Competition
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Society for Science
Recognition
$3.1 million in awards distributed annually, including a $250,000 first-place prize; 2026 finalists received more than $1.8 million.
Deadline
Nov 5, 2026
The nation's oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school seniors, who submit original independent research plus a full application (essays, a max 20-page paper, recommendations, transcripts) for holistic review.
Eligibility
- Grade levels
- High school senior
- Citizenship
- Any
- Fields of study
- Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics, Computer science, Research
- Essay
- Required
Application requirements
- Confirm you are a graduating high school senior meeting STS eligibility
- Complete an original, independent research project: Research can be done at school, a research institution, in the field, or at home; often spans a year or more.
- Prepare a research report (max 20 pages) plus required short essays and application sections: Sections include about you, your project, prior research projects, and your activities.
- Obtain educator, project, and high school (transcript) recommendations
- Disclose all support received for the research project and application
- Submit the complete application online by the deadline: Application and all recommendations due November 5, 8PM ET, no exceptions. Test scores are optional.
Verified Jul 6, 2026 · View official source