Intel Science and Engineering Fair Will Come to Detroit in May

1 March 2000

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Will Come to Detroit in May; $2 Million in Grants and Scholarships to be Awarded

    DETROIT--March 1, 2000--The first International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) of the new millennium will be held in Detroit, May 7 through 12 at Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center.
    Intel ISEF is the Olympics of science competitions. Held annually in May, ISEF brings together more than 1,500 of the world's brightest students to compete for more than $2 million in scholarships, tuition grants, scientific equipment and educational trips. The grand prize is a trip to the Nobel Prize Ceremonies in Stockholm, Sweden.
    "ISEF 2000 truly has been a community-supported program," said Tim Fino, general chair of the Detroit-based ISEF 2000 Host Committee. "Planning for the event began in 1987. Supported by major contributions from DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors and Meritor, we successfully bid for the right to bring this event to Detroit. It was submitted to ISEF in the fall of 1991."
    Between two and three million students will complete science research projects at nearly 500 affiliated fairs in more than 45 countries and all 50 states for the prestige of competing at ISEF 2000. An estimated 5,000 educators, sponsors, fair organizers and volunteers along with students, their families and media from around the world are expected to attend the Detroit event.
    More than 1,700 highly qualified representatives of business, industry, the sciences and academia will judge the competition, which will be attended by a group of Nobel prize winning scientists.
    Intel Corporation is the international title sponsor of Intel ISEF, which is a Science Service program. Local Detroit-area hosts for ISEF 2000 include the Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit and the Engineering and Science Development Foundation's FutureLINK campaign.
    Awards and recognition will come from more than 100 scientific associations, major scientific and technical corporations, governmental agencies and universities. Major award sponsors include Intel, AARP Andrus Foundation, Discover Magazine, the Environmental Protection Agency, Merck Research Laboratories, MCEC/Panasonic, the Nasdaq Stock Market, Scientific American and Science News.
    Scholarship awards of $3,000, $1,500, $1,000 and $500, respectively, will be offered in each of 15 categories. Additional awards worth more than $1.5 million include tuition scholarships, summer internships, scientific field trips and laboratory equipment provided by Intel, Science Service and nearly 70 other corporate, professional and government sponsors. Two top "pinnacle" award winners will receive all-expense-paid trips to attend the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.
    ISEF 2000 will open free-of-charge for public viewing on Thursday and Friday, May 11 - 12. Nearly 50,000 school children and adults are expected to attend the final two days of the program.
    Companies and organizations that provide Intel ISEF awards include: ACM, Acoustical Society of America, American Association for Clinical Chemistry, American Astronautical Society, American Chemical Society, American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, American Mathematical Society, Exxon-Mobil Corporation, Eastman Kodak Company, United Technologies, US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force, as well as many other companies, organizations and professional societies.
    Countries participating in last year's Intel ISEF in Philadelphia, PA, included Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Union, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela.
    ISEF is held in a different city each May. Host cities enjoy the pride of hosting an international event and, in the process, generate close to $8 million for their local state economies. The Host City Committee is responsible for securing facilities, recruiting judges, promoting volunteerism, arranging tour and raising funds in support of the program. Local support for ISEF 2000 has been provided through the efforts of the Engineering and Science Development Foundation and major corporations, foundations and private donors throughout the State of Michigan.
    Special awards sponsorship is open to scientific, mathematical and engineering societies; agencies of the Federal government; colleges and universities, and corporations. Colleges and universities also provide tuition scholarships to ISEF finalists.
    Additional information on ISEF 2000 is available on the Internet at www.isef2000.org or www.sciserv.org.