14-year-old combines origami and physics to engineer foldable structures for disaster relief shelters; Wins $25,000 top award at Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

Young innovators recognized with $100K for STEM research advancing science and tackling global challenges Thermo Fisher Scientific and Society for…
The winners of the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge
Jessica Yurinko Photography/Licensed by Society for Science

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Claire Xu, wearing a white coat, performing work in the lab.
Thermo Fisher Top 30 finalist talks to Public Day guest. The finalist, has short black hair and wears glasses and is wearing a blue suit. The Public Day guest, is wearing white and has blonde hair.
STEM Action Grants 2024 - Photo courtesy of Trubel & Co., a tech-justice nonprofit empowering underserved youth to address societal challenges through equitable data analytics, responsible technology, and inclusive design, featuring students interacting at a STEM event.
Two people are posed to the left of a presentation that explains research into gene editing.
Picking up litter, a flute on a music stand, a microscope and tennis racket -- images representing interests and hobbies of the Top 30
Headshots of the 30 finalists in the 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
Cookies baking, a swimmer diving, books, and dice -- images representing interests and hobbies of the top 300
2024 Top 300 Junior Innovators announcement banner
teacher and student in a classroom
Four children posed in front of an elevated flower bed at Norfolk Botanical Garden
Matthew Yao taking a selfie with a room full of Education Outreach Day attendees, 2024 ISEF, Los Angeles
The four panelists of the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Impact Panel, along with moderator, Maya Ajmera