TOMMY AWARDS®
ABOUT THE TOMMY
Supporting & Rewarding Innovation
The TOMMY is an award created by the Edison Innovation Foundation for distribution to candidates who have invented innovative products or services, especially those who have used innovation to benefit humanity, like Thomas Edison did. There are no age, gender or nationality limitations to who can receive this award.
The first TOMMYs were given to the winners of an Innovator of the Year contest run by the National Museum of Education and has continued for over twenty years. The Edison Innovation Foundation has sponsored many of these awards over the years, along with partnering organizations such as Intel, The National Gallery for America's Young Inventors, and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
If you are a company or foundation interested in partnering with the Edison Innovation Foundation to sponsor your own TOMMY award for innovation, reach out to us here.
Our Mission:
"The Edison Innovation Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the Edison Legacy and encourages students (including women and minorities) to embrace careers in science, technology, and engineering and is committed to educating the next generation of great innovators while using Edison and his Invention Factory as the foundation."
Below are the most recent TOMMY AWARDS given for innovation in science, technology, medicine, and more.
Edison TOMMY Humanitarian Award 2020
HARRY T ROMAN
Author, Inventor, Teacher & Thomas Edison Expert
Harry Roman was presented with our 2020 TOMMY Humanitarian Award for his dedication and philanthropy in education. After a 36-year career at PSE&G and as an inventor of twelve United States patents, Roman is more than an inventor. From authoring our blog and many science books to helping birth the Edison Pitch Contest to volunteering many hours at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and NJ schools, it’s his willingness to contribute back to the New Jersey community which highlights his humanitarian success.
Edison TOMMY Humanitarian Award 2019
SAFE WATER NETWORK
Tom Gibbons, Kurt Soderlund, and Josh Weston
Safe Water Network develops a "safe water station" in third world countries, such as Ghana and India, which delivers reliable and affordable drinking water to communities in need through innovative technology and operations systems that provide economic drive to communities. Their network acts as an innovation lab to simplify operations, lower costs, and standardize their model for replication.
NMOE Edison Innovation Award 2020
NEEL & POOJA JAIN
Sky Hound: A Low-Cost 3D Printed Autonomous WiFi Tracking Search Drone to Locate Missing Victims of Natural Disasters
ESHIKA SAXENA
Hemacam: A Mobile Phone Microscopy System for Automated Screening of Hematological Diseases Using Computer Vision Techniques and Convolutional Neural Networks
MELANIE QUAN
Plastaligix: Developing a Sustainable Cycle of Compostable and Water-Soluble Plastics Using Waste Products of Algae-Based Biofuels
AUDRIE JULES BAKERSON
Non-Intrusive Antigen/Antibody Allergy Test
NADIA ANSARI
Systems and Methods for Providing Cold Laser Therapy to a Patient in a Hands-Free Manner
ASHNA SHAH
Optimizing Electrode Pores Utilizing the Immiscible Polymer Blend PAN-PS for Low-Cost, High Energy Density, Wide Temperature Range Supercapacitors
Every year, the National Gallery for America's Young Inventors presents 6 TOMMY Awards to young inventors whose ideals hold promise to create positive impact on our society.
Notre Dame Edison Innovation Award 2019
TRUNG T. NGUYEN
Diabetic Foot Ulcer Drug
Each year, The University of Notre Dame presents the TOMMY award to one graduate student or postdoctoral researcher who embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Thomas Edison and has worked on steps of innovation with their project.
NJIT Edison Innovation Award 2019
ALISSA LOPEZ
Student, Sincere Sitter
THOMAS WIGGINS
CEO of Auraponics
The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Business center hosts the NJIT Acceleration Challenge. Two TOMMY awards are given to an NJIT student and an entrepreneur in the community.
Interested in sponsoring a TOMMY Innovation Award for your company?
Email us at
or fill out the form below
CURRENT WINNERS