About Google’s Global Science Fair

The Google Global Science Fair is an opportunity for people ranging in age from 13 to 18 to demonstrate their scientific prowess and quite possibly earn scholarships, educational opportunities, and more. The fair offers an amazing chance for young scientists to show their skill and be rewarded for it.

The fair is held annually, with applications accepted from January 11th until April 4th. A panel of teachers then goes through all submissions and decides on the best 60 worldwide. These are posted online and people are allowed to vote for a “People’s Choice” prizewinner who will receive a $10,000 dollar scholarship. The 60 are narrowed down to 15 finalists who then are sent to the Google HQ in Mountain View, California for the final leg of the fair. The projects are then demonstrated in front of a panel of judges that include Noble Laureates, giants in the tech industry, and more. Three winners are chosen – one from each of the three age categories (13-14, 15-16, 17-18) – and from these three a single grand prize winner is chosen. The competition is therefore understandably incredible, as out of thousands only four are chosen, but this ensures that the winners are truly outstanding.

The prizes make the competition more than worth it. The grand prize includes a $50,000 dollar scholarship, a National Geographic trip around the Galapagos Islands, and the opportunity to choose between options like visiting CERN and learning all about the inner workings of Google (among others). There are other small benefits in addition to this as well, including Lego kits, a subscription to the Scientific American archives for the winner’s school, and more. The other winners receive a $25,000 scholarship, a similar choice of opportunities as above, and similar small bonuses. All the finalists also get small gifts, including a year-long subscription to Scientific American. The potential prizes, along with the recognition gained by being among the finalists, make the strict competition involved more than worth the effort.

The winners are people with incredible talent for their age, and many have made major progress. The three winners of 2011 alone researched the mechanisms by which drugs for ovarian cancer become ineffective over time, researched air pollution in relation to asthma, and found ways to decrease the amount of carcinogens present in grilled chicken. These are all bits of research with real-world applications, and they were all performed by teenagers working with their own skills. In addition, the winners in 2011 were notably all female – the fair is inclusive, and has no limits for the bright children who enter.

If you or your child is interested in participating, Google has the information on how to apply on its webpage for the fair, as well as a list of resources that can help one plan out a project. Of course, our website also has a number of handy resources for getting started with a project. Good luck, and remember that children and teens can do truly amazing things.