Special Awards

General Information

The Special Awards Program is an integral part of the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH), enabling organizations, businesses, and individuals to support STEM education by recognizing and interacting with SEFH participants in specialized areas of interest. Special Awards complement the Place Awards program by involving more professionals, scientists, and engineers, and by rewarding more students for their outstanding STEM endeavors. These awards can include cash, savings bonds, memberships, subscriptions, scientific equipment, computers, internships, and more.

SEFH emphasizes inquiry-based STEM education, culminating in a progression from individual schools and home schools, through District/School Science Fairs, to SEFH. Exceptional middle and high school students from SEFH are then sponsored to compete at the Texas State Science and Engineering Fair and the International Science & Engineering Fair.

The primary goal of the Special Awards Program is to reward students for their remarkable work and to foster peer interaction with professionals, scientists, and engineers. This interaction aims to spark student interest in STEM fields they may not have been aware of and to provide a bridge for further engagement between STEM professionals and students.

Participation in the Special Awards Program is coordinated through SEFH. Once an organization decides to participate, they provide an award(s), identify judges to interview the students, and present the award(s) at the Awards Ceremony.

Benefits for Sponsoring Organizations

  • Support science education in the Houston region.
  • Support individual STEM students in their endeavors.
  • Interact with top STEM students on a peer-to-peer level.
  • Offer advice and assistance within their areas of STEM expertise.
  • Invite students to explore the organization’s area of STEM.
  • Invite winning students to organizational events.

Through your participation in the Special Awards Program, you will be inspired by the innovative science and engineering projects these students produce and reassured that quality STEM education is thriving.

New for 2025

We have heard your feedback and have modified the SAA schedule to allow more time for judging. Here are the schedule changes:

  • SAAs may begin to check in at 10:00 AM.
  • SAA judges may check in at 10:30 AM.
  • SAA judging may begin at 11:00 AM.

Registration

Signup to be a Special Awarding Agency

Special Awarding Agency registration is now open!

  • SAA registration must be completed by February 01, 2025
  • SAA Judge registration is due by February 08, 2025

Registration Process

STEP 1: Agency Registration

The “Lead Judge” or agency coordinator should complete the Special Awards Agency Registration.

Register your SAA today!

STEP 2: Judge Registration

Once an organization is registered, the “Lead Judge” or agency coordinator will be emailed a confirmation email with the Special Award Judge Registration link. Links will not be provided to the general public and will only be made available to the Lead Judge to be emailed to their organization/agency judges.

If you are the Lead Judge or agency coordinator and cannot locate the registration link for Special Award Judges, please get in touch with the SEFH office at info@sefhouston.org.

Training

Special Awards Judge Training

SEFH will offer a virtual training session for all SAA Judges and cover the following:

  1. an introduction to the judging process
  2. project abstract database
  3. event day logistics
  4. q&a

Training Date

February 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

View the Training Video Below!

SAA Judge Training Video

Special Awarding Agencies

Special Awarding Agencies

SAA List 2023:

  1. Alumni Club of MIT
  2. American Industrial Hygiene Association
  3. American Society of Indian Engineers and Architects
  4. American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  5. Automation – International Society of Automation – Houston Section
  6. AWWA & WEAT – American Water Works Association and Water Environment Association of Texas
  7. BOUNCE
  8. Consumer Energy Education Foundation
  9. ECH-Engineers Council of Houston
  10. Geophysical Society of Houston
  11. Harris County Medical Society and Houston Academy of Medicine
  12. Houston Christian University
  13. Houston Geological Society
  14. Houston Intellectual Property Law Association
  15. iYar Fine Arts
  16. Jacobs
  17. Kids Lives Matter
  18. Kiewit
  19. Krishen Foundation for Arts and Sciences
  20. Lemelson Early Inventor Prize
  21. National Geographic Society
  22. North Houston Space Society
  23. Regeneron Biomedical Science Award
  24. SAME Houston-Galveston Post
  25. Sigma Xi – Rice TMC Chapter
  26. Society of American Military Engineers Houston/Galveston Post
  27. Society of Petroleum Engineers-Gulf Coast Section
  28. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  29. Society of Petroleum Engineers – Gulf Coast Section
  30. Society of Women Engineers – Houston Chapter
  31. South Texas Section of American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  32. Space Center Houston
  33. The DiIorio Foundation
  34. TexITE Houston Area Section
  35. U. S. Coast Guard (Houston Area)
  36. University of Houston, College of Medicine
  37. University of Houston, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  38. Smiti Gandhi Research Star Award
  39. Peggy Levy Creative Excellence Award
  40. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – Poster Design Contest
  41. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – Science and Art Award
  42. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – Science and Sports Award
  43. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – The Girls Cyber Award
  44. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – Writing Contest
  45. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – The Legacy Award
  46. Science and Engineering Fair of Houston – Science Fair Scholars

SAA List 2019-2021:

SAA List 2021
SAA List 2020
SAA List 2019

Directions & Parking

ADDRESS:

Fort Bend Epicenter

28505 Southwest Fwy

Rosenberg, TX 77471