No, there is no cost to enter the competition!

Teams of 1-3 students from anywhere in the world may participate! All participating students must be 15 – 18 years old by the end of July, 2020, the month of the final competition. Students enrolled in university, older than 18 years, or who graduated high school (or the local equivalent) are not eligible to participate. An individual may not participate as a member of more than one team.

Yes! Past participants are encouraged to take on this year’s new challenge, provided they are eligible (see “Who is eligible to participate?” above). However, past participants may not reuse their projects from previous years.

Each team must designate a Team Leader, who can be any adult (19 years or older) willing to supervise the participation of the students (ex: parent, teacher, club advisor, etc.). Team Members may not serve as a Team Leader. One person may serve as Team Leader to multiple student teams.

The basic responsibilities of a Team Leader are to supervise participation of the students, serve as the main contact for the team, and handle or oversee any monetary aspects. However, Team Leaders are encouraged to be more involved in supporting and guiding the team, as long as they are helping to facilitate the students’ own work.

You have until March 13, 2020 4:00pm EST to alter your registration. After this date all entries all final. Prior to this deadline you can edit all areas of the registration (team member names, check payable information, etc.)

Registration Opens – October 15, 2019 @ 12pm EST

Registration Closes – April 10, 2020 @ 4pm EST

Papers Due – April 12, 2020 @ 12pm EST

Semi-finalists Announced – April 27, 2020

Finalist Announcement – May 4, 2020

Finals Event – July 2, 2020: Washington, D.C.!

The Clean Tech Competition is a special project of the Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL). We are a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission of encouraging science learning and literacy. Our approach to science education is multi-faceted, but student inquiry and project-based learning is the foundation for all program development. Visit our website at www.cstl.org for more information.

All payments are distributed as checks in US dollars. All checks will be issued and mailed according to the information listed in the team’s registration.

IMPORTANT: After the registration deadline, no alterations may be made to your team’s check payable or mailing information. When completing registration, keep in mind that all prize money (semi-finalist checks, finalist checks) will be distributed after the Final. Please think ahead and plan accordingly.

Consider the following: Will the recipient/payee be able to access the check at the address it will be sent to in July/August 2020? Will the recipient/payee be available to the team in July/August 2020?

The Center for Science Teaching & Learning, or CSTL, is the nonprofit organization that has put on the Clean Tech Competition since its inception in 2012. Located on Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre, New York (USA), CSTL hosts field trips, has the only STEM-based Pre-K in New York, does professional development for teachers and MANY other programs! Check out CSTL’s website for more information about all CSTL has to offer.

Had an x-ray before? Chances are you had an interaction with a Spellman product. Spellman High Voltage Electronics Corporation is the world’s leading high voltage power supply, X-Ray generator and Monoblock® X-Ray source manufacturer. Besides that, they are a firm believer in innovation and proud supporter of the Clean Tech Competition!

Yes past winners can certainly compete again! However, if they placed in the top three, they are unable to compete for those top prizes again. They may be invited to compete as a finalist, but they can only win as high as 4th place. 

The official language of the competition is English. Papers must be submitted in English, and at least one member of the team must be able to give a finalist presentation in English.

The team’s entry must be an original work created by the team members, and the team must have all necessary rights to submit the entry.  The entry may be an improvement on existing design; however, it must contain substantial new, original elements and only these original elements will be considered when being judged. Any existing ideas/designs must be clearly denoted.  All team members are responsible for contributing work towards the creation and/or completion of the entry.

Yes, the paper submission must be 5-15 pages in length, not including title page or reference page(s).

Papers will be submitted through the website. Please remember to submit PDF versions only! Please remember you can only upload a paper/file ONCE so ensure it’s EXACTLY how you want it before you hit “upload”.

Each Finalist Team will be granted a $200 (USD) stipend to use in the creation of their prototype. Teams may not spend more than this allotted amount. This money may be used to purchase materials necessary for the development of the prototype, as well as for presentation materials if desired. Teams are responsible for maintaining itemized receipts of all purchases, and must be able to produce these records if requested.

The location of the Finalist event will be announced closer to the date of the Competition. Check back for updates at a later time!