2026 ASSIP Short Course: Aspiring Inventors' Program

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“This summer, become an inventor.”*
 

The 2026 Aspiring Inventor’s Fellowship Program is a 7-week intensive program where high school students work alongside George Mason University faculty and industry experts to invent, prototype, and pitch original solutions to real-world challenges in engineering, global health, social wellness, and sustainability.

This is not a lecture course. Students form teams, identify problems, build working prototypes, complete an official Patent Disclosure Form, and present their inventions at a public Graduation Symposium. Every student who completes the program earns a Certificate of Completion.

What You’ll Do

• Learn creativity, brainstorming, and need-statement development from proven GMU research faculty
• Use AI tools and 3D printing to design and build a working prototype
• Complete a real Patent Disclosure Form
• Attend a guest lecture on patent claims by a leading Patent Attorneys and Examiners
• Tour Mason’s Nanofabrication Lab and Clean Room, an experience most college students never receive
• Create a scientific research poster suitable for college applications and design competitions
• Pitch your invention at the Graduation Symposium before students, parents, and special guests
• Earn a Certificate of Completion

Access to World-Class Facilities

Students have in-building access to Mason’s Innovation Exchange Lab (MIX) including:

• 3D printing
• Microelectronics and wearable device design
• CAD/CAM computer design
• A fully equipped fabrication workshop

Proven Outcomes

In 7+ years of this program, Fellows have:

• Filed full utility patents
• Licensed inventions to companies
• Won national competitions including: the Conrad Challenge, ExploraVision, and Technovation
• Strengthened college and graduate school applications with real invention projects

Instructors: 

Marissa Howard, PhD — mhowar13@gmu.edu      

Lance A. Liotta, MD, PhD — lliotta@gmu.edu

How to Apply: Applications are OPEN on a rolling admissions basis. Application Link will be live on April 15, 2026. Every applicant must pay a $5 application fee, which may be waived based on financial need. Please contact Dr. Howard (mhowar13@gmu.edu) to obtain the application fee waiver, if needed, before you apply.  Upon acceptance, you will be prompted to pay course fees or request a need-based waiver.

APPLY HERE!

Team Smart Sleeve:2017Built By Girls Competition Finalist, 2017 Conrad Challenge Semi-Finalist ; Congressional App Challenge Finalist for VA’s 11th District ; 1st Place Technovation Regional Pitch Competition; Patent: A Noninvasive Wearable Biomechanical and Physiology Monitor for Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. Licensed by Phase II Staffing and Contracting, LLC. Manassas, VA  Full Utility Awarded 2020

Smart PD3: A Multi-Platform, High Performance Computational Diagnostic Tool for Parkinson’s Disease: 2018 Conrad Challenge Semi-Finalist

StrokeSave Alert System: A Novel, High Performance Mobile Application for Stroke Diagnosis using Deep Learning and Computer Vision": ExploraVisionHonorable Mention Award which is given to the top 10% of all ExploraVision projects submitted in 2019. ; Top 300 Regeneron STS Scholar;  2018 Congressional App Challenge Winner for Rep. Gerry Connelley.

Unbox: A Non-Invasive Mental Health Monitor and Support Network for Adolescents: Conrad Challenge 2019 Innovator (Round 1 & 2); Diamond Challenge 2020 2nd Place Social Innovation Pitching Finalist

Gotcha Back: A Novel Force-Sensing Detector for Long-term Spinal Injury in Backpack Users: Conrad Challenge 2019 Innovator (Round 1 & 2)

MicroCounter: A Novel Method for Calculating the Concentration of Microplastics in Water Samples using a Proprietary Neural Network: Conrad Challenge 2019 Round 1 Finalist

AppleADay: A Multidisciplinary Method for Diagnosis of Anxiety in Healthcare Workers Using Passive Tracking: Conrad Challenge 2020 Innovator (Round 1 & 2)