STEM Activities

The Iowa BioGENEius Challenge is coordinated by the Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio). Local Iowa students in grades 9 through 12 can compete in the Iowa BioGENEius Challenge, which is held in conjunction with the annual State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa (SSTFI) in Ames.

The winner of the Iowa BioGENEius Challenge receives travel and accommodations to compete against other regional winners at the International BioGENEius Challenge. They will also receive an IowaBio SSTFI College Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 if the student attends college in the state of Iowa and $1,000 if they attend college out of state.  The 2021 International BioGENEius Challenge takes place June 14-17 (virtual or live TBD).

For more information, please visit www.iowabio.org/biogeneius.

The State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa (SSTFI) is open to any student (grades 6-12) residing in or attending school (public, private, parochial and home school) in the state of Iowa.  At this time there is no qualifier fair (local, conference, district or regional) required for participation!  The mission of the SSTFI is to promote the importance of science and scientific investigation among young people and to encourage them to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Through participation in the SSTFI, students develop curiostiy and deepen their skills of scientific inquiry, problem solving and communication. For more information about SSTFI, please click here.

SSTFI is an Intel ISEF-affiliated science fair. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, annually provides a forum for more than 1,500 high school students from over 40 countries to showcase their independent research. The ISEF is the premiere science competition in the world exclusively for students in grades 9–12.

Each year, Iowa Biotech Association awards five scholarships to students for exhibiting the best use of biotechnology.  Awardees attending an in-state institution of higher learning are awarded a $2,000 scholarship while those attending an out-of-state institution are awarded a $1,000 scholarship.  Since 2000, IowaBio has given over 100 scholarships to Iowa students who presented at SSTFI.

Scholarship Winners: Please click here to request your scholarship funds

The Central Campus Scholarship Program awards a $500 scholarship to each student who takes the Central Campus College Biotechnology course and meets the necessary criteria

This program was established in 2013 between IowaBio and Kacia Cain, Central Campus' Anatomy & Physiology and Biotechnology teacher.  Ms. Cain displays a constant desire to help students achieve academic success and develop a path toward higher education.  She has received several awards for her work, including Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year for the state of Iowa in 2011 and the Excellence in Science Teaching Award, presented to six Iowa educators in 2013.  We are excited to partner with Ms. Cain in this scholarship program and hope it encourages today's youth to consider furthering their education in a science or agriculture field in the state of Iowa.

Qualifying Students: Please click here for information on how to receive your scholarship

The STEM Voice™ Video Competition is nation-wide opportunity for kids in grades 5-12 to artistically explore the importance of STEM. The competition is managed by the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes, CSBI. The STEM Voice™ competition encourages you to be creative and use video to show how much you love STEM. Act it out, create an animation, sing it but, make sure it is appropriate for all ages.

Eligibility:

• Must be in grades 5-12 and under 18 years of age
• Middle School contest is students in grades 5-8; High School contest is for students in grades 9-12
• Entries accepted in both individual and group categories
• Resident of United States or their territories
• Cannot be related to employees of STEM Voice™ Video Competition

The STEM Voice™ Video Competition will not be taking place in 2019.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

In September 2011, IowaBio was honored to be appointed to the Governor's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advisory Council.  Created by Executive Order 74, the STEM Advisory Council is led by Executive Director Jeff Weld from the University of Northern Iowa. Created with the goal of increasing STEM interest and achievement, the STEM Council is a collaboration of bipartisan Iowa legislators, educators, business, nonprofits, students and families focused on improving STEM opportunities and awareness in Iowa.