Broadcom MASTERS, the national middle school science competition run by Society for Science, has been called the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC) since 2023, when Thermo Fisher Scientific became the title sponsor. It is open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders in the United States, and the only way in is to place in the top 10% of middle school competitors at a science fair affiliated with Society for Science.
This guide explains how the competition works today: the history, who is eligible, how nomination and the application work, what finalists do in Washington, D.C., the awards, and how to prepare. All facts come from Society for Science's own pages, listed at the end.
From Broadcom MASTERS to the Junior Innovators Challenge
Broadcom MASTERS stood for Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars. Society for Science ran it with the Broadcom Foundation as title sponsor from 2010. On November 3, 2022, the Society announced that, beginning in 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific would become the title sponsor and the competition would be renamed the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
The structure carried over. It is still Society for Science's national competition for middle schoolers, still fed by affiliated science fairs, and still ends with 30 finalists competing in Washington, D.C. Broadcom remains involved as an award sponsor: the Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award is one of the top prizes.
So if a teacher, a parent group or an older guide mentions Broadcom MASTERS, they mean the JIC.
Who is eligible
Society for Science calls the JIC the premier STEM research competition for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in the United States. To be eligible, a student must:
- be in 6th, 7th or 8th grade
- complete a science fair project and compete at a Society-affiliated fair in the United States or a U.S. territory
- place in the top 10% of the 6th, 7th and 8th grade competitors at that fair, according to the fair's own judging
Students cannot enter directly. If your child's school fair is not affiliated, the Society says the school can affiliate its fair. The Society's Find-a-Fair tool shows which fairs are affiliated. Most affiliated fairs run from January through April.
Team projects: teams of up to three students may enter. Each team member submits an individual application, and a team member can apply even if teammates do not. Only one member of a team can become a Top 300 student or finalist. The Society explains that judges want to see how each student contributed to the project, which is why applications are individual.
How the competition runs, step by step
The 2026 cycle shows the usual shape of the year:
| Stage | 2026 timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Local fairs | Mostly January to April | Affiliated fairs nominate their top 10% of 6th to 8th graders |
| Application | February 1 to June 10 | Nominees complete a free online application |
| Top 300 | Announced September 2 | A panel of judges selects the Top 300 Junior Innovators |
| Top 30 finalists | Announced September 16 | 30 finalists are chosen from the Top 300 |
| Finals Week | October 23 to 28 | Finalists compete in Washington, D.C. |
| Project showcase | October 24 | Public showcase of finalist projects |
| Winners | Announced October 27 | Awards announced |
Society for Science reported 1,997 entrants in 2026. The winners announcement described finalists as selected from nearly 2,000 applicants from 47 states and five territories. Check the official site for 2027 dates.
The application
The nomination is only the first step. Nominees then fill out an online application, and this is where many strong projects fall short. According to Society for Science, the application:
- has no fee
- includes essay questions about the science fair project
- includes essay questions about understanding science and engineering in everyday life
- devotes a significant portion to STEM topics beyond the project itself
That last point matters. The JIC is not only judging the fair project. It is looking for students who think like scientists and engineers in general and can explain that thinking in writing.
How to write strong application answers
- Explain your own role. Say clearly what you designed, built, measured and decided. If an adult or teammate helped, say how.
- Be specific about the method. Name your control, your variables, how many trials you ran and why.
- Discuss what went wrong. A short account of a failed trial and how you fixed it shows maturity.
- Connect science to daily life. Practice noticing the science and engineering around you: why a bridge is shaped the way it is, how a vaccine is tested, how a phone knows where it is. These are the habits the everyday-science questions reward.
- Write it yourself. Judges compare the writing with the project. An adult voice stands out.
What finalists do in Washington, D.C.
The 30 finalists travel to Washington, D.C. for Finals Week in October. The Society covers travel for the finalist and one parent or guardian, so the trip costs families nothing.
Finalists are judged on two things:
A panel of scientists, engineers and educators chooses the winners. The team challenges mean a finalist cannot rely on the project alone. Students who are comfortable working with strangers, sharing ideas and building on someone else's suggestion tend to stand out.
Awards
At every stage there is recognition, and the top prizes are large for middle schoolers.
Nominees: recognition as a top 10% project and eligibility to apply.
Entrants: a T-shirt, bumper sticker and other prizes, plus membership in the Society's alumni network.
Top 300: $125, an award ribbon and a one-year subscription to Science News Explores. Their teachers also receive a tote bag and a subscription.
Finalists: $500 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Each finalist's school receives $1,000 for STEM activities. Finalists are eligible for:
| Award | Amount |
|---|---|
| Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award (top award) | $25,000 |
| Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award | $10,000 |
| Citadel and Citadel Securities Innovation Award | $10,000 |
| DoW STEM Talent Award | $10,000 |
| The Lemelson Foundation Award for Invention | $10,000 |
| STEM category awards (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) | $3,500 first place, $2,500 second place, plus an iPad each |
| Team Award | Science supply gift card for each team member |
In 2026, the top award went to a 15-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a low-cost device that collects airborne bacteria using a small fan and filter paper, designed as a way for communities with limited resources to monitor health threats. Finalists collectively received more than $100,000.
How to prepare, by grade
6th grade: learn the method
Enter the school fair with a simple, well-controlled experiment. Focus on one variable, a control and repeated trials. Keep a dated logbook. The goal is to learn the process and get comfortable talking to judges. Our Middle School Science Fair Guide walks through each step.
7th grade: raise the question
Pick a question that matters to someone outside your classroom: a local water problem, a health question, an engineering fix. Read more background, use better measurements, and analyze results with averages and graphs. Confirm your fair is Society-affiliated, and aim for the top 10%.
8th grade: go for nomination
By 8th grade a student can run a more ambitious study, sometimes with expert help. Plan early, check whether your project needs approval before you start (under ISEF-network rules, projects with human participants, vertebrate animals or potentially hazardous biological agents need approval before experimentation, so ask your fair which rules it follows), and leave time to practice the interview. If nominated, start the application early and draft the essays in your own words.
What the strongest projects tend to share
Society for Science does not publish a JIC scoring rubric, but the rubric the Society uses at Regeneron ISEF, its high school competition, is a useful guide to what research judges value: a clear research question, a well-designed method with controls, careful data collection and analysis, creativity and potential impact, and a presentation in which the interview counts for more than the poster. How ISEF Is Judged breaks that rubric down.
After the JIC: the path into high school
The JIC is the end of the middle school track, but the skills carry straight into high school, where Regeneron ISEF, run by Society for Science, and the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) are two of the major research competitions. Students who arrive in 9th grade with a full research cycle behind them can take on harder questions sooner, and some go on to publish. See How to Win Science Fairs and Research Programs for Middle School Students for next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Broadcom MASTERS still running?
Yes, under a new name. Since 2023 it has been the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, run by Society for Science for students in grades 6 to 8.
How do you qualify for Broadcom MASTERS or the JIC?
Compete at a science fair affiliated with Society for Science and place in the top 10% of 6th to 8th grade competitors. The fair nominates eligible students, who then complete a free online application.
Can my child apply directly?
No. Students must be nominated through a Society-affiliated fair. A school whose fair is not affiliated can affiliate it.
How much does it cost to apply?
Nothing. There is no application fee, and travel to Finals Week is covered for the finalist and one parent or guardian.
What is the top prize?
The Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award, worth $25,000. Four other awards are worth $10,000 each, and finalists receive $500.
Can team projects compete?
Yes. Teams of up to three may enter, each member applies individually, and only one member of a team can advance to the Top 300 or finalist stage.
Can international students compete?
The JIC is for students at Society-affiliated fairs in the United States and U.S. territories.
How the YRI Fellowship helps students build a winning project
National competitions reward students who can show rigorous, original work and explain every decision in it. That is exactly what the YRI Fellowship builds. YRI accepts curious students from middle school up, with no research experience needed. Over 10 weeks, a student works one-on-one with a PhD mentor every week to sharpen the question, design a sound method, analyze the data and write it up as a full research paper, with ISEF and JSHS preparation built in. An editing team reviews every draft, and a publishing team works to get the paper into IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venues, with free help until it is published.
73% of Fellows place at science competitions, and 87% publish. See what Fellows have achieved in student stories and on the Published Work page. The Fellowship is $2,997, or 3 payments of $999, with scholarships considered case by case. Decisions come within 48 hours. Apply to the YRI Fellowship.
Sources
- Society for Science: Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (2026 timeline, entrants)
- Society for Science: Thermo Fisher JIC eligibility and important information (nomination, application, teams, awards, travel)
- Society for Science: Broadcom MASTERS (history since 2010, rename beginning 2023)
- Society for Science: Thermo Fisher Scientific and Society for Science launch Junior Innovators Challenge (Nov 3, 2022)
- Society for Science: 2026 Thermo Fisher JIC top awards (Oct 27, 2026)
- Society for Science: Find a Fair
- Society for Science: Regeneron ISEF Grand Award judging criteria
- YRI: Research Fellowship
