About Macronix Science Awards

Mission
The Macronix Education Foundation aims to cultivate technology talents, inspire interest in natural and applied sciences among high school and vocational school students nationwide, and encourage the spirit of scientific exploration and creative potential.

Competition Topics
Participants may choose their own topics. Entries are categorized into eight groups for review: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Mathematics, Electronics/Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science.

Note: Project titles should follow formal academic paper formats, accurately reflecting the content. Avoid flashy wording. Judges reserve the right to modify titles if necessary.

Eligibility
  • Each team consists of 1 to 3 members. Each student may only join one team.
  • Participants must be currently enrolled in senior high schools, vocational schools, the first three years of 5-year junior colleges, or Ministry of Education-registered non-school-based experimental education institutions in Taiwan.
  • Each team must have one advisor who is a current teacher at a high school or vocational school. (Teachers from 5-year junior colleges may advise students in the third year or below).

Judging Criteria
Entries should be original works that demonstrate imagination and creativity based on the high school/vocational school curriculum level.

Competition Timeline
  • Registration: March 1 (Sun) – May 20 (Wed), 3:00 PM, 2026
  • Finalist Notification: July 2 (Thu), 2026 List of Honorable Mentions and Finalists announced online.
  • Final Report Submission: By August 21 (Fri), 2026 Submit abstract, final report, and presentation PPT.
  • Final Defense: September 5 (Sat) – September 6 (Sun), 2026
  • Award Ceremony: October 24 (Sat)
Registration and Submission
  • All registrations must be completed online. Please Click the link
  • Preliminary Round
    1. Initial Submission: Submit registration data, the "Creative Proposal," and the "Participation Agreement" by the deadline.
    2. Creative Proposal Requirements: Must include Title, Motivation, Purpose, Methods, and References. Written in Chinese or English, max 20 A4 pages (excluding cover and appendices). All the document should be converted to PDF for upload.
    3. Signature & Sealing: Print the Participation Agreement from the system. It must be signed by all members, the advisor, and consultants, and sealed by the school's Equipment Section. All the document should be converted to PDF for upload.
  • Final Round
    1. Upload materials to the Macronix Science Awards website and mailed materials will be accepted based on the postmark date.
    2. The final report must include: research title, motivation, objectives, research process, conclusion, discussion and applications, and references. The report can be written in Chinese or English and should not exceed 30 A4 pages. Appendices are allowed; the cover page and appendices will not count towards the page limit. Please save the file as a PDF (maximum 5 MB) and upload it to the Macronix Science Awards website. Additionally, please print 15 double-sided copies of the report and mail them to the organizer.
    3.The PowerPoint presentation for the on-site presentation should not exceed 30 slides or 5 MB, and must be uploaded to the Macronix Science Awards website.
Judging Process
  • Preliminary Round: Based on the written Creative Proposal.
  • Final Round
    • 1. 15-minute oral presentation followed by 15-minute Q&A with judges.
    2. Physical prototypes should be presented if applicable.
Awards and Incentives Preliminary Round
  • Honorable Mention (Max 80 teams): NT$5,000 scholarship and certificate for both team and advisor.
  • Finalist Grant: NT$20,000 research subsidy to refine the project for the final report.
  • Macronix Science Promotion Award: After the preliminary round, the foundation will select one advisor to honor for their dedication in leading the team and promoting science education. The awardee will be publicly recognized at the award ceremony and receive a certificate.
  • Participation Certificate: Teams that submit their Creativity Statement within the deadline can download and print a participation certificate online.
Final Awards
    Awarded studens receive scholarships, trophies, certificates, and a recommendation letters signed by five conveners for university applications.
    Award Scholarship
    Macronix Award NT $480,000
    Gold Award NT $400,000
    Silver Award NT$200,000
    Distinguished Award NT$100,000

    Special Awards for School, principal, and advisors
    Award Scholarship
    Best School Award The ranked top 3 schools that accumulate the highest scores in the competition will receive prizes.
    Best Principal’s Award The principals of the top-three schools will receive a trophy designed by artists.
    Best Advisor’s Award Advisors whose accumulated points reaching 24.
  • Notes: Best school Award points are allocated as follows: Macronix Award – 12 points, Gold Award 8 points, Silver Award – 6 points, Distinguished Award – 4 points, and Honorable mention – 2 points. And each point is awarded NT$1,000.

Soft Reminder:
1. Originality: Works that have already won top 3 prizes in national/international competitions are ineligible unless they contain significant new research.
2. Academic Ethics: Strict adherence to research ethics is required. Fabrication, alteration, or plagiarism is prohibited.
  • Research data should be collected and analyzed objectively without fabricating, altering, or selectively using data. If raw data is processed, the entire method must be clearly explained to avoid misunderstandings. Research methods and results should be reported truthfully without unsupported interpretations. All methods and data should be recorded clearly and accurately so others can verify and reproduce the work.
  • If the submitted work includes research, text, or images from others (including collaborators), proper citations must be provided. If the work references the participant’s own previously published or awarded pieces, the differences between the current and prior works must be clearly explained during registration.
  • Generative AI: Tools like ChatGPT are permitted as assistants, but the core creativity must come from the author. Use of AI must be disclosed, and prompt records kept for review.
  • If the research is done by a team, all members' contributions must be stated. If people other than the school's advisors help with the work, their role must be clearly explained. Team members should not submit the same work or split it into parts for different competitions. The organizer has the right to check the research rules during and after the competition.
3. After the registration deadline, you can change your information only before the preliminary round. Between the preliminary and final rounds, team members can only leave, but no new members can join. Any other changes need permission from the main judge. After the final round, the final report can be updated based on judges' advice, but other information cannot be changed. Once registered, you cannot withdraw your submission, win or lose.
4. All team members of the works shortlisted for the final must attend the final meeting. If a member cannot attend due to natural disasters, emergencies, or other unexpected events, they must provide proof and request leave from the organizer. However, at least one team member must be present; otherwise, the entire team will be considered withdrawn and will not be eligible to receive research funding or prize money.
5. Awards will be given based on the judges’ opinions and the quality of the entries. If necessary, the number of winning teams may be increased or some awards may not be given.
6. All prizes will be paid in a lump sum after the competition ends.
7. Anonymity: To ensure fairness, all documents/slides must NOT contain school logos, school names, or advisor names.
8. Safety: No hazardous, explosive, or toxic materials. Human or animal subjects must comply with legal and ethical standards (e.g., no BSL-3/4 pathogens)
9. The creativity statements and final reports submitted by students will not be returned. The organizer may publish the works on the Macronix Science Awards website or use parts of them in promotional materials.
10. Intellectual Property: Participants retain patent rights; however, Macronix holds the right of first negotiation.