the United States as one of 24 delegates representing 14 countries at Broadcom MASTERS International this year. Ostojic competed against over 2,400 entrants to return as a finalist of the 2015 Broadcom MASTERS.
Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation: $10,000Winner: Sebastian Mellen, 14, of San Diego, California.Project: MathSuite: An Innovative Android App that Makes Dreaded Calculations FUN! Published on Google Play!Sebastian Mellen was awarded the Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation for his vision and promise as an innovator who, in the spirit of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi, demonstrated aptitude and skill in technical and mathematical concepts both with his science fair project and throughout team challenges.
Mellen was inspired by teachers who struggle with grading students' self-written examinations and classmates who wrestle with math and physics homework. To make their lives easier, Mellen applied his math and engineering acumen to design and develop an Android app for smartphones that can do a broad range of algebra calculations that are routinely used in math, physics and other sciences.
STEM Award Winners:Each of these finalists (first and second place award winners) were selected for demonstrated skills and promise in each of the disciplines represented by STEM. First place winners are awarded $3,500 and second-place winners receive $2,500, in each case to support the finalist's choice of STEM summer camp experiences offered around the country. Each STEM winner also wins an iPad.
Science Award:First Place: Maximilian Du, Manlius, New York, for his project on a new method to measure and extract caffeine from drinks.Second place: Hannah O. Cevasco, San Carlos, California, for her research on the healing properties of honey.
Technology Award:First place: Manasa (Hari) Bhimaraju, Cupertino, California, for her project on a low-cost animated teaching tool for the study of elements in the periodic table with an interface for the visually impaired.Second place: Anusha Zaman, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for her project on the potential health effects of betel use.
Engineering Award:First place: Avery P. Clowes, Bolton, Mass., for his project on an electrostatic generator.Second place: Soyoun Choi, Melbourne, Florida, for her project on the effect of bilingualism on cognitive development in adolescents.
Mathematics Award:First place: David Yue, Plano, Texas for his project on 3-D x-ray reconstruction processing and its application to cancer prevention. Second place: Madison A. Toonder, St. Augustine, Florida, for her project on the study on the effect of sunblock nanoparticles on oysters' ability to filter bay water.
Rising Stars Award:Evelyn Bodoni, Centennial, Colorado, for her project on the prevalence and reasons for student cheating. Anish Singhani, San Ramon, California, for his project on an electronic system that lets a person use brain waves to control devices, such as a wheelchair and computer keyboard.
Scott A. McGregor Leadership Award:Avery P. Clowes, Bolton, Massachusetts
Eleanor Wren Sigrest, 13, Woodbridge, Virginiafor Rockets and Nozzles, and Thrusts, Oh My
A brief description of Eleanor's award-winning project by the Broadcom Foundation:[15]
"Inspired to learn about cold gas rockets after the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket explosion, Eleanor built equipment to force pressurized gas through different nozzles made with a 3-D printer. After collecting data on force, pressure and temperature, her conclusion of a 20-degree half-angle was the best compromise between a nozzle’s length and its thrust."
Aria Eppinger, 15, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniafor Roundup's Effect on Human Gut Bacteria
A brief description of Aria's award-winning project by the Broadcom Foundation:
"Aria tested the effect of residue from a common weed killer on human gut bacteria that showed it slowed growth of beneficial bacteria, throwing off the good-bad gut bacteria in people and potentially leading to serious diseases."
Kaien Yang, 14, Chantilly, Virginiafor iDiagnostic: Invention of an Early Detection Tool for Major Depressive Disorder
A brief description of Kaien's award-winning project by the Broadcom Foundation:
"Kaien developed an app called iDiagnostic that can predict the risk for mental illness with an accuracy of 93 percent. Combining a psychological evaluation with data from magnetic resonance imaging, Kaien’s work found a link between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and shrinkage of an area called the limbic system."
Nathan Deng, 14, San Marino, Californiafor Drop by Drop: Manipulating the Surface Tension of Water to Find the Best Way of Cleaning
A brief description of Nathan's award-winning project by the Broadcom Foundation:
"Nathan Deng was awarded the Lemelson Award for Innovation for seeking to solve a real-world problem like effective cleaning through an invention. Nathan built a device to measure surface tension of water with a syringe, flexible tubing, a thermometer and a precise scale. By lowering surface tension, water can permeate through the crevices of dirty objects and lead to more effective cleaning."
Science Award
First place: Ananya Ganesh, Sandy Springs, Georgia for Bruxism: Using Myoelectric Signals to Treat a Common Health Problem
Second place: Cynthia Chen, Cupertino, California for A Novel Method for Reducing Water Consumption in Germinating Seeds
Technology Award
First place: Adishree Ghatare, San Jose, Californiafor A Software Application as a Learning Platform for Increasing Memory Retention of Definitions of Words
Second place: Shreya Ramachandran, Fremont, California for The Effect of Soap Nut Grey Water on the Environment
Engineering Award
First place: Brendan Crotty, Muskogee, Oklahoma for Comparative Study of Insulating Materials for a Gas Forge
Second place: Emhyr Subramanian, Aurora, Colorado for A Study of Super-Absorbent Polymers and their Effectiveness in Organic Waste Extraction
Mathematics Award
First place: Anushka Naiknaware, Portland, Oregon for Chitosan and Carbon Nanoparticle based Biocompatible Sensor for Wound Management
Second place: Olivia Lazorik, Fort Pierce, Florida for Climate Change Problem: The Effect of Ocean Acidification on the Growth and Coloration of Lysmata wurdemanni
James Fagan, Riverside, Californiafor A Wind Tunnel to Test for the Best Aerodynamic Characteristics for Flight on Mars
Ashini Modi, Shreveport, Louisiana for Dark Matter: The Hidden Universe
Each member of the team that best demonstrates their ability to work together, and solve problems through shared decision making, communication and scientific and engineering collaboration. The winning team included : Nathan Deng, Aria Eppinger, Anushka Naiknaware, Rachel Pizzolato, and Lucas Ritzdorf.
Finalists select one student from the group based on their leadership abilities to represent their class as a speaker at the awards ceremony.Winner: Nikolai Ortiz
Thomas Aldous, 14, Pittsburgh, Penssylvaniafor Remote Rescue Robot: Robotic Hand Controlled by Human Motion
Rory Hu, 12, San Jose, California,for The Effects of Pesticides, Caffeine and Tea Polyphenols on the Visual and Olfactory Learning and Memory of the Honey Bee
Jeanelle Dao, 14, Chantilly, Virginiafor Controlling Doors Using Interface Technology with Steps for People with Hand Disabilities (CONDUITS)
Mina Fedor, 14, Berkeley, Californiafor EEG Theta During Self-Directed Versus Passive Spatial Memory Encoding and Retrieval
Ankit Biswas, 14, Charlotte, North Carolinafor A Novel LP-Based Approach to Mitigating Launch Vehicle CO2 Emissions
Science Award
First place: Victoria Harding Bradley, 14, Menlo Park Californiafor Green Ears: A Study of Ultrasonic Acoustic Emissions in Response to Environmental Stressors in Plants
Second place: Kasey Moore, 13, Delray Beach, Floridafor The Effect of Uncaria tomentosa (Cat’s Claw) in Learning and Memory in Lymnaea stagnalis (The Great Pond Snail)
Technology Award
First place: Skye Holyn Knox, 14, Bend, Oregonfor Laboratory Testing of Chemical Cloud Seeding
Second place: Moitri Santra, 13, Oviedo, Florida for Innovative Engineering Tools for Controlling Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB): Year 3
Engineering Award
First place: Alexander Montgomery, 14, Titusville, Floridafor The Impact of Different Environmental Conditions on Galvanic Corrosion at Launchpad Structures
Second place: Emma Abigail Simmons, 13, Emmitsburg, Marylandfor Portable Bronchodilator Delivery System for Equine Inflammatory Respiratory Diseases
Mathematics Award
First place: Sritej Sai Padmanabhan, 14, Wexford, Pennsylvaniafor Can Video Analysis of Hand Tremors Aid in Telehealth?
Second place: Mahi Kohli, 13, Olathe, Kansasfor Identifying Potential Alzheimer’s Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid
Blue Team – Thomas Aldous, Shaunak Dalal, Skye Holyn Knox, Moitri Santra, Ethan Yan
Luka Anthony Nguyen, 13, Henderson, Nevadafor Which Mangroves (Mature Plants vs. Immature Propagules) Thrive Better and Are Best Suited for Aerial Reforestation?