The MIT Mechanical Engineering de Florez Awards Competition recognizes outstanding innovation and hands‑on work by undergraduate and graduate students in Course 2.

The 2026 de Florez Awards Competition will take place as part of MExpo 2026, a showcase celebrating mechanical engineering innovation and hands‑on learning.

📅 Event Details

Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 2:30–5:00 PM
Location: MIT Johnson Skating Rink

⏰ Registration Deadline

Monday, April 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM

🔧 WE SEEK INNOVATIONS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

The competition welcomes innovations across the breadth of Mechanical Engineering and recognizes excellence in both Engineering Design and Engineering Science.

Engineering Design

Use Mechanical Engineering principles and practices to synthesize and create an ingenious design. This may include, but is not limited to, a piece of software, a new machine element, a process, a new circuit, a testing apparatus or technique, a robot, a consumer product.

A working, realized design is mandatory. You must have created the design yourself, and you must be able to show or demonstrate it.

Engineering Science

Discover or generate new scientific understanding or principles key to advancing the practice of Mechanical Engineering. Examples include a theoretical model, or a numerical solution technique.

You must state how your innovation contributes to the field and provide evidence that your understanding or principles are correct. This contest is not for early-stage ideas about new understanding, theory, or principles.

The Contest Organizers and Judges value and aim to recognize outstanding innovation in both areas.

🏆 Prizes

The competition will award $25,000 in total prizes across selected student projects.

• Cash prizes will be awarded to winning entries
  (split equally among team members, if applicable)
• Participation prizes will be provided to all other presenting individuals or teams

📝 How to Enter

To be considered for the 2026 de Florez Awards Competition, complete the online registration form by the deadline listed above.

Registration Link:

Registration will open soon. The link to the online registration form will be posted here.

⚠️ Submitting the registration form does not guarantee acceptance into the competition. All registrants will be notified of their status by email after the registration deadline. Accepted participants will receive detailed instructions regarding poster submission, printing, and event logistics.

👥 Eligibility & Participation

• Open to current MIT Mechanical Engineering undergraduate and graduate students only
• Students may present individually or as part of a team
• Teams may include up to three (3) students
• The student who submits the registration form must be the team leader
• The registrant/team leader must be present to demonstrate the work and participate in judging

📌 Presentation & Judging

Participants will present their work in a poster format and may also bring a demonstration or prototype, if applicable.

Judging will take place in one‑hour time slots, allowing participants to explore other MExpo activities throughout the afternoon when they are not presenting.

❓ Questions

Please contact Lisa Maxwell at lisa@mit.edu or Professor Wim van Rees at wvanrees@mit.edu.

About Luis de Florez

The de Florez Awards are named in honor of Luis de Florez (1889–1962), an MIT alumnus who earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and went on to a distinguished career as a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. De Florez was a pioneer in aeronautical engineering and flight simulation, playing a key role in the development of early training technologies that advanced aviation safety and military preparedness during World War II. His career exemplified original thinking, ingenuity, and practical engineering impact, values that continue to define the spirit of this competition.

Learn more about Admiral Luis de Florez: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_de_Florez