In late 1963, the editors of Industrial Research sifted through more than 10,000 new product announcements to cull out a thousand items for a 17 member Editorial Advisory Board to review and then single out the 100 most significant products of 1963. Products selected that year included such items as nine laser products (lasers had just been invented), graphite composites, superconducting materials, Polacolor instant film, a hypodermic microscope, and a “super-scale” computer capable of 3 million instructions/sec. These were the first “IR 100” winning products.

Over the years, the program became more formalized with an awards banquet, a new name (R&D 100 Awards in 1986), exhibits, national conferences, major media coverage, and speakers including astronauts, Nobel prize winners, President Bush, and other dignitaries.

The first IR 100 awards were presented exclusively to US-based industrial organizations. That changed to include R&D organizations that encompass government laboratories, universities, and foreign-based organizations.

There are several Far West Federal Laboratory winners for 2002. They include: Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL).

The deadline for 2003 R&D 100 Award competition is March 3, 2003. However, you may apply during the early bird period by February 3, 2003 in order to have your submission reviewed by the editors to see if any items have been omitted or if additional information might help the judges. If you meet the Early Bird deadline, you'll be notified by fax as to how you can improve your entry.

For more information visit their web page at: www.rdmag.com .