<p>Not directly related to financial aid, but for ISEF, I’ve made inventions that I think are really good and which solve problems.
But it seems that ISEF wants projects that are only based on research?
So is there any point in me submitting my invention? I’ve done a lot of research into the problem and the technologies that I used for my invention, but I never wrote an actual research paper</p>
<p>Frame it as an experiment. “I hypothesize that [the device I created] will [do this (quantify it)].” Then do trials with your invention. This can count as research!</p>
<p>I’ve been to ISEF and I saw projects (especially engineering projects) that were about inventions that were patented by the student, or was in the process of being patented. So I would suggest that you try out. Like what wchuck said, frame it as an experiment. GL</p>
<p>It just seems like all the winners conducted actual research and did things like research disease effects or develop algorithms</p>
<p>If I did what @wchuck said though, how would I conduct trials if the invention is something like a drone that autonomously finds and extinguishes house fires?</p>