August 28, 2009

Sigma Xi Named Science Advisor for Conrad Innovation Awards

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC - The Conrad Foundation of San Francisco has named Sigma Xi as the official science advisor for the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards, a nationwide competition for high school students.

Sigma Xi members will provide scientific mentorship to teams competing in the annual awards program and serve as judges for both the online and finalist stages.

As the official science advisor, Sigma Xi will also award the winners of the 2010 Spirit of Innovation Awards a one-year Sigma Xi Affiliate Circle Membership in recognition of their achievement.

"The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards bring the Sigma Xi philosophy to a new generation of innovators," said Jerome F. Baker, executive director of Sigma Xi. "With the help of the Conrad Foundation, we will have the opportunity to support young scientists and connect them with the people and the resources they will need for success."

The upcoming 2009-2010 competition will focus on projects in aerospace, nutrition, renewable energy and green buildings. High school teams vie for more than $100,000 in prize money and opportunities to pursue the commercialization of their products.

They also participate in the annual Innovation Summit held at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Phase one competition judges review and score concept proposals for up to five teams each online during the months of December and January, providing approximately 10 hours of invaluable volunteer scientific expertise to the competition.

If you would like to volunteer, visit www.conradawards.org and click on Judges or Advisors.

About Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi is the international honor society of research scientists and engineers, with more than 500 chapters at colleges and universities, government laboratories and industry research centers. Membership is by invitation, in recognition of research potential or achievement. Over the years, more than 200 Sigma Xi members have received the Nobel Prize. In addition to publishing American Scientist magazine, the non-profit Society awards hundreds of grants annually to student researchers and sponsors a variety of programs that support science and engineering.