Science · Grades 6–8 in the U.S.; must compete at a Society-affiliated science fair and place in the top 10% of middle school entrants to be nominated · Individual (based on your science fair project)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

This season's dates are posted on the official site.

How to enroll

Nomination comes from a Society-affiliated science fair. Students and parents can't apply without one.

Use the Find-a-Fair tool to confirm which affiliated fair serves your school or county
Register the project with that fair through your school or the fair's own site
After the fair, nominated students get application instructions from the Society

By The 2027 application window isn't posted. Last year (2026) it was Feb 1 – Jun 10, so plan to have a fair project ready by early 2027.

Find a Society-affiliated fair ↗

Eligibility, nomination rules and the application process for nominees.

For nominees ↗

In plain words

Thermo Fisher JIC is the Society for Science's national competition for 6th–8th grade research projects. There is no direct entry. Students do a science or engineering fair project, compete at a Society-affiliated fair (school, district or regional), and the top 10% of middle schoolers at that fair are nominated. Nominees then fill out an online application with a parent permission form. Top 300 are named in early September, 30 finalists in mid-September, and finalists get an all-expense-paid trip to Finals Week in Washington, D.C. in October. The 2027 application dates are not posted yet. Last year (2026) the application ran Feb 1 – Jun 10, with the Top 300 announced Sep 2, finalists Sep 16 and Finals Week Oct 23–28. For DFW families, the practical step this fall is making sure your child's project enters a Society-affiliated fair in winter or spring 2027.

Great for

Kids who already enjoy science fair and want to take a project further

Less ideal if

Students who want a test-style contest or don't want to do a research project

What it takes

Cost

No application fee; local fairs may charge a small entry fee. Finalists' trip to D.C. is covered.

Format

Research project judged at a local fair, then an online application · finals in person in Washington, D.C.

Who

On their own · a teacher or parent usually helps with the fair paperwork

Time

A science fair project over several months, then a few hours on the application

Step by step

1Ask your school's science teacher whether the school fair feeds into a Society-affiliated regional fair; use the Find-a-Fair tool to check
2Do a science or engineering project and enter it in that fair (most DFW regional fairs are in winter or early spring)
3If nominated (top 10% of grades 6–8 at the fair), watch for the application window, which last year opened Feb 1
4Submit the online application and parent permission form by the posted deadline

Where it leads

School or district science fairWinter 2026–27
Timing set by your school
Society-affiliated regional fairEarly 2027
Top 10% of grade 6–8 entrants are nominated
JIC applicationSpring 2027 (2026 window was Feb 1 – Jun 10)
Online application plus parent permission form
Top 300, then Top 30 finalistsSep 2027 (based on 2026 timing)
Finalists travel to Washington, D.C. in October

Free prep

Official site · societyforscience.org Share on WhatsApp

Checked against Society for Science, Thermo Fisher JIC (2026 dates; 2027 not yet posted) on October 16, 2026. Suggestions, not guarantees: always confirm with the organizer.

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