Montana State University Selected as 1 of 7 Winners for NSF’s First-Ever 2026 Idea Machine Prize
The NSF 2026 Idea Machine encouraged individuals from all walks of life, age 14 or older, to submit pressing “grand challenges” requiring fundamental research in science, engineering, or STEM education in order to inform NSF’s long-term planning. Approximately 800 entries were received from nearly every state in the U.S. and from established researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, teachers on behalf of their classes, and high school and middle school students. The submitted entries went through five selection stages, including a public comment phase. A blue-ribbon panel of 12 eminent, broad thinkers recommended seven ideas for the final prizes that were found to be exciting, ambitious, creative, and highly interdisciplinary.
“This competition is an unprecedented opportunity for the public and scientific community to identify challenging questions that they would like to see the research community address. Developing and using a new mechanism like the Idea Machine ensures open exploration at the frontiers of science and engineering, encourages outside the box thinking, crosses boundaries in innovative ways and promises to fill recognized gaps in our knowledge.”
Each team winning a grand prize will receive $26,000. Teams winning a meritorious prize will receive $10,000. Later this year, NSF will invite proposals for workshops and Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGERs) to engage the research community in further development of the research themes identified through the NSF 2026 Idea Machine.