Students representing five schools from four districts in Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties competing for a share of up to $77,500 in student scholarships and school STEM education grants
Following months of planning, research and development, the 20 teams participating in the 2025-26 A.H. Nickless Innovation Award competition soon will take the stage at Saginaw Valley State University to present their projects. At stake is a share of up to $77,500 in college scholarships for students and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education grants for schools.
The competition will take place from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. April 25 in Alan W. Ott Auditorium in SVSU’s Gilbertson Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
Presented by the Nickless Family Charitable Foundation, the A.H. Nickless Innovation Award is an annual competition for high school students ages 13 to 18 in Bay, Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties. Its goal is to inspire passion for STEM subjects and challenge students to work in teams to think innovatively and develop solutions to problems impacting the world. Topics typically include – but are not limited to – issues related to alternative energy, healthcare, science, technology or life sciences.
During Phase One of the competition in September and October, each team identified a problem and submitted a two-page abstract proposing a project to address it. Each team that advanced to Phase Two received a $1,000 grant with which to conduct its research and develop a viable solution. Teams submitted their Phase Two project reports in late March and now will deliver 10-minute presentations on their projects before a panel of judges.
The five high schools with teams scheduled to present projects on April 25 – and the teams’ projects – are:
Herbert Henry Dow High School in Midland (Midland Public Schools), two teams:
• Biodegradable, antimicrobial alginate-based absorbent pads for meat packaging to reduce plastic waste and improve food safety
• Low-cost micromobility vehicle kit with additive manufacturing to scale and accelerate adoption of sustainable urban transit
Freeland High School (Freeland Community School District), three teams:
• Affordable, compact system that detects and shares the location of lost individuals
• Modular attachment system of solar panels and wind turbines for charging small- to medium-sized devices
• Robotic vehicular pacing device to mentor novice runners at a consistent speed in unique environments for any distance
John Glenn High School in Bay City (Bangor Township Schools), one team:
• Sensor that detects PFAS in private water wells and sends an alert to the well owner
Midland High School (Midland Public Schools), one team:
• Safety precautions at intersections to protect drivers from crashing if one cannot physically stop at an intersection
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy (Saginaw Public School District), 13 teams:
• Detector and app to prevent carbon monoxide and volatile organic compound deaths/poisonings
• Methods and products to make 3D printing more environmentally friendly through recycling and biodegradable products
• Tools to make daily tasks easier for people with dexterity disabilities
• Performance stocking designed to increase blood flow, supporting comfort and peak performance for sports
• Add-on system that detects black ice through thermal, non-contact sensors and alerts drivers to slow down
• Solution for anterior cruciate ligament tears beyond traditional methods
• 3D-printed compatible spacer to assist with inhaler use and reduce infection rates
• Biodegradable alternatives to single-use medical equipment to improve human and environmental health
• Retrofit, reusable washing-machine filter with progressive mesh layers that can decrease microplastics in waterways
• Reusable, environmentally friendly animal-tracking devices enabled by robotics
• Device that detects strokes, calls a chosen contact with prerecorded messages, produces soothing sounds and vibrations, and guides the victim and bystanders
• Resources for breast cancer patients to make their difficult situation less stressful
• Syringes that lock to prevent multiple uses of a needle, preventing bloodborne pathogens from spreading
At the conclusion of the April 25 event, up to $42,500 in scholarships will be awarded to students on the winning teams, and a total of $35,000 in STEM education grants will be awarded to the winning teams’ schools:
• First place will receive up to five $5,000 scholarships for student team members and a $20,000 grant for the school.
• Second place will receive up to five $2,500 scholarships for student team members and a $10,000 grant for the school.
• Third place will receive up to five $1,000 scholarships for student team members and a $5,000 grant for the school.
Fostering student innovation for more than a decade
The 2025-26 competition marks the 13th year of the A.H. Nickless Innovation Award. Since the first competition in 2013-14, $763,500 has been awarded to participants and their schools, including $378,500 in student scholarships and $385,000 in STEM education grants. In all, more than 550 students developed and presented a total of nearly 180 team projects in Phase Two of the competition during the competition’s first 12 years.
Phase One registration and abstract submission for the 14th annual competition, which will span the 2026-27 academic year, begins Aug. 17 on the Register page at ahninnovationaward.com.
About the A.H. Nickless Innovation Award
The A.H. Nickless Innovation Award was created by the Nickless Family Charitable Foundation to honor the memory of the late Arthur H. Nickless, a local innovator and owner of Wolverine Telephone Company. With a goal of inspiring passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the competition is open to high school students in Bay, Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties and awards up to $77,500 per year in scholarships to students and STEM grants to schools. A total of more than $760,000 has been awarded since the first competition in 2013-14. For more information, visit ahninnovationaward.com.