Bioinnovators iGEM Competition Program

Searching for the next generation of bio-entrepreneurial leaders.

We are a year-round student program and platform enabling talented 9th-12th graders from around the world to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition: the world’s most prestigious synthetic biology and entrepreneurship competition.

BioInnovators iGEM teams identify global challenges, design novel biotech solutions, and present their work at the annual iGEM conference in Paris, joining thousands of peers and experts from around the world.

BioInnovators iGEM Team Members:

1. Employ their valuable talents in design, art, engineering, business, biology research, software engineering, and social science.

2. Win elite international awards at the iGEM Jamboree.

3. Author professional-level research papers.

4. Develop critical collaboration, leadership and presentation skills.

5. Frequently receive admission to the world's top university programs, including Penn Wharton, Brown PLME, Stanford, Yale, Uchicago, Princeton, and MIT.

6. Qualify for scholarships and investment funding through the BioInnovators Fellowship and Forge programs.

Admissions

ADMISSIONS AND ELIGIBILITY

BioInnovators is a selective program with an approximately 15% acceptance rate. We are seeking students who have demonstrated academic excellence, a high degree of intellectual curiosity, passion for STEM or entrepreneurship, and a leadership mindset. Admitted students must be prepared to contribute intensively to their iGEM team over the duration of the program, and lack of engagement can lead to dismissal from the program.

Application Components:

-2 Essays

-Academic Transcript

-Extracurricular List

-Interview

Eligibility Requirements:

9th to 12th grade students are eligible for the BioInnovators iGEM competition program. International students are welcome and will require a visa to participate in the in-person program. Exceptional middle students and college students may apply to participate as emerging researchers (middle school) or research interns (college), but they will not be eligible to win competition awards.

Spring/Summer
2026

Upcoming Deadline

March 22nd

APPLY NOW

Program Structure

Step 1: Apply through our site. It's easy!

Step 2: If we're interested in your application, we'll invite you for an interview.

Step 3: You'll get an acceptance, rejection or waitlist email within two weeks of your interview.

Step 4: If accepted, confirm your spot!

Step 5: Training (you'll take an online course with materials that help prepare you for the iGEM competition).

Step 6: Team matching (you'll be placed on an iGEM team that is a strong fit for your skills.) It's possible to join during team formation around February, but many of our applicants join teams already in action. There is still plenty of time to make an impact even in the last few months of the competition (Summer and Fall.)

Step 7: Team onboarding (the team will welcome you and set you up with their tools and platforms.)

Step 8: Learn and compete (study with the team mentors and collaborate with peers to complete the challenges of the iGEM Competition). See more at www.igem.org.

(Time Commitment during competition: 2-3 hours per week from February-June, 5-7 hours per week between July and October. Activities consist of team meetings, research assignments, project brainstorming, collaborating on deliverables such as business plans, software and hardware, educational materials, pitch videos, marketing, and stakeholder surveys.)

Step 9: Decide if you will go with your team to the final Paris conference to present (it's optional)

Step 10: On October 31st, find out your outcome. (Depending on how your team does, you may win an international medal ranging from Bronze to Gold, to the Grand Prize).

FAQ

FAQs

Q: What is iGEM?

A: The world’s biggest biotech competition, pioneering and driving the growth of the field. Each year, it trains the next generation of leaders by giving multidisciplinary student teams the platform to design, build, test, and present projects tackling the world’s most pressing challenges - while competing on the global stage. (source: iGEM.org)

Q: Why should I apply to BioInnovators, rather than joining iGEM directly?

A: iGEM is a team competition, and typically requires a sizable group of students as well as a lab, mentors, and other tools to compete. If you have a team at your school or local organization, you can join that. Otherwise, BioInnovators is the primary pathway for individual students to compete in this global competition.

Q:What does BioInnovators cost?

A: The virtual program costs $5000 and the hybrid program costs $7500.

Q: What's the difference between the hybrid and virtual program?

A: Only the hybrid program involves research in a physical lab. However, virtual students participate in all other ways, including entrepreneurship, design, coding, and computational biology research.

Q. What are the fees for?

A: iGEM teams pay for lab space, biological materials, competition registration fees, mentors, insurance, and software licenses.

Q: Does the Bioinnovators program include a trip to Paris to present at the iGEM conference (Jamboree)?

A: This is optional and available at extra cost. It's a valuable opportunity to present in front of global industry experts, and includes hotel, flight, and sightseeing.

Q: Are there scholarships available?

A: Yes. BioInnovators is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated need. Upon admission to the program, a financial aid form can be submitted.

Q: What is the duration of the program?

A: BioInnovators usually begins in February and ends around October 31st, the date of the iGEM Jamboree). However, students join the competition all throughout the year, including the summer and early fall. Late summer and fall students gain the benefit of all the prior work the team has done. Spring and early summer students have more opportunities to shape the project themselves.

Q: Is BioInnovators affiliated with iGEM.org?

A: No. BioInnovators is an organization that supports ambitious students who want to compete, win medals, and help create the next generation of biotech.

Q: How does participation in BioInnovators affect college outcomes?

A: Our students regularly attend some of the best undergraduate programs in the country, including Brown PLME, Penn Wharton, Yale, Dartmouth, Stanford, MIT,

University of Michigan, UChicago, Williams, Duke, USC and New York University. 99% of our accepted students have gone on to study at a top 50 college.

Our mentors bring industry-leading biotech and entrepreneurial experience to guide students through project development, research, and competition.

Some of our Mentors

Andre Watson

Founder and CEO of Ligandal, a genetic medicine company that uses AI-generated peptides to guide nanotechnology-mediated drug and gene delivery systems, to develop predictive targeted delivery systems as the roadway to personalized and precision therapies.

He is inventor on 80 pending patents (21 granted, 5 allowed, remaining pending) across 16 patent families for AI approaches to discovery of therapeutic compounds, materials science and engineering approaches for drug and gene delivery, among other innovations.

Ellen Jorgensen

A leader in the field of synthetic biology and a passionate believer in the potential of biotechnology to transform the world. She is currently the Director of Research at Carbonbridge, a company that is addressing climate change by sustainable bioproduction of low carbon fuel.

As the founder of Biotech Without Borders and cofounder of Genspace, she created and directed pre-incubator spaces where startups could develop proof-of-concept data through low-cost access to lab facilities and equipment.

Matteo Da Ros

Senior Scientist at Lonza, contributing expertise in cell-based immunotherapies and platform development. His background encompasses molecular and cellular biology, with over a decade of research and work in academia and biopharma. At Lonza, he leads cross-functional initiatives to develop and enhance the Cocoon® Platform, a closed system for GMP-compliant manufacturing of cell-based immunotherapies. He also manages the design, development, and testing of new components for clinical devices, and leads and mentors a team of research associates.