Forty of the Nation’s Brightest Young Scientists Named Finalists in Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020

Finalists to Compete for More Than $1.8 Million in Oldest and Most Prestigious U.S. STEM Competition for High School Seniors

Females represent more than 50 percent of the Regeneron STS finalists

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Society for Science & the Public today announced 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Alumni have gone on to have world-changing careers in STEM fields and earn some of the most esteemed academic honors, including the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science, the MacArthur Fellowship and even an Academy Award.

The 2020 finalists were selected from 1,993 highly qualified entrants, all of whom completed an original research project and extensive application process. Earlier this month, the Society and Regeneron named the top 300 scholars. The finalists were selected based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientists and leaders.

Finalists’ projects span a diversity of STEM-related topics including targeting cancer via signaling pathways, developing a mobile application for stroke diagnosis using deep learning and computer vision and identifying an improved method for trace level arsenic quantification in water.

The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. from March 5-11, 2020, where they will undergo a rigorous judging process and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards. They will also have an opportunity to interact with leading scientists, meet with Members of Congress and display their projects to the public on March 8.

The finalists are each awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000. The top 10 Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020 winners will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 10. In total, more than $3 million in awards will be distributed throughout the Regeneron Science Talent Search, which includes the awards to finalists as well as the $2,000 provided to each of the top 300 scholars and their schools. 

“This year’s finalists are part of the next generation of brilliant minds who – through the pursuit of science and innovation – can address many of society’s most urgent challenges and help improve our world,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and a Science Talent Search top winner (1976). “These students are joining a community of highly talented STS alumni who have gone on to make incredible contributions to their chosen fields and our society. If one, two or even a handful of these impressive young scholars make discoveries that impact our world, that could make all the difference.”

“The Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are the stewards of our future,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of Society for Science & the Public, Publisher of Science News and 1985 Science Talent Search alum. “These finalists are the top young scientists of our country today and they give me great hope for what lies ahead.”

Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020 Fast Facts

• The Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020 finalists are from 35 schools in 21 states. They are competing for more than $1.8 million, with a top prize of $250,000.

• Forty finalists were selected from 300 scholars and nearly 2,000 entrants based on the originality and creativity of their scientific research, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside of the classroom.

• Finalist projects cover disciplines of science including animal science, behavioral and social sciences, bioengineering, cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, computational biology and bioinformatics, computer science, engineering, environmental science, genomics, materials science, mathematics, medicine and health, physics, plant sciences and space science.

• For a list of this year’s finalists, visit https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/2020-finalists/.

In addition to its sponsorship of the Science Talent Search, in December 2019, Society for Science & the Public announced Regeneron as the new title sponsor of the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), a global competition for high school students where nearly 2,000 young scientists from 80 countries, regions and territories compete on a world stage.