All eligible students or student teams are invited to participate in the International Conference on Nanotechnology Student Design Competitions (SDCs). The competition encourages students to employ creative problem solving and gain practical design experience by developing small samples, synthesis and characterization methodologies, novel software, simple prototypes or system to address a problem stated in the competition rules while following specified constraints.
Participants, Requirements & Rules:
- All full-time undergraduate (B.Sc.) and graduate students (M.Sc. & PhD) worldwide are invited to take part in the Nano SDC.
- These students must have an accepted paper to NANO 2025.
- Students can form groups of at least 1 member, up to a maximum of 4 members. All team members must be full-time students while working on the project. A student cannot be part of two groups.
- At least on team member must register to the NANO 2025 Conference and attend in person the NANO SDC to assist with presentation, showcase, measurements (where applicable) and answer to judges’ questions.
- To participate in NANO SDC it is necessary to compile a form using the link provided below.
- The deadline is the 30th of April 2025.
- Three different topics are given, and students can select only one of the three topics. The students’ project may or may not be directly related to the submitted paper. In other words, if a student submitted a paper to IEEE NANO, he/she can participate to any topics of the Nano SDC if such a paper is accepted and registered, independently from the manuscript subject. The students would have time to work on a project to be presented for the NANO SDC until July 2025.
- Students are advised to contact the individual competition organizers as early as possible, to ensure a full understanding of the rules, design specifications and judging criteria before beginning their projects.
- The student must have an academic advisor and he/she/their must certify that the work is completely made by the students.
- The students must notify the Nano SDC organizers at least one week before the date of the competitions if they plan to withdraw or will not be able to participate in person.
- The NANO SDC will take place on July 2025 during a specific public session within the IEEE NANO 2025 Conference, during which they will have to show in 10-15 min their prototypes or software and demonstrate their design outcomes.
- Winners will be recognized during the Social Dinner of IEEE NANO2025. Winning teams are awarded with a certificate, recognized at the social dinner, and will have a chance to submit a paper to the IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine for a special session dedicated to the NANO SDC.
Design Competition Topics:
Click the links below to see the individual competition descriptions and rules:
SDC1 – Nanomaterials for Innovative Sensors
Introduction:
This competition challenges students to design and develop innovative sensors utilizing nanomaterials. Participants are encouraged to explore groundbreaking approaches that leverage the unique properties of nanostructures for enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and multifunctionality. The competition is open to interdisciplinary applications, including, but not limited to, magnetic, photonic, microwave, chemical, pressure, and biosensing technologies.
Design Specifications and Rules:
- The sensor must be based on nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots, 2D materials, etc.), and the nanomaterials should play a key role in the sensing part.
- The sensor design should emphasize manufacturability and sustainability.
- Participants must provide a theoretical or numerical basis for the working mechanism of their sensor.
- Participants must bring a prototype (and relative instrumentation) to demonstrate the functioning or the sensor. In exceptional cases a video showing the functioning of the nanomaterial-based sensor could be accepted depending on the judgement of the evaluating committee.
- Sensitivity: the proposed sensor should aim to achieve a detection limit that surpasses conventional sensors in the chosen application.
- Selectivity: the sensor should be designed to distinguish target physical quantities/analytes from background noise/similar compounds.
- Response time: materials and designs should ensure reliability under relevant environmental conditions.
Bonus points:
Additional points will be given if scalability aspects are considered.
Additional points will be given if long-term functionality is demonstrated.
Additional points will be given if the sensor minimize power consumption or re-use energy while maintaining performance.
SDC2 – Computational Tools & Apps for the Modeling and Design of Nanodevices
Introduction:
The main motivation for application of nanotechology is to define new functionalities and new concept devices, exploiting the unique features of nanostructured materials. To foster and unravel the unique potential of nanotechnology computational tools and applications are needed for educational purposes, as well as for design and analysis. Therefore, innovative solutions are needed. The goal of the competition is the development of compact educational computer software, to introduce students to the concepts related to nanotechnology, by implemented examples and tutorials. This software should run on laptops and tablet computers and be based on Android, Apple iOS, Mac OS 10.x, or Windows, from 7.x to most recent platforms.
Design Specifications and Rules:
Modeling, of course, provides the appropriate basis for design. The bridge between nanosciences and the realized circuits can be achieved by using the engineering methodologies at our disposal.
The goal is to develop an app for handheld devices or personal computers that could support instruction in the principles and uses of nanodevices but also apply to solve design problems. The goal of the competition is the development of compact educational computer-software, to introduce students to the concepts related to radiofrequency nanotechnology, by implemented examples and tutorials. This software should run on laptops and tablet computers and be based on Android, Apple iOS, Mac OS 10.x, or Windows from 7.x to most recent platforms.
A wide range of applications and topics are allowed. Field-based as well as network-based applications may be considered. Some examples are given:
- modelling of devices based on the coupled system of Maxwell’s and quantum transport equations,
- modelling of photonic crystals to enhance efficiency of thin Si solar cells,
- modelling and applications of surface plasmons in graphene and 2D materials,
- modelling of nano-antennas, or wireless optical power transfer between plasmonic nano-antennas,
- modelling of nano-electromechanical structures,
- modelling of nano-thermocouples based on the Seebeck effect considering electromagnetics and heat conduction,
- modelling of nano-optomechanical systems, moving boundaries, and phononic systems,
- near-field microscopy with nanometric or sub-nanometric resolution.
Measurable parameters:
Robustness and versatility of the app. Weight: 2
Relevance to Nanotechnology: How well does the app incorporate nanotechnology and/or nanoelectronics concepts? Weight: 3.
Educational Value: How well does the app teach/demonstrate a nanotechnology and/or nanoelectronics concepts, principles or phenomena? How well is it suited as educational tool for the design of nanotechnology and/or nano-devices or systems? Weight: 3.
Graphical User Interface and Level of Sophistication: How intuitive and visually appealing is the interface and how effective is it in accommodating users of different levels of experience with the phenomena or method and the microwave principles involved? Weight: 2.
SDC3 – Educational Games & Tools for Nanotechnology
Introduction:
The goal of this competition is to encourage students to create innovative educational tools that teach nanotechnology and nano-sciences to young learners aged 5 to 18. These tools should inspire curiosity, creativity, and a deeper understanding of nanotechnology while being engaging, accessible, and age-appropriate.
Design Specifications and Rules:
The design goals are:
- Educational Impact
- Clearly convey fundamental principles of nanotechnology and its applications in STEM.
- Promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and hands-on learning.
- Align with age-appropriate cognitive development and learning abilities.
- Engagement and Accessibility
- Capture and retain the interest of young learners.
- Be interactive, fun, and engaging through gamification, storytelling, or other methods.
- Ensure inclusivity by considering diverse backgrounds, abilities, and resources.
- Feasibility and Scalability
- Be feasible to produce and deploy in various educational settings (e.g., classrooms, museums, or home learning).
- Use readily available or low-cost materials to make the tool scalable.
- Interdisciplinary Approach
- Integrate concepts from physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, or mathematics.
- Demonstrate the real-world impact of nanotechnology (e.g., medical advancements, environmental solutions, or consumer products).
Measurable parameters:
Include a mechanism for gathering user feedback to improve the design.
Target Age Group
- Specify the intended age range (5-7 years, 8-12 years, 13-15 years, or 16-18 years).
Provide an explanation of how the design is tailored to this group.
Content Guidelines
- Include at least one key concept in nanotechnology, such as:
- Scale and size (e.g., nanoscale vs. macroscale properties).
- Applications of nanotechnology (e.g., medicine, electronics, or materials science).
- Techniques for observing or manipulating nanoscale materials (e.g., electron microscopy).
- Simplify complex concepts without losing scientific accuracy.
The activity needs to illustrate qualitative or quantitative aspects of the nanoworld that isn’t obvious based on our normal experience. For example, strength of CNTs compared to steel.
Form Factor
- The activity should be smartphone/tablet compatible.
- Can take the form of physical kits, digital apps, interactive games, or a combination of formats.
Must be safe for the intended age group and comply with relevant safety standards.
Usability and Testing
- Include instructions or a user guide for educators and students.
- Demonstrate usability through testing with at least 5 individuals in the target age group.
The entire activity must be able to be completed in ~10 minutes or can be completed in blocks that each require ~3-5 minutes to complete.
Assessment and Feedback
- Provide tools for educators to assess learning outcomes (e.g., quizzes, discussion prompts, or hands-on tasks).
Evaluation & Bonus points:
- Innovation (25%): Originality of the idea and approach, creativity in design and presentation.
- Educational Value (30%): Effectiveness in teaching nanotechnology concepts, and alignment with STEM educational standards.
- Engagement and Usability (25%): Interactivity and engagement level for the target age group and clarity of instructions and ease of use.
- Feasibility and Sustainability (20%): Practicality of production and deployment, and use of sustainable materials and methodology.
- The activity must be FUN!
Participation Link:
To participate in the NANO SDC, click the link below and fill in the form. You will be asked to provide contact information for all team members and your academic advisor, and you will also need to upload a short abstract describing your design approach. In addition, your academic advisor must send an email to the organizers of the competition certifying that the work is yours, not theirs. The application deadline is 30 April 2025.
Students are advised to contact the individual competition organizers as early as possible, to ensure a full understanding of the design specifications and judging criteria before beginning their projects.
Submit Your Application:
Clarification about Student Team Requirements:
Teams must consist of at least one and no more than four students. There is no limit to the number of teams that may compete from any given university or organization. However, one student cannot be part of multiple teams.
Submissions are invited from students at all stages of their university careers, from undergraduate to postgraduate level. While not a mandatory requirement, it is strongly encouraged that the teams put forward a multidisciplinary and/or multi-national team.
Whether you were a graduate (i.e., Masters or Doctoral level) or undergraduate (i.e., Bachelor level) when the work was done, or confirm that you are either currently registered in an academic program full-time, or will return to be a student in the upcoming semester.
Contact Information:
General questions or comments can be directed to the NANO2025 Student Design Competition Committee by writing to ieeenanosdc@gmail.com.
Questions or comments regarding a specific design competition should be directed to the organizers of the competition in question, which will be listed on the competition descriptions.
Disclaimer: Student competitors should be aware that the NANO2025 will not assist participants in getting necessary equipment or designed circuits/systems into United States of America. Students are responsible for the specific instrumentation needed for the SDCs (e.g., laptop, circuit boards, etc.). The students will bring their designs (e.g., software, prototypes, etc.) to the competition where they perform simple measurements or showcase their results and compete against other student teams. There are different competitions spanning a wide range of topics. Links to descriptions and rules for each competition are below.
N.B.: Travel visas and shipping your project equipment are your responsibility, it is recommended to arrange these as early as possible.