Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS) is a widely respected high school science competition in the United States. The purpose of the Science Talent Search, often called the STS, is to identify, encourage, and financially assist future scientists. The STS has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships to gifted high school seniors since its creation in 1942. The scholarships are to be used for study in science, engineering, mathematics, or medicine. The Society for Science & the Public (SSP), a nonprofit organization that encourages the public to learn more about science, organizes the STS. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company, became sponsor of the competition in 2017. Before then, Intel Corporation (1998 to 2016) and the Westinghouse Foundation (1942 to 1997) sponsored the contest.
High school seniors in the United States and its territories and American students who are in the last year of secondary school abroad may enter the STS. Each entry includes a description of an original research project and an extensive entry form. A panel of scientists then judges the entries. The judges look for good research skills, originality, creativity, and an ability to draw practical applications. Judges select 300 semifinalists from the initial entries, with 40 finalists traveling to Washington, D.C., to be interviewed in the final stage of the judging process.
