2022 Annual Report Banner - Looking Beyond - image is from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

One thousand seven hundred and fifty young scientists hailing from 49 states and 63 countries, territories and regions came together to compete in the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where they won nearly $8 million in awards and scholarships. For the first time, the fair was a hybrid event, with roughly two thirds of the finalists convening in Atlanta, Georgia, while the rest connected virtually from around the globe.

Photo collage from 2022 ISEF for Annual Report

Whether in person or remote, all the finalists were united by a shared commitment to create a healthier and more sustainable world through STEM. Beyond the judging and the competition, the finalists also took part in a week of enrichment activities—from attending interactive panels featuring STEM leaders, to the student mixer, to a trip to the world-famous Georgia Aquarium.

entrance hall of Atlanta convention center for 2022 ISEF

The 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

Press Release

Full List of Award Winners

Full List of Special Award Winners

Grand Awards Ceremony Video

ISEF 2022 Grand Award Ceremony

TOP MOMENTS

Regeneron ISEF 2022 Highlights

Relive the top moments from the 2022 fair, jampacked with activities for in-person finalists in Atlanta, as well as virtual events for finalists connecting from around the globe.

TOP WINNERS

Robert Sansone

Robert Sansone of Fort Pierce, Florida, won first place and received the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award. His research improved the torque (force) and efficiency of synchronous reluctance motors. These are rugged, efficient, magnet-free alternatives to traditional permanent magnet motors. He hopes his research will lead to the proliferation of electric vehicles that do not require magnets made from strategically important rare-earth elements.

Rovert Sansone, Top winner at 2022 ISEF

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, received one of two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $50,000. His research involved modifying a metal-organic material so it can be used to both extract hydrogen from water and safely store it for clean energy production. Because the materials he added are relatively inexpensive, his work could significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen extraction and storage.

2022 ISEF winner

Rishab Jain

Rishab Jain of Portland, Oregon, received the second Regeneron Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for developing an AI-based model to enable the rapid and cost-effective production of drugs, such as recombinant COVID-19 vaccines, using synthetic DNA engineering. His model is trained to optimize the selection of genetic codes in DNA.

Jain Rishab, top winner at 2022 ISEF

SOCIETY BLOG

Building scientific questions at Education Outreach Day 2022

Sponsored by the Broadcom Foundation, the event welcomed thousands of students from grades six through twelve from the Atlanta area to the Georgia World Congress Center for a fun-filled day of scientific inquiry.

Pinning cultures together at the 2022 Regeneron ISEF pin exchange

The pin exchange is an honored tradition at ISEF. Laughter, smiles and the energy of scientific interest and unity filled the room as more than 1,100 finalists from 63 countries, regions and territories asked each other “where are you from?” and “do you have this pin yet?”

Watch: STEM Leaders discuss hot topics in research, academia, innovation and entrepreneurship at Regeneron ISEF 2022

During Regeneron ISEF 2022, finalists participating both in person and virtually had the chance to hear from prominent leaders across different areas of STEM and ask questions about their experience. Continue reading to view highlights or watch the sessions in full!

Our Sponsors

Thank you to the community of sponsors who made the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair possible.

Read more about the 2022 sponsors on our blog

The auditorium at the Opening Ceremony of ISEF 2022. "Regeneron ISEF" is displayed on the massive screens onstage.

Why I Volunteer

“I have been serving as a volunteer with ISEF since 2018—as a Grand Awards Judge in Pittsburgh, as a judge at the virtual ISEF competitions hosted during the pandemic, and most recently as a member of the Local Arrangements Committee for the 2022 ISEF in Atlanta.

“For ISEF, the highest-level global STEM research competition for high school students, it is important to have diversity in the judging pool. When STEM professionals of color serve as judges, students of color who participate in ISEF see representation and positive role models, fueling their pursuit of STEM careers. For students who aren’t of color competing in the fair, seeing STEM professionals of color debunks that old myth that STEM is only for white men. I look forward to volunteering with ISEF again in 2024.”

Tokiwa T. Smith
Founder and Executive Director of Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link Inc.

Tokiwa Smith headshot for 2022 Annual Report