CWSF Awards
At Canada-Wide Science Fair, there are different types of award categories that a project could be eligible for.
Special
Special Awards are awarded by industry, academic institutions, and other organizations that recognize outstanding projects in specific areas of achievement or potential.
Challenge
The Youth Science Canada Challenges target issues that are important to Canada’s youth, the future of our country and the world. They reflect the trend in Canadian science, technology and innovation to focus on multi and interdisciplinary global, national and provincial issues. The Challenge Awards recognize the top projects in each of the eight Youth Science Canada Challenges in each grade category.
The eight challenges are:
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Curiosity and Ingenuity
- Digital Technology
- Disease and Illness
- Energy
- Environment and Climate Change
- Health and Wellness
- Natural Resources
Excellence
Excellence Awards recognize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) excellence. The judging is a relative process, with medals awarded based on the ranking of consensus scores for all projects within a grade category. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to the top projects in each of the age categories (Junior, Intermediate, and Senior).
Grand
There are a few different Grand Awards which are awarded each year:
- Sanofi International BioGENEius Challenge Award is given to the best intermediate or senior project related to biotechnology or life sciences.
- Youth Can Innovate Awards recognize exceptionally innovative and original science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects that demonstrate a practical application in advancing the economic, medical, social or environmental well-being of society.
- Platinum Awards are given to the best Discovery and the best Innovation projects in each of the age categories (Junior, Intermediate, and Senior).
- Best Project Awards are given to the best project in each of Discovery and Innovation.
International
Winners of the Sanofi International BioGENEius Challenge Award will represent Canada at the International BioGENEius Challenge, held at the prestigious BIO International Convention in June, the largest biotechnology event in the world.
Winners of Best Project Awards will represent Canada at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS).
Scholarship
Various of Canada’s best universities award entrance scholarships to award winners at Canada-Wide Science Fair.