These categories are:
- Agriculture (Food, Machinery, Tools), Pets, and Animal Care
- Consumer Goods and Fashion – Sponsored by Macy’s
- Earth and Geosciences – Sponsored by AGI
- Education (Technology, Systems, Tools, Hardware) – Sponsored by McGraw-Hill
- Energy (Efficiency, Environmental, Clean Technology, Generation) – Sponsored by Chevron
- Government/Public Safety – Sponsored by Washington Homeland Security Roundtable
- Health and Medical Technology – Sponsored by BD
- Home Orgahttps://www.stemie.org/2018-nicee/nicee-2018-competition-rules/nization – Sponsored by Macy’s
- Home Technology, Smart Homes, Appliances – Sponsored by Carrier
- Household Tools – Sponsored by Danaher
- Sports, Games, Entertainment, and Toys – Sponsored by Chevron
- Technology/Wearables
- Transportation/Financial Infrastructure – Sponsored by Otis
Specialty Awards (13): One winner overall will be selected for the following: - App Award
- Art / Creativity Award
- Smart Audio, Cool Cars – Sponsored by Harman International Industries
- Automation and Robotics Award
- Best Blend of Design and Engineering Award – Sponsored by IDEAZ USA
- CAD Award – Sponsored by Autodesk
- Durability Award – Sponsored by UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS)
- Electronics Award – Sponsored by Arrow Electronics
- Innovative Materials – Sponsored by 3M
- Inspiring Changemaker Award – Sponsored by littleBits
- SWENext – Inventing Her Future Award – Sponsored by Society for Women Engineers (SWE)
- Youth Achievement Award – Sponsored by Kurt Giessler Foundation
- #ISeeHerInvent Award – Sponsored by CA Technologies
Provisional Patent Award – Winner/s will be chosen in K-12 for a number of provisional patent awards. - Most Patentable – Sponsored by Cantor Colburn
Invention Process Awards (4): One winner overall will be selected for the following: - Best Pitch Award
- Best Logbook Award
- Best Poster Award
- Best Prototype Award
Global Change Awards (3) - Accessibility Award – Sponsored by 3Doodler
- Community/Societal Benefit Award – Sponsored by The Lemelson Foundation
- Jules Verne Award for Forward Thinking Inventiveness Award – Sponsored by Pratt & Whitney
Best-of-Show Awards (5): One winner overall will be selected for the following: - Staff’s Choice – Sponsored by The STEMIE Coalition / The Henry Ford
- Best Engineering – Sponsored by Maxim Integrated
- Most Visionary – Sponsored by Koch Industries
- Most Innovative – Sponsored by Stanley Black and Decker
- Most Sustainable – Sponsored by UTC
Teams
Teams will take part in the same judging processes as individuals. Rules for teams will mirror those of the individuals. Students will classify their inventions upon registration and will be judged in that category unless changed by the judges. The NICEE Staff and judges reserve the right to combine and/or reconfigure awards categories.