Awards

Dr. Barry B. Bercu, FNAI

Apply for the Innovation Exchange today!

Held at the NAI Annual Conference, the Innovation Exchange brings together accomplished and emerging inventors from across NAI Member Institutions and the broader NAI community. Featuring exceptional inventions from universities, industry, national laboratories, military institutions, and the next generation of young innovators, NAI’s Innovation Exchange provides a distinguished national stage to share discoveries, celebrate ingenuity, and build connections across generations, disciplines, and institutions.

Introduced as an expansion of the Innovation Exchange in 2023, Dr. Barry B. Bercu Biomedical University Inventor Prize honors exceptional university student inventions within the biomedical field. The Prize was created by the Bercu family in memoriam of Barry B. Bercu, FNAI a pediatric endocrinologist and visionary innovator, with an aim to recognize biomedical innovations that could serve as impactful solutions and increase quality of care for patients.

Apply for the Innovation Exchange today! Applicants who meet the eligibility for the Bercu Prize will automatically be considered for the award.

Bercu Prize Recipients

Anastasia Marx

University of Georgia, 2026

Louis DeRidder

MIT & Harvard University, 2025

Purva Gupta, Ketan Dighe, and Nivetha Gunaseelan

Pennsylvania State University, 2024

Requirements and Eligibility

  • The Bercu Prize is open to individuals and teams. If applying as a team, the team lead and two additional team members may attend the Annual Conference.
  • University inventors must be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral program of a NAI Member Institution. Check our Member Directory for a full list of Member Institutions.
  • University inventors will need an endorsement of support from their faculty advisor.
  • Student teams must express interest in the advancement of their innovation through patenting, licensing, or commercialization. 
  • The presented innovation must be relevant to the Annual Conference theme.

Prize

What is Dr. Barry B. Bercu Biomedical University Inventor Prize?

    • The Dr. Barry B. Bercu Biomedical Collegiate Inventor Prize will be awarded annually to an exceptional Student Showcase Participant whose invention is in the biomedical field. 
    • Cash prize awarded to the individual/team
    • Complimentary registration to the NAI Annual Meeting (up to 2 per team), valued at $1,500 each
    • NAI Mentorship through Global Academic Inventor Network (GAIN) 

Deadlines

  • Applications Open: October 27, 2026
  • Applications due: January 29, 2027
  • Finalists announced: End of March 2027
  • Student Showcase invitations sent: Early April 2027
  • Student Showcase: June 2027, held at the NAI Annual Conference
  • Award Winners announced: June 2027, during the NAI Annual Conference

Supplies & Showcase Requirements

What materials are required to showcase my work?

  • Trifold board (36” x 48”) – contact us if you require additional space
  • Logbook (if applicable)
  • Prototype (if applicable)
  • Past awards for display
  • Any additional supplies you may need (please bring with you)

A shipping address will be provided in advance if you need to send materials ahead of time. Each participant will need to share a list of required materials with conference organizers in advance of the conference.