About the Young Inventors’ Award
Established in 1986 under the guidance of Nobel Laureate in Physics, Professor Yang Chen-Ning, the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award has consistently recognized and celebrated young inventors for their originality and practicality in their inventions. The award encourages students to nurture their curiosity and apply scientific principles to create innovative solutions.
Jointly organized by the Tan Kah Kee Foundation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), and DSO National Laboratories, the Young Inventors’ Award also garners support from the Singapore Science Centre.
关于比赛
陈嘉庚青年发明家奖（Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award）于1986年在诺贝尔物理学奖获得者杨振宁教授的建议下成立，该奖项自设立以来，一直致力于表彰具有原创性和实用性的青少年发明家。鼓励年轻学生保持好奇心，运用科学原理创造创新的发明解决方案。
该奖项由陈嘉庚基金会、科学技术研究局（ASTAR）、国防科学技术局（DSTA）和DSO国家实验室联合举办，并得到新加坡科学中心的支持。
Professor Yang Chen-Ning, one of the award’s founders, emphasizes the importance of encouraging students and youths to innovate and create new things rather than solely focusing on exam results. This award values not only the originality and practicality of the invention, but also inspires students to use their imagination and innovative spirit.
An exemplary instance involves two students from Raffles Girls’ School who designed the “Freeway Pants.” These pants, tailored specifically for the elderly, provide an easier way of wearing them, eliminating the need to bend or lift their legs.
Not only does this invention reduce the risk of elderly people falling, but it also eases the burden of caregivers and nursing staff. The ingenious concept earned these secondary school students the Distinction Award in the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award.
作为陈嘉庚青年发明奖创始人之一的杨振宁教授，他提倡鼓励学生和青年人多思考，从事新事物的发明和创造，而不仅仅关注考试成绩。这个奖项不仅重视发明的原创性和实用性，而且还鼓励学生们发挥想象力和创新精神。
例如，曾有两名来自莱佛士女子中学的学生发明了一款名为Freeway Pants的裤子，这款专为老年人设计的裤子，给老年人提供了更便捷的穿裤方式，他们无需弯腰或抬腿。
这项发明不仅减少了年长者摔倒的风险，还减轻了护理人员和照顾者的负担。这款奇思妙想的裤子使这两名中学生获得了陈嘉庚青年发明奖中学组的优异奖。
Encouraging Innovation Across Fields
The Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award encourages creativity and innovation in a variety of fields. While there are no specific subject limitations, here are some popular and recognized categories:
- Science and Engineering: Including foundational science disciplines like physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, and engineering fields such as mechanical, electronic, computer science, and materials engineering.
- Information Technology and Communication: Including software development, network security, data processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
- Environment and Sustainability: Including environmental protection, energy conservation, clean energy, and waste recycling.
- Medical and Health: Including medical devices, biotechnology, drug development, and health monitoring.
- Everyday items: Practical inventions that improve daily life, including handy household items and home improvements.
- Education Tools: Creative teaching methods, educational toys, and learning tools primarily targeted at younger students.
These categories cover a wide range, from fundamental scientific research to improvements in daily life, with the aim of encouraging young people to innovate and invent in all possible fields.
Notably, the judging criteria for this award are highly stringent—so much so that, in the nine years since its inception, the top prize has gone unclaimed eight times. This demonstrates the extremely high standards the award sets for the originality, practicality, and innovation of inventions.
在各个领域鼓励创新
新加坡陈嘉庚青年发明家奖鼓励在多个领域的创新和发明。虽然没有特定的领域限制，但以下是一些常见且受到认可的领域：
科学与工程：包括物理、化学、生物、数学等基础科学领域，以及机械、电子、计算机、材料等工程领域。
信息技术与通信：涉及软件开发、网络安全、数据处理、人工智能、机器学习等。
环境与可持续发展：关注环境保护、节能减排、清洁能源、废物回收等。
医疗与健康：包括医疗设备、生物技术、药物开发、健康监测等方面的创新。
日常生活用品：改善日常生活的实用发明，如便捷的生活用品、家居改进等。
教育工具：创新的教学方法、教育玩具、学习工具等。
这些领域涵盖了从基础科学研究到日常生活改善的广泛范围，目的是鼓励年轻人在各个可能的领域内进行创新和发明。
值得一提的是，该奖项的评选标准非常严格，以至于在设立的九年间，一等奖曾八次出现空缺。这表明该奖项对发明的原创性、实用性和创新性有极高的要求。
\ Prizes
Gold Award
- $10K (For Public group), $7.5K (High school category), $5K (Student category), $2.5K (Middle school category)
- Recognized for outstanding creativity. The product or process has reached a mature stage and is ready for commercialization.
Silver Award
- $5K (For Public group), $3K (High school category), $2K (Student category), $1K (Middle school category)
- Demonstrates exceptional novelty. Practical application of scientific principles. The product is highly developed and in a usable state.
Merit Award
- $3K (For Public group), $750 (High school category), $500 (Student category), $250 (Middle school category)
- Shows high novelty. Practical application of scientific principles, with good development potential, capable of becoming a practical product.
Commendation Award
- $1K (For Public group), $300 (High school category), $200 (Student category), $100 (Middle school category)
- Recognizes efforts and ingenuity in prototype development and construction.
Encouragement Award
- Book voucher rewards: $50 (Student), $100 (Middle school student)
- Acknowledges good ideas inspired by existing products, aimed primarily at younger students.
Judges’ Award
- Special awards recommended by the judges based on additional criteria.
- (Cash prize amount to be determined)
School Award
- The top three schools, based on the quantity and quality of entries, will receive $3K, $2K, and $1K respectively.
All winners will receive certificates, and Gold Award winners will also be awarded a medal.
往年奖项及评判标准
金奖- $10K（公开组），$7.5K（高中组），$5K（学生组），$2.5K（初中组）
- 卓越的创意。产品或流程已达到成熟阶段，准备投入商业化。
- $5K（公开组），$3K（高中组），$2K（学生组），$1K（初中组）
- 具有极高的新颖性。科学原理的实际应用。产品已达到可用设备的高度开发状态。
- $3K（公开组），$750（高中组），$500（学生组），$250（初中组）
- 具有高新颖性。科学原理的实际应用，具有良好的发展潜力，能够成为实用产品。
- $1K（公开组），$300（高中组），$200（学生组），$100（初中组）
- 展示了在原型开发和构造过程中的努力和机智。
- 书券奖励：学生（$50）；初中生（$100）
- 从已知产品中借鉴的好创意，主要针对较年轻的学生。
- 由评委根据额外标准推荐的特别奖项。
- （现金奖金额待定）
- 表现最好的三所学校（根据作品数量和质量）将分别获得$3K、$2K和$1K的奖金。
\ Categories and Eligibilities
- Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents (PRs)
- Non-Singapore citizens or non-PRs who are residing in Singapore winners will not be eligible to receive cash awards.
- For Junior Student, Student and Senior Student sections, participants must be full-time students.\
参赛类别及资格
- 新加坡公民或永久居民（PR）
- 居住在新加坡的非新加坡公民或非永久居民获奖者将没有资格获得现金奖励。
- 对于初中生、学生和高中生部分，参与者必须是全日制学生。
参赛申请流程|Timeline
Terms & Conditions
- Participants may sign up individually, as a duo or as a group of 3. Please only submit 1 application.
- For Open category, participants may sign up individually, or as a group with up to 5 members. Please only submit 1 application.
- For team participation, particulars of all members involved in the invention must be declared. Teams with undeclared members will be disqualified. Include supervisor’s contact if any.
- If patent has been filed for the invention, patent document shall be submitted upon request.
- For Entries which are patented or in progress of patenting, the contributions / shares of the team members in the patent must also be clearly stated.
- All applications must be submitted online through the application portal within the Online Application Period. Participants are required to fill up the required fields in the portal using the guidelines. Incomplete or failure to submit required documents will be disqualified.
- Participants are allowed to submit more than one invention. However, each invention must be submitted online separately.
- Participants are NOT allowed to submit the same entry to more than one section.
- Entries must be participants’ own inventions; any form of plagiarism will be rejected.
- Any materials and information submitted in your entry can be used by the organizer for publicity.
- Photos or videos taken of participants who attend the events organised by the organizer can be used by the organizer for publicity.
- Only participants whose projects are shortlisted will be invited for interview.
- Participants shall bear all costs incurred in submitting entries and invention prototypes. Participants should get their prototypes ready upon submitting their entries. However, they are only required to bring in their prototypes and present to the judging panel when they turn up for interview or as and when requested by the judging panel.
- The organisers will not be responsible for any loss of patent rights.
- The judging panel’s decision will be final.
- Winners are required to provide their prototypes for an exhibition in conjunction with the Award Presentation Ceremony.
- The foundation reserves the right to change the terms and conditions at any time of the event without prior notice.
参赛说明
- 参与者可以单独报名，也可以两人或三人一组报名。提交一份申请即可。
- 对于公开组，参与者可以单独报名，也可以最多5名成员的团体注册。提交一份申请即可。
- 对于团队参与，必须申报参与本发明的所有成员的详细信息。有未申报成员的团队将被取消资格。包括主管的联系方式（如有）。
- 若发明已申请专利，应当根据要求提交专利文件。
- 对于已获得专利或正在申请专利的参赛作品，还必须明确说明团队成员在专利中的贡献/份额。
- 所有申请必须在在线申请期内通过申请门户在线提交。参与者需要使用指南填写门户中的必填字段。不完整或未能提交所需文件将被取消资格。
- 参与者可以提交一项或多项发明。但每项发明都必须单独在线提交。
- 参与者不得将同一项发明提交多个组别。
- 参赛作品必须是参赛者自己的发明；任何形式的抄袭都将被拒绝。
- 参赛作品中提交的任何材料和信息都可以由组织者用于宣传。
- 主办方可使用参赛者的照片或视频用于宣传。
- 只有项目入围的参赛者才会被邀请参加面试。
- 参赛者应承担提交参赛作品和发明原型所产生的所有费用。参赛者应在提交参赛作品时准备好原型，在参加面试或评审团要求时，携带原型并向评审团展示。
- 主办方将不对任何专利权的损失负责。
- 评审团的决定为最终决定。
- 获奖者需在颁奖典礼期间为展览提供原型。
- 基金会保留在活动期间随时更改条款和条件的权利，恕不另行通知。
Singapore does not follow a conventional approach in talent development. Whether in government schools or international schools, there is an emphasis on holistic development, creativity, and individuality.
The Tan Kah Kee Foundation’s Youth Inventors’ Award further stimulates students’ creative thinking, encouraging them to constantly think and solve problems from new perspectives, fostering a creative approach to learning and life.
Every year, the award ceremony is a grand event held at the Singapore Science Centre, attended by ministers or senior government officials from academia or research institutions. With strong support from schools and research institutions, all winning entries are exhibited at the event.
新加坡在人才培养方面并不循规蹈矩。不管是政府学校，还是国际学校都强调全面发展，强调学生的创意和个性化。
新加坡陈嘉庚基金设立的青年发明奖更加激发了学生们的创意思维，鼓励他们不断思考，用新的视角来解决问题，培养他们用富有创造性的方式对待学习和生活。
每年，颁奖典礼都是在新加坡科学中心举行的盛大活动，来自学术界或研究机构的部长或高级政府官员出席。在学校和研究机构的大力支持下，该活动的所有获奖作品将被展出。
