iGEM is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology, education and competition, and the development of an open community and collaboration.
Every year, they hold an international competition, where teams from the high school to the graduate level can present their work and push the boundries of genetic engineering.
Genetic Engineering is really a broad term, lots of things can be considered genetic engineering (everything from selecting crops for desirable qualities, to trying to discover new therapies for inherited diseases using CRISPR.
Despite the name, iGEM is really a synthetic biology competition. Many of our tools and concepts, though, come from genetic engineering (think of Synthetic Biology as a subfield of Genetic Engineering).
"Synthetic biology uses much of the same techniques and equipment of the biological sciences, but instead of research and new discoveries, a synthetic biologist looks to co-opt and improve upon the genetic blueprints of existing organisms, to design and create novel biological devices and systems.
"… to manipulate organisms into bio-factories for the production of biofuels, the uptake of hazardous material in the environment, or creating biological circuits... [T]he Registry also provides physical parts through the Repository."
iGEM Website (https://igem.org/)
Although iGEM appears to be exclusive to those who pursue a career in biological sciences or engineering fields, students from multiple disciplines come together in iGEM. Teams will often have students from very diverse fields - such as computer science, digital art and design, physics, marketing and social sciences - in order to complete a project most efficiently. All teams are required to be supervised by an academic instructor or a primary investigator.
The Grand Jamboree is an annual event that takes place in the fall and showcases work from the iGEM season. All participating iGEM teams are invited to present their synthetic biology projects and compete for prizes. This event is a celebration of synthetic biology accomplishments, featuring presentations, poster sessions, workshops, and social events.
To learn more: https://competition.igem.org/