Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams: A Complete Guide

For more than 20 years, the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams program has supported high school students across the U.S. in developing technology-based solutions to real-world problems. Since the program began, more than 300 teams have received funding, and 19 teams have earned U.S. patents for their inventions.

This guide covers how the InvenTeams program works, who’s eligible, and how funding is awarded. It also explains what past teams did to succeed, from choosing a problem to building and testing a prototype.

• What Is Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams?
• Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Awards and Recognition
• How to Qualify for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
• How to Apply for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
• How to Get Selected for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
• Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Previous Winners
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams?

Founded in 2003, the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams® Grant Initiative is a year-long program for high school students who want to create technology-based solutions to problems in their communities. Teams include students, educators, and mentors, and each selected team receives up to $7,500 to support the design and development of their invention.

Unlike typical science fairs, students choose their own problems and develop original solutions with guidance from educators and technical experts. The program concludes with EurekaFest, an annual event held every June on MIT’s campus, where teams present their finished projects and explain how their inventions work in real-world settings.

Last October, eight high school teams from across the U.S. were selected for the 2025–2026 InvenTeams grant year. The next application cycle will open on February 11, which is National Inventors’ Day. For the most up-to-date deadlines and application details, we recommend checking the official Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams website regularly.

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Awards and Recognition

The main award in InvenTeams is a $7,500 grant given to each selected team to cover the cost of building and testing their invention. Teams receive the grant for the entire school year, along with ongoing support from educators, engineers, and technical mentors.

After teams present their inventions at EurekaFest, additional awards are announced to recognize achievements across different areas throughout the year. Common categories include:

• Excellence in Accessibility
• Excellence in Communications
• Excellence in Community Engagement
• Excellence in Finance
• Excellence in Sustainability
• Annual Golden Beaver Recipient for Excellence in Technology

Some InvenTeams inventions receive recognition outside the program. In 2023, a team from Calistoga Junior/Senior High School in California developed a cooling system for firefighters and agricultural workers. After presenting at EurekaFest, the students filed a patent, presented at the California State Capitol, and were named finalists in the Student SXSW Innovation Awards.

How to Qualify for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams

There’s no size requirement for InvenTeams, so schools can decide how many students are on each team. Below is a quick overview of who can participate and how teams are typically set up.

Eligibility

InvenTeams applications are submitted by educators, not by individual students. To be eligible:

• Teams must be made up of high school students.
• Teams must be led by a STEM educator who works at a high school or a non-profit educational organization.
• Schools or educators that previously received an InvenTeams grant must wait three grant cycles before applying again.

Again, there’s no strict limit on how many students can be on a team. An InvenTeam can be a small extracurricular group or an entire class. However, the program recommends 10–15 students as the ideal team size, as fewer than five students or more than 20 students can be challenging to manage.

Required documents

The InvenTeams application process has two steps, and schools and educators must prepare materials for each stage. The initial application is available online and must be submitted by all teams. It requires the following:

• Educator and high school information form
• Invention idea project proposal
• Educator’s invention interest statement
• Letter of support from a school administrator
• Educator’s current resume or CV, plus resumes of supporting educators
• Special consideration statement (optional)

Only teams selected as InvenTeams finalists are invited to complete the final application. Finalists must submit the following:

• Invention project description
• Background research, including a patent search
• Project and team organization plan
• Budget for building the invention
• Community engagement plan

All finalists are required to complete a mid-grant technical review, which focuses on reporting progress and documenting their work. We’ll talk about this more in the next section.

Application fees

Good news—there’s no fee to apply for the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams program! Selected teams receive up to $7,500 in grant funding to support their invention projects.

However, you’ll still need to plan for some out-of-pocket costs. The program doesn’t cover travel expenses for EurekaFest, so teams typically need to fundraise for transportation. Lemelson-MIT does cover room and board for up to eight team members (six students and two chaperones) during the event.

Application deadlines

As of now, the exact deadlines for the 2026–2027 InvenTeams grant year haven’t been announced. But based on past years, the application cycle usually follows this timeline:

• February 11 (National Inventors’ Day): Application opens
• Mid–late April: Initial application deadline
• Early May: Finalists invited to submit the final application
• Early September: Final application due
• Late September: Winners announced

Dates can change slightly from year to year, so we recommend regularly checking the official website for the latest announcements and confirmed deadlines.

How to Apply for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams

Unlike other engineering and robotics competitions, students can’t apply to InvenTeams on their own. An educator at your school must apply and guide your team through the program. Here’s how to get started:

1. Understand how the program works.

Before applying, it helps to understand how the InvenTeams program is structured and what the year-long process looks like. Teams follow a set invention cycle that runs from October through June, moving from early research to designing, building, and testing a working prototype.

While every project is different, most teams go through three main phases:

• Concept phase. Teams research user needs, review existing products and patents, and brainstorm possible solutions.
• Design phase. Teams evaluate different ideas, choose the best solution, and create detailed designs using tools such as 3D CAD software.
• Build phase. Teams construct, test, and refine prototypes, including early “alpha” versions and field testing.

Throughout the year, teams use a private online portal to access resources, manage grant funds, and submit required reports. Lemelson-MIT staff also visit each team at their school during the grant cycle to provide guidance and monitor progress.

2. Work with an educator to form a team.

To participate in InvenTeams, your team must work with a lead educator. This person is responsible for applying for the grant, recruiting students, monitoring project funds, and supporting the team throughout the year. Teams are encouraged to work with two or three educators when possible, but one must be designated as the lead.

In the program, the educator acts more like a coach or project director than a traditional classroom teacher. They help guide the process, keep the project on track, and connect students with resources, while students take the lead on research, design, and building the invention.

Once your educator is on board, you can begin forming a team. Look for students with different strengths, such as engineering, programming, design, research, and presentation. This way, your team can cover the technical, research, and communication tasks involved in the project.

3. Identify a community problem.

Unlike many top academic competitions with preset challenges, InvenTeams start by finding a problem in your own community. This could involve health and safety issues, environmental concerns, accessibility barriers, or other challenges people face every day.

A strong problem is usually identified by talking with potential users, observing how the issue affects them, and researching existing solutions. Here are a few examples from recent InvenTeams:

• Students at Nitro High School (Nitro, West Virginia) designed a device to improve safety for electrical linemen performing dangerous repair work.
• Students from Edison High School (Edison, New Jersey) developed a sustainable technology to reduce pollution in the Raritan River.
• Students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (Cambridge, Massachusetts) created a two-way communication and real-time tracking system to reduce boat collisions and improve traffic flow for rowers.
• Students from Ygnacio Valley High School (Concord, California) developed an invention to help people with limited hand mobility regain independence in daily tasks.

These examples show that successful InvenTeams inventions often begin with simple questions: What problem do people here face? and How could technology help solve it?

4. Submit the initial application.

Once your team and educator are ready, the educator submits the initial application. Since it’s only the initial stage, only a small number of students may be involved, but student input is encouraged.

Initial applications are evaluated based on how clearly the project is planned, how the team will be organized, and whether the invention has potential for community partnerships or collaboration. Strong applications show that students are actively contributing and that the educator can support a self-directed, hands-on project that will run for the whole school year.

5. Complete the final application.

If your team is selected as a finalist, you’ll be invited to submit the final application. This stage is more detailed than the initial application because it focuses entirely on the invention and requires student participation.

While completing the final application, teams should also plan ahead for what the grant year will require. Teams are expected to document their progress, share updates publicly, and complete two major milestones:

• Mid-Grant Technical Review (February). Teams host an open house to demonstrate technical progress and gather feedback from mentors, technical experts, users, and community stakeholders.
• Final Summary Presentation and Report (June). At EurekaFest, teams present a working prototype and deliver a summary of their project, including their motivation, technical design, team process, and next steps.

Grant recipients are announced in late September and receive their funding shortly after to begin working on their invention.

How to Get Selected for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams

InvenTeams grants are competitive, and only a limited number of teams are selected each year. The tips below focus on what successful applications tend to have in common.

1. Understand the judging criteria.

Before applying, it helps to know what reviewers are actually looking for at each stage.

The process begins with the initial application, where reviewers assess whether the educator and school can realistically support a year-long invention project. This includes the educator’s experience, how organized the plan is, and whether the school has the basic resources to carry it out. Up to 35 educators are selected as finalists at this stage.

In the final stage, reviewers evaluate how original the solution is, whether it’s feasible to build, and how clearly it addresses a real-world problem.

Applications are reviewed by a panel that includes MIT faculty and staff, inventors, researchers, high school educators, and former InvenTeams students. The panel also aims to select teams from a range of school types, communities, and project areas.

2. Develop a realistic proposal.

While it’s exciting to propose ambitious solutions, successful InvenTeams focus on inventions that can realistically be built within the program’s timeline and budget. Remember, the invention cycle runs from October through June, and each team receives $7,500 to cover materials, tools, and prototyping costs.

When planning your invention, think about what your team can build and test within about nine months using the resources available at your school. A strong proposal should clearly explain:

• The problem: what it is, who it affects, and how you identified it.
• Existing technologies: similar solutions already on the market and any related patents.
• Your proposed solution: how your invention works and why it’s different or better
• Technical feasibility: where the invention will be used and whether it can realistically be built and tested

A proposal that addresses these points shows reviewers that your idea is both meaningful and achievable within the program.

3. Build strong community partnerships.

InvenTeams applications are stronger when teams show they’re working with people and organizations who understand the problem they want to solve. Mentors, community groups, and industry professionals can provide technical guidance, real-world insight, and help with testing or materials.

For example, a team from Berlin High School in Connecticut partnered with Paul Fucile, a senior engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, to develop an invention addressing White-Nose Syndrome, a disease affecting bat populations.

Many successful teams build similar partnerships with hospitals, environmental organizations, local governments, or community groups to improve both their application and their final invention.

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Previous Winners

For the 2025–2026 grant year, eight high school teams from across the U.S. were selected as InvenTeams. Each team received $7,500 in funding along with a year-long mentorship and technical support to develop their invention.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are the funds used?

InvenTeams grant money can be used for research, materials, supplies, and learning activities needed to build and test the invention. However, the funds can’t be used to purchase major equipment or pay for professional services such as patent lawyers or engineering consultants.

2. How can teams get outside support?

Teams are encouraged to work with professionals and organizations in their community, such as engineers, researchers, or local groups, who can offer advice and technical help. The Lemelson-MIT Program also helps connect teams with mentors, including MIT alumni, and provides resources through the InvenTeams website.

3. Is Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams a competition?

No. Once teams are selected, InvenTeams is no longer a competition. The program is designed to be collaborative, with teams sharing ideas, learning from each other, and discussing their prototypes with fellow students and experienced inventors at EurekaFest.

Takeaways

• Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is a year-long program that funds high school teams to design and build technological solutions to community problems.
• Initial applications must be submitted by a STEM educator, and selected teams are then invited to submit a final application.
• Only a few teams are selected each year, and applications are judged on whether the school can support the project and how inventive and realistic the proposed solution is.
• Selected teams receive $7,500 and complete required milestones, including a mid-grant technical review and presenting a working prototype at EurekaFest on MIT’s campus.
• Need help preparing for InvenTeams or strengthening your college application? Work with an admissions expert to help you present your work clearly and effectively.