Special Fair Awards
Special Awards at the NEOSEF are awards that are given in addition to the regular first, second, and third places and honorable mention awards. Special Awards awards are donated by area technical and scientific organizations and/or companies.
These organizations and companies send volunteer judges, Special Award Judges, who are familiar with the criteria established by their company or organization, to judge student’s projects. Some organizations or companies may look for the best of use of statistics in a project. Others might look specifically at how photography is used in a student’s project. Some may require that a certain topic like herpetology or fire risk management be incorporated in the student’s project.
The rules for these Special Awards and the prizes awarded vary between organizations and may even change from year to year. Prizes range from cash to savings bonds to leather bound notebooks to back packs to gift cards. Some students may even be eligible for scholarship money.
If you, your company or your organization is interested in sponsoring a Special Award at the Fair, please contact Mary Dodge at the Parker Hannifin Corporation at 216-896-2638 or email her at neosefspecialawards@gmail.com.
2024 NEOSEF – Special Awards Donors
| Organization | Project Interest | Award(s) Given |
| Accenture | Projects showing innovation in technology | Certificates of Achievement, company merchandise |
| American Association of Clinical Chemistry – Northeast Ohio Section | Projects with scientific value/content, organization, preparedness, and comprehension | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| American Chemical Society – Cleveland Section | Students showing clear understanding of data, methods and interpretation of results in Chemistry | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – Northern Ohio Section | Best projects with relevance to aerospace | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| American Institute of Chemical Engineers | Best projects relating to chemistry and chemical engineering | Cash prizes, presentation to CSU and AICHE members |
| American Psychological Association | Outstanding research in psychological science | Certificate of Achievement, 1 yr. membership |
| American Society of Civil Engineers | Projects that highlight aspects of STEM related to civil engineering | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) | Project showing sound scientific principals | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| American Statistical Association – Cleveland Chapter | Project showing excellence use of statistical design and/or analysis | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| ASM International - Cleveland Chapter | Best materials science related projects | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| American Society of Mechanical Engineers | Projects that exemplify the use of mechanical engineering principles | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Association for Women Geoscientists | Outstanding female students with projects in geosciences | Certificates of Achievement, honorary membership |
| Battery Innovation Center | Projects related to energy production, storage, transport and sustainability | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Case Western Reserve University – Leonard Gelfand STEM Center | Best student generated inquiry, grades 7-8 | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Case Western Reserve University – Women Faculty of the School of Medicine | Best projects in Biology, Health/Medicine, or Behavioral Science | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Chemical Association | Projects that exhibit and demonstrate advancement in Sciences | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Awards for Scientific Creativity | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Department of Cancer Biology | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Department of Inflammation and Immunity | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Department of Neurosciences | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Lerner Research Institute | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Quantitative Health Sciences | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Department of BME | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Dr. Michael G. McKee Award for Mind-Body Medicine | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Genomic Medicine Institute Memorial Award in honor of Dr. and Mrs. S.P. Eng | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Dr. Charis Eng Mentorship Award | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Cleveland Clinic - Lerner College of Medicine | Outstanding projects in this discipline | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park | Best project in environmental science | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Outstanding projects dealing with the environment | Certificates of Achievement |
| FirstEnergy Corporation | Best projects dealing with energy and the environment | Plaque, Certificate of Achievement |
| Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) | Project that best demonstrates ingenuity and celebrates curiosity | One-year Family Membership |
| Heroux Devtek – LandingGear USA | Best projects in mechanical or aerospace engineering | Cash prizes, plaques |
| Holden Forests and Gardens | Best research in plant and environmental sciences | Cash prizes, merchandise |
| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – Cleveland Section | Best projects dealing with electrical and electronic engineering | Plaques, Certificates of Achievement |
| International Society of Automation (ISA) | Best project working with instrumentation, controls, and/or automation | Gift card, Certificate of Achievement |
| Materion | Best project showing creativity, uses of scientific method or technological design | Cash prizes, company merchandise |
| Lemelson Early Inventor Prize | 7-8th grade project with an invention that represents a promising solution to a real-world problem | Cash prizes, Certificate of Achievement |
| NASA Earth System Science Award | Project that offer insight into Earth’s interconnected systems | Certificates of Achievement |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Project that emphasizes NOAA’s mission of Science, Service and Stewardship | Certificates of Achievement |
| NEOSEF Board of Directors Award | Projects that exemplify the spirit of scientific inquiry | One-year Science News magazine subscription |
| NEOSEF Board of Directors - Sam Brooks Award | Outstanding 11th grade project in Chemistry | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Ohio Water Environment Association – NE Ohio Chapter | Best projects in the water and environmental fields | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Parker Hannifin Corporation | Project showing good use of the scientific method | Cash prizes, trophies, Certificates of Achievement |
| Regeneron Biomedical Science Award | Student project with an impressive command of biological science and research | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Ricoh USA, Inc. | Outstanding efforts in addressing issues of environmental responsibility and sustainable development | Certificates of Achievement |
| Rockwell Automation | Best project in the areas of automation, electrical engineering or software | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Society for Applied Spectroscopy – Cleveland Section | Projects that best illustrates the principle or application of spectroscopy | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Society of Automotive Engineers – Cleveland Section | Innovation in the field of mobility | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Society for In Vitro Biology | 11th grade student with outstanding research in plant/animal in vitro biology or tissue culture | Certificates of Achievement, membership |
| Society of Plastics Engineers – Cleveland Sectin | Best projects associated to plastics or polymers | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge | 7-8th grade projects showing scientific thought, creativity, enthusiasm, and resourcefulness | Nomination by NEOSEF to compete at the national level for cash and prizes |
| U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) | Project with potential to make an impact on addressing int’l development challenges | Certificates of Achievement |
| U.S. Air Force | Outstanding projects in STEM research | Certificates of Achievement, Merchandise |
| U.S. Metric Association | Project showing correct and excellent usage of the metric system | Certificates of Achievement |
| U.S. Navy and Marine Corp – Office of Naval Research | Outstanding projects in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics | Cash prizes, medallions |
| Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society | Best projects relating to birds and/or to conservation with emphasis in the local watersheds | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| William R. Sweet Award for Chemistry | Outstanding projects in Chemistry | Cash prizes, Certificates of Achievement |
| Yale Science and Engineering Association | Outstanding 11th grade project in Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and Comp. Science | Certificates of Achievement |
| Zone Aviation | Best project relating to aviation | Certificate of Achievement, 1 hour in the flight simulator |
