Three-hundred seniors from 173 high schools across the country were named semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2011, a program of Society for Science & the Public on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.

The Intel Science Talent Search encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills to solve the problems of tomorrow. Projects submitted for consideration cover all disciplines of science, including biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, behavioral science, and medicine, and health.

Semifinalists were selected from 1,744 entrants and hail from 30 states and the District of Columbia. To learn about specific semifinalists and view a state by state breakdown, visitwww.societyforscience.org/sts.

On Jan. 26, 40 of the 300 semifinalists will be named as finalists and receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. from March 10-15. They will compete for more than $630,000 in awards provided by the Intel Foundation. Each finalist receives at least $7,500. The winners will be selected based on rigorous judging sessions and announced at a black-tie gala award ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 15. The top award is $100,000; the remaining top 10 will receive awards totaling $305,000.