The IEEE Circuits and Systems Society runs this worldwide competition for student teams proposing and building solutions to real-life problems in electrical engineering and related fields. The competition progresses through chapter, regional, and world phases.
The 2026 world final took place during ISCAS in Shanghai. Registration for that cycle closed on 10 January 2026, and the official site has not announced the next cycle.
Benefits & funding
- IEEE CASS provided USD 500 to support each local chapter or section competition.
- At the world final, CASS provided ISCAS registration and travel grants for up to three IEEE CAS members per finalist team.
- The stated travel grant was USD 1,200 for travel within the team’s chapter region and USD 1,700 for travel outside it.
- The world-winning team received USD 3,000.
Eligibility
- Teams had to include 3–10 members who were undergraduate or high school students through 31 December 2025.
- Each team needed at least one mentor who was a faculty member or graduate student; mentors did not count as team members.
- At least three team members had to hold IEEE CASS membership for both 2025 and 2026.
- The competition was worldwide, with no nationality or residency restriction stated.
- Projects had to address a real-life problem using circuits and systems in electrical engineering or a related area.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
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Application process
- 1Form a qualifying team and identify a faculty or graduate-student mentor.
- 2Coordinate with the local IEEE CASS chapter or IEEE section for the chapter-level competition.
- 3Register the full phase-one team through the official IEEE CASS webform by the published deadline.
- 4If selected for the regional phase, submit a report and a demonstration video of no more than 10 minutes after local-panel validation.
- 5If selected for the world final, submit the final report and present a live demonstration during ISCAS.
Program timeline
Phase-one registration opened.
1 November 2025
Phase-one registration deadline.
10 January 2026
Chapter-level live demonstrations due.
25 January 2026
Chapter-level results due.
31 January 2026
Regional-phase video and report due.
20 February 2026
Regional-phase results due.
20 March 2026
Final report due.
1 May 2026
27 May 2026
World final in Shanghai and winner announcement during ISCAS 2026.