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Celebrating Curiosity, Discovery & Innovation

Awards

The Canada-Wide Science Fair celebrates excellence in youth STEM achievement through an array of prestigious awards and recognition. Each year, nearly $1.3 million in prizes, scholarships, and exclusive opportunities are presented to Canada's top young scientists and innovators.

CWSF 2025 results will be published here on Thursday, June 5 following the Awards Ceremony.

Award Categories

  • Grand Awards

    The Grand Awards represent the pinnacle of achievement at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, recognizing projects that demonstrate exceptional innovation, scientific rigour, and the potential to create meaningful change in our world. These prestigious awards highlight the very best young scientific minds in Canada.

    • Best Project Awards

      The highest honour at CWSF, recognizing the best project in each of Discovery and Innovation. These winners often represent Canada at international competitions.

    • Platinum Awards

      Awarded to the top project in each of Discovery and Innovation, for each of the grade categories.

    • Youth Can Innovate Awards

      Recognizing exceptionally innovative and original STEM projects that demonstrate a practical application in advancing the economic, medical, social, or environmental well-being of society.

  • Excellence Awards

    Excellence Awards recognize outstanding STEM achievement in each grade category. These medals represent a significant accomplishment among Canada's brightest young minds.

    • Gold

      Awarded to the highest-scoring projects in each grade category

    • Silver

      Awarded to exceptional projects in each grade category

    • Bronze

      Awarded to outstanding projects in each grade category

  • Challenge Awards

    The Youth Science Canada Challenges target issues that are important to Canada's youth, the future of our country, and the world. Challenge Awards at the CWSF, recognize the top project in each of the following categories:

    • Aerospace

      Projects that help advance atmospheric or space science, aviation or aerospace technologies, or enable humans to explore and live in space, on the Moon, or beyond.

    • Agriculture, Fisheries & Food

      Projects that help ensure food security, sustainability or competitiveness in agriculture, fisheries or food production.

    • Curiosity & Ingenuity

      Projects that help improve our understanding or address a problem in an area of STEM not covered by the other challenges.

    • Digital Technology

      Projects that help improve our quality of life or transform existing products and services through digital devices, methods or systems.

    • Disease & Illness

      Projects that help enhance our diagnosis, treatment or understanding of disease, or the management of physical or mental illness.

    • Energy

      Projects that help improve our use of current energy sources, enable the transition to alternative energy sources, or reduce our energy footprint.

    • Environment & Climate Change

      Projects that help ensure the quality of water, air, soil or the diversity of living things, or manage the impact of climate change.

    • Health & Wellness

      Projects that help prevent disease or promote physical, social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, or intellectual wellbeing.

    • Natural Resources

      Projects that help ensure the sustainable management, use, reuse or recycling of Earth's finite or renewable natural resources.

  • Additional Awards

    CWSF also offers a diverse range of recognition sponsored by leading organizations, institutions, and corporations. These awards celebrate specialized expertise, innovation in specific fields, and provide pathways to educational opportunities through scholarships and university partnerships.

    • Special Awards

      Special Awards recognize outstanding achievement in specific scientific fields and are sponsored by various organizations, academic institutions, and corporations. These awards highlight excellence in specialized areas and often include cash prizes and certificates.

    • Scholarships

      Various universities across Canada offer entrance scholarships to CWSF medalists, providing financial support for their post-secondary education in STEM fields.

Age Categories

  • Projects at the CWSF are evaluated within three grade categories:

    • Junior

      Grades 7-8

    • Intermediate

      Grades 9-10

    • Senior

      Grades 11-12/Cégep

Project Types

  • CWSF projects fall into two main categories:

    • Discovery

      Discovery projects involve the investigation of a scientific question or hypothesis through experimentation and analysis. These projects follow the scientific method to explore the natural world and expand our understanding.

    • Innovation

      Innovation projects focus on developing new technologies, products, or approaches to solve real-world problems. These projects demonstrate creativity, engineering principles, and practical application.

International Opportunities

  • Top CWSF projects may be selected to represent Canada at prestigious international competitions, including:

    • European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS)

      Best Project Award winners may represent Canada at this elite European competition.

    • Taiwan International Science Fair

      Outstanding Platinum Award winners may be selected to attend this international fair.

    • Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

      Select CWSF finalists may be chosen to compete at the world’s largest international STEM research competition for high school students.