IVSS Badges

Reports submitted to the International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) are reviewed by a team of judges. After reviewing a project, IVSS judges evaluate each report by awarding the project either a one, two, three or four-star student research badge. Judges may also award optional, theme-specific badges to students if their reports meet the given criteria.

Reports that meet an established threshold—in most years, a four-star research badge and at least two optional badges—are eligible for a random drawing to receive a stipend or other award. 

Below are the badges that are available for the 2026 Symposium.
 

Badge for All IVSS Projects

 
I AM A STUDENT RESEARCHER

 All students who submit a report to the IVSS receive an "I am a Student       Researcher" badge. As such, students can earn up to four badges total.

The research incorporates NASA satellite mission data to investigate the research question(s). Students explain how NASA satellite data is incorporated into their research project and used to answer the research question(s).

I AM AN EARTH SYSTEM SCIENTIST

The report clearly describes the interconnectedness of Earth's spheres on the research question and applies multiple GLOBE protocols, or GLOBE Protocol Bundles, to investigate the research question. The research team clearly explains the dynamic and interconnected nature of Earth's systems and the processes that influence and depend on one another through the analysis and interpretation of GLOBE and Earth system science data. 

I AM A PROBLEM SOLVER

While working on environmental investigations, students may learn how they can be part of possible solutions to the problems they are investigating. This badge will be awarded to reports that demonstrate how GLOBE students are using Earth system science for a better world.

I AM A COLLABORATOR

All team members are listed including students from the same school or schools from around the world, along with clearly defined roles, how these roles support one another, and descriptions of each student's contribution. The descriptions clearly indicate the advantages of the collaboration. If the students collaborated with students from another school, describe how working with other schools improved the research. 

I WORK WITH A STEM PROFESSIONAL

The report clearly describes collaboration with a STEM professional that enhanced the research methods, contributed to improved precision and supported more sophisticated analyses and interpretations of results.  

I AM AN ENGINEER

The report uses student-generated sources of evidence to describe an engineering problem, looks at solutions through engineering or optimizes a design to address a real-world problem, and describes the potential impact of the engineering principles on the environment.

I AM A STEM STORYTELLER

The report describes or shows how the students shared the story of their research in a creative way. This could be through a dramatic interpretation, a blog, Instagram post, artist rendering or any other way to creatively share what the students learned.