Sigma Xi Presents Student Awards at 2026 Regeneron ISEF Research Competition

May 29, 2026

ISEF26_edited_photoOn May 14, 2026, thousands of high school STEM students gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, for the 76th Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The students were top winners at local, regional, state, or national science fairs affiliated with Society for Science. The 2026 event featured over 1,700 young scientists representing more than 60 countries. More than $7 million was awarded in the form of cash awards and scholarships.

Sigma Xi continued its support for these students as a Special Awards Organization during the 2026 event, by judging team projects in behavioral, life, and physical sciences. The judges evaluated hundreds of team projects, awarding the best demonstrations of team science, reflecting Sigma Xi's culture of fostering collaboration among researchers from multiple disciplines.

Congratulations to the following 2026 award winners:

Behavioral and Social Science First Award of $1,200
BEHA036T — C-MAP Braille, a Confusion Mapping Adaptive System for Accelerated Braille Literacy

  • Gauri Yadav Yadav, Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj School, Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya Science and Engineering Fair, Kenya

  • Rehan Sajid Chaudhary, Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj School, Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya Science and Engineering Fair, Kenya

  • Tiya Harji Bhudia, Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj School, Nairobi, Kenya Science and Engineering Fair, Kenya

Life Science First Award of $1,200

ENEV052T — SUSTAINPOLY: Fermentation-Engineered Hydrogel-Based Biopolymers for Agro-Industrial Waste Upcycling and Sustainable Agriculture

  • Davi Oliveira Silva, EEMTI Marconi Coelho Reis, Cascavel, Ceara, FEBRACE – Feira Brasileira de Ciencias e Engenharia, Brazil

  • Joao Pedro Monteiro Silva, EEMTI Marconi Coelho Reis, Cascavel, Ceara, FEBRACE – Feira Brasileira de Ciencias e Engenharia, Brazil

  • Jordana Silva Mendonca, EEMTI Marconi Coelho Reis, Cascavel, Ceara, FEBRACE – Feira Brasileira de Ciencias e Engenharia, Brazil

Physical Science First Award of $1,200
ENBM026T — POCKET: A Multiplexing Point-of-Care Kinetic Electrochemical Test Using Aptamers for Accessible, Rapid Diagnostics

  • Jiya Joshi, William B. Travis High School, Richmond, TX, Science Engineering Fair of Houston, United States of America

  • Sai Spoorthi Maram, William B. Travis High School, Richmond, TX, Science Engineering Fair of Houston, United States of America


More About Sigma Xi: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society is the world’s largest multidisciplinary honor society for scientists and engineers. Its mission is to enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition. Sigma Xi chapters can be found at colleges and universities, government laboratories, and industry research centers around the world. More than 200 Nobel Prize winners have been members. The Society is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. www.sigmaxi.org. On Twitter: @SigmaXiSociety. 

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