What is the R&D 100 awards program?

Established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards is the only S&T (science and technology) awards competition that recognizes new commercial products, technologies, and materials for their technological significance that are available for sale or license.

There are six regular categories in the R&D 100, listed below. There are also three special recognition categories, which follow. A given innovation can be entered in both a regular category and any of the special recognition categories — but please note that a separate entry fee is required for each nomination. Special recognition categories are awarded separately from the 100 winners that comprise the R&D 100. An innovation may not be entered only into a special recognition category without being entered into one of the six regular categories.

In addition, the judging panel will award finalist designations to selected top nominations. This announcement of finalists is made first, followed by the actual R&D 100 winners several weeks later. This allows all finalists and winners plenty of time to make arrangements to attend the awards banquet.

Analytical/Test

• Analytical Instrumentation (chromatography, spectroscopy, analyzers, etc.)
• Electronic Instrumentation (oscilloscopes, VOMs, spectrum analyzers, digital multimeters, probes, etc.)
• Imaging Systems/Devices (microscopes, cameras, telescopes, binoculars, optics, etc.)
• Testing Systems (hardness, materials, tensile, physical, etc.)
• Laboratory Equipment (fume hoods, cabinets, casework, lab animals, lab automation, balances/scales, centrifuges, tubing/valves, mixers, etc.)
• Life Sciences (biopharmaceuticals, DNA/RNA systems, food & beverage, genomics, proteomics, GMO, medical devices, medicine, medical implants, etc.)

IT/Electrical

• Electrical Devices (motors, switches, lighting systems, etc.)
• Information Technologies (computers, cell phones, printers, storage systems, supercomputers, computer hardware, operating systems, cloud computing, big data, data mining, data security, etc.)
• Communication Systems/Devices (wireless, broadband, networking systems, routers, wearables, lidar/radar, space communications, etc.)
• Safety & Security (sensing, detecting, monitoring, alarm systems, access point/portals, isolation systems, barriers, etc.)
• Beam Instrumentation (x-ray, neutron, proton, gamma ray, etc.)
• Lasers & Photonics (CO2 lasers, solid-state lasers, LEDs, synchrotron items, etc.

Mechanical/Materials

• Chemical & Gases (chemicals, powders, rare gases, reagents, etc.)
• Energy Systems/Components (energy modeling software, fuel cells, hybrid systems, IC engines, nuclear, PV, etc.)
• Environmental Systems/Instruments (carbon capture, filtering systems, mercury capture, pH meters, precipitators, etc.)
• Materials (adhesives, alloys, ceramics, composites, metals, paints, plastics, polymers, etc.)
• Mechanical Systems (air-handling systems, gears, heating and cooling systems, pumps robotics, structural components, thermal devices, transmissions, etc.)
• Thin Film & Vacuum (deposition systems, lithography, semiconductor processing, vacuum pumps/chambers, vacuum valves, etc.)

Process/Prototyping

• Process Systems (mixing, formulating, distilling, baking, coating, etc.)
• Additive Manufacturing (3-D printing, rapid prototyping)
• Supply Chain (management, operations, etc.)
• Process Improvement (design, production, distribution strategies)

Software/Services

• Military/Aerospace/Law Enforcement Devices (air traffic control tech, de-icing solutions, drones, flight simulators, forensic tools, weapons, etc.)
• Safety & Security (alarm systems, access point/portals, barriers, detecting, isolation systems, sensing, monitoring, etc.)
• Software (chemistry, process and analysis, reporting, simulation, visualization)

Other

• Any Products or Services that do NOT fall into the above stated categories.

Special Recognition: Corporate Social Responsibility
This award honors organizational efforts to be a greater corporate member of society, from a local to global level. Good works criteria may include, but aren’t limited to, efforts to curb carbon footprint reduction, efforts in third-world countries, better prosthetics for wounded soldiers, LEED green building certification, local fundraising efforts, scholarship programs, and involvement and/or contributions to the STEM community.

Special Recognition: Green Tech
From an engineering and societal perspective, efficiency and environmental factors play an increasingly important role in the world today. R&D World wants to recognize those innovations that help make our environment greener and our goal towards energy reduction closer.

Special Recognition: Market Disruptor
This award is designed to highlight any product or service from any category that has truly changed the game in any industry. No matter what the specific product or service is, the focus should be on industry impact. Was your innovation a game changer in the last year?