Amin, a ninth-grader at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater, New Jersey, won the "Smithsonian Young Innovator" award for his project that found turmeric powder has the potential to help reduce inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. The project and his presentation also won him the overall fourth place in the challenge finals.

Grover, an eighth grader at Paul W Bell Middle School in Miami, Florida, who discovered that garden snail can be controlled by an enzyme of papaya fruit more environmental-friendly than pesticides, was given the "Smithsonian Young Naturalist" award.The Smithsonian Institution in Washington is a national centre for research dedicated to public education, national service and scholarship in the arts, sciences and history.

The other Indian Americans, who qualified for the all-expense-paid trip to Washington for the finals were: Mariam Rahila Shaikh, a ninth grader at the Parkview Magnet High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, Nadia Aftab Shaikh, ninth grade student at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, New York and Shaleen Tarun Cholera, an eighth grader at White Station Middle School in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 40 finalists were divided into teams and they were given various challenges. One challenge was to use their communication and research skills to interpret a Smithsonian Institution exhibit.The finalists were selected from 400 semifinalists, who included some 25 South Asians.

- nriol.com report