Indian-Americans failed to win the 2015 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge even as five of them made it to the final ten in the competition to develop scientific plans to solve everyday problems. The top prize of USD 25,000 and an "adventure trip" went to Hannah Herbst, 14, a Grade 8 student from of Boca Raton, Florida at the finals St. Paul.

She developed an Ocean Energy Probe that aims to provide a stable power source and fresh water to developing countries around the globe by using untapped energy from ocean currents. Last year 14-year-old Sahil Doshi, an Indian-American ninth grader from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was named America's top young scientist for his innovative, eco-friendly battery design. Among the five Indian-American finalists this year, Raghav Ganesh, 13, a 7th grader from San Jose, California has invented a device that predicts and prevents Autistic Meltdowns to help those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and their caregivers.

Monitoring physiological and environmental factors that can cause and trigger stress, Raghav's wireless and wearable machine alerts the wearer and caregiver when any stressors rise above a certain threshold. His invention allows care to be tailored to individuals' needs by recording all sensory data and therapeutic responses. Raghav hopes his invention can help many people in daily situations, catering to the Autistic population and their caregivers. With a goal of preventing distractions while trying to concentrate, Amulya Garimella, 11, a Grade 6 student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has invented a distraction monitoring system that alerts the user of distraction by measuring EEG brainwaves.