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Frequently Asked Questions
 
What are the goals of the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize?
The prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize is designed to recognize inventive graduating seniors and graduate students at MIT. The underlying goal is to stimulate excitement and interest in invention, science, and engineering at the Institute and beyond.
 
Must the award money be used for research?
No, it's an unrestricted cash gift.
 
How many awards are there each year?
There is only one $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize presented each year.
 
Are there any requirements for the winner?
The winner must attend a press conference on February 27, 2008. Additionally, there will be requests to participate in public education activities. We also encourage the winner to attend EurekaFest to be held in Boston, Mass., during the week of June 23, 2008.
 
Who is eligible to apply?
All MIT seniors and graduate students are eligible to compete for this award regardless of major. Students must be enrolled or scheduled to graduate MIT during the spring semester in which the award is presented.
 
When is the deadline?
The deadline for this year is 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18, 2007.
 
Am I required to have a patent?
No.
 
Do I forfeit my intellectual property rights by submitting an application?
Generally, no. We use only titles and short descriptions of inventions for public relations purposes. Moreover, the judging panel, as members of the MIT community, are asked to keep in mind that student applications are distributed solely for the purpose of evaluation for the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize and should not be reproduced for other purposes. However, please be aware that you will be barred from obtaining patent protection, if the patent application is filed more than one year after a "publication" that may permit a person reasonably skilled in the field to make the invention based upon your application. Please consult the MIT policies relating to intellectual property, the MIT Technology Licensing Office (http://web.mit.edu/ipcounsel/), and the USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov/) to ensure protection of your intellectual property.
 
Who are the judges?
The judging panel is composed of MIT alumni from a variety of backgrounds and professions, ranging from mechanical engineering, biology, physics, and medicine to venture capital, environmental policy, and patent law.
 
On what criteria are the applications judged?
The judges look at the following criteria: inventive behaviour; creativity; potential as a role model; societal benefit; potential for commercial success; and supporting letters.

No one criterion is considered paramount. Keeping in mind the goals of the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, we ask the judges to take a holistic view of each application. Additionally, it is important that applications are well-presented and complete according to competition instructions.
 

What makes an excellent application?
• Follow directions (e.g. word count, etc.)
• Write for a technically literate audience, while maintaining a readable style similar to that of Scientific American and Technology Review. While the judges are experienced in their areas of discipline, not all of them will have expertise in your area.
• Give your recommenders adequate time to complete their letter and be sure they are aware of deadlines and other expectations.

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