The largest scholarships for high school students who do research are Regeneron STS (up to $250,000), Regeneron ISEF (up to $75,000), the Davidson Fellows Scholarship ($25,000 to $100,000) and JSHS (up to $12,000 per national category winner), and every one of them requires a finished research project with results, not just an idea. The table below lists each award with its amount, who can enter and the 2026 to 2027 deadline, taken from the official pages as of November 2026.
We left out general scholarships that do not reward research, such as leadership and essay awards. Every program here judges a student's own project.
Research scholarships at a glance
| Award | Amount | Who is eligible | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regeneron Science Talent Search | $2,000 to each of 300 scholars; finalists at least $25,000; first place $250,000 | Students in their final year of high school, living in the U.S. or territories (any citizenship), or U.S. citizens abroad; individual projects only | November 5, 2026, 8 p.m. ET |
| Regeneron ISEF | Grand Awards $6,000, $2,400, $1,200 and $600 per category; two $75,000 Regeneron Young Scientist Awards; $50,000 Gordon E. Moore Award | Grades 9 to 12 who win a top prize at a Society-affiliated fair | Set by your affiliated fair; ISEF 2027 is in May 2027 in Los Angeles |
| JSHS | Regional $2,000, $1,500, $1,000; national oral $12,000, $8,000, $4,000 per category | Grades 9 to 12, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Regional deadlines vary; national symposium April 20 to 25, 2027 |
| Davidson Fellows Scholarship | $100,000, $50,000 or $25,000 | Age 18 or under, U.S. citizen or permanent resident living in the U.S. | February 17, 2027, 11:59 p.m. PT |
| U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize | $10,000 cash to the national winner | Grades 9 to 12, at least 15 by August 1, water-related research | State deadlines vary; check the official page |
| Breakthrough Junior Challenge | $250,000 scholarship, plus $50,000 for a teacher and a $100,000 school lab | Ages 13 to 18, worldwide, except sanctioned countries | 2026 closed September 15, 2026; check the official page for 2027 |
| YRI Global Research Proposal Competition 2027 | First place: full YRI Fellowship scholarship valued at $2,997; second and third: 50% scholarship | Grades 8 to 12, worldwide, free to enter | January 10, 2027 |
Amounts for STS, ISEF and JSHS come from each program's current rules and award pages. Programs can change amounts between years, so confirm on the official page before you plan around a number.
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Regeneron STS, established in 1942 and run by Society for Science, is the oldest science and math competition for high school seniors. About $3.1 million is awarded each year.
- Scholars: each of the top 300 receives $2,000, and their school receives $2,000 per scholar.
- Finalists: the top 40 get an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. and at least $25,000. The top ten awards range from $40,000 to $250,000.
- Eligibility: students must be in their final year of secondary school and may enter only once. Research must be individual; team projects are not eligible.
- What you submit: a written research report on completed, original research. The rules state that research proposals, unfinished investigations, literature reviews and essays are not eligible, and the report must be written without AI tools.
The 2027 application closes November 5, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET. Scholars are announced January 7, 2027, finalists on January 21, and Finals Week runs March 11 to 17, 2027.
The rules allow research completed in any year of high school, so a student can build the project as a sophomore or junior and submit it as a senior. Our Regeneron STS guide covers how the application is judged.
Regeneron ISEF
The International Science and Engineering Fair is the largest high school research competition. Students cannot apply directly: they qualify by winning a top prize at a Society-affiliated local, regional, state or national fair, so the deadline that matters is your affiliated fair's.
At ISEF, finalists compete for Grand Awards in each category ($6,000 for first, $2,400 for second, $1,200 for third and $600 for fourth, split equally for teams), two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $75,000 each, and the Gordon E. Moore Award of $50,000. Hundreds of finalists also win special awards from outside organizations, including scholarships and internships. Society for Science reported more than $7 million in awards and prizes at the 2026 fair.
ISEF 2027 is in Los Angeles in May 2027. Affiliated fairs come first, so the project has to be finished well before then. See how to qualify for ISEF and our science fair deadlines for 2026 to 2027.
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
JSHS is a federally sponsored research competition for students in grades 9 to 12. Students submit a research paper to one regional symposium, chosen by the location of their school, and present it. Regional winners advance to the national symposium, which runs April 20 to 25, 2027 in Chantilly, Virginia.
| Level | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional | $2,000 | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| National oral, per category | $12,000 | $8,000 | $4,000 |
| National poster, per category | $550 cash | $450 cash | $350 cash |
A few details families should know. Scholarships are paid to the college, not the student, and national awards are paid in four yearly installments. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled full time, and the total any one student can win is capped at $30,000. A student may also present work done for a class, a science fair or a summer program.
Regional deadlines vary. Registrations generally open between October and January, and regional symposia are held in January and February. Our guide to how to win JSHS explains the oral presentation format.
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $100,000, $50,000 or $25,000 to students 18 or younger who have completed a significant piece of work. Categories are Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy and Outside the Box.
- Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents living in the U.S., or stationed overseas on active U.S. military duty. Two-person teams may apply and split the award.
- What does not qualify: projects without data, literature reviews, community service, and projects involving live vertebrates.
- What you need: two nominators who are not family members, a parent approval form, and the category requirements. Submissions are checked with plagiarism and AI-text detection.
- Deadline: February 17, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Winners attend an awards reception in Washington, D.C. in September, with travel covered, and the money stays available for 10 years. Read how to win the Davidson Fellows Scholarship for what reviewers look for.
U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize
This competition, run in the U.S. by the Water Environment Federation, is for water-related research projects. It is open to all high school students in grades 9 through 12 who are at least 15 by August 1 of the competition year. Teams of two may enter, and any student may self-nominate for their state competition.
Regional rounds are held in winter and state rounds in spring. The U.S. winner receives $10,000 and a crystal trophy and goes on to the international competition in Stockholm. State deadlines are not listed on the national page, so check your state's entry portal.
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is different from the rest of this list: students submit a short video explaining a scientific idea, rather than original research. It is open worldwide to students aged 13 to 18, except in countries under comprehensive U.S. sanctions. The winner receives a $250,000 post-secondary scholarship, their teacher $50,000, and their school a $100,000 science lab.
The 2026 round closed September 15, 2026. Check the official page for 2027 dates. See how to win the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
YRI Global Research Proposal Competition 2027
Most awards above need results. This one does not. The YRI Global Research Proposal Competition 2027, also called the YRI Global Essay Competition, asks students to submit a research proposal of up to 1,000 words on any subject.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Prize | First place: a full YRI Fellowship scholarship, valued at $2,997. Second and third: a 50% Fellowship scholarship each |
| Eligibility | Grades 8 to 12, worldwide |
| Cost | Free to enter |
| Deadline | January 10, 2027 |
The prize is a tuition scholarship to the Fellowship, not cash. It pays for 10 weeks of 1:1 work with a PhD mentor to turn the proposal into a first-author paper. Details and the entry form are on the competition page.
What every research scholarship has in common
Read the rules side by side and one pattern stands out: the money goes to students who have already finished the work.
| Award | What the rules require |
|---|---|
| Regeneron STS | Completed individual research; no proposals or literature reviews |
| Regeneron ISEF | A top prize at an affiliated fair first |
| JSHS | A written research paper, presented at a regional symposium |
| Davidson Fellows | A significant piece of work with data |
| Stockholm Junior Water Prize | A completed water research project, advanced through state |
That means the deadline that matters is not the scholarship deadline. It is the date the research has to be finished. For STS, that is the fall of senior year. For JSHS, it is winter, when regional symposia run, and for ISEF it is your local fair's date.
Working back from those dates, a student aiming for these awards should start a year or more ahead, ideally with a mentor who knows the field. That is how the YRI Fellowship is built: 10 weeks 1:1 with a PhD mentor, ending in a first-author paper submitted to peer-reviewed IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venues, with ISEF and JSHS preparation included. 87% of Fellows publish and 73% place at competitions. The same paper can go to STS, ISEF, JSHS and Davidson, and it supports college applications even before any award comes in.
Which awards fit which grade
| Grade | Awards open now | What to do this year |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 8 | YRI Global Research Proposal Competition, Davidson (no minimum age), Breakthrough (from age 13) | Enter a proposal; start reading in a field |
| Grades 9 to 10 | ISEF (through local fairs), JSHS, Davidson, Stockholm Junior Water Prize, Breakthrough, YRI competition | Finish a first project by winter |
| Grade 11 | All of the above | Compete at fairs; build the project STS will see |
| Grade 12 | Regeneron STS (one entry only), plus all of the above | Submit to STS in the fall, then fairs and Davidson |
Download the YRI Fellowship brochure
The program, the outcomes, the mentors and the tuition, in one PDF you can read with your family.
Related guides
- The complete ISEF guide
- JSHS round by round
- How to win science fairs
- Fellowships for high school students
- Free research programs for high school students
- How research helps college applications
Frequently Asked Questions
What scholarships are there for high school students who do research?
The main ones are Regeneron STS, Regeneron ISEF, JSHS, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship and the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize. All reward a student's own completed research project.
What is the biggest science fair scholarship?
The Regeneron STS first-place award is $250,000, and the Breakthrough Junior Challenge also awards a $250,000 scholarship for a science video. At ISEF, the two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards are $75,000 each.
Can a 9th grader win a research scholarship?
Yes. ISEF, JSHS and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize are open from grade 9, and Davidson is open to anyone 18 or younger. Regeneron STS is for seniors only, but research from any year of high school can be submitted.
Do international students qualify for these scholarships?
Most are U.S.-only. JSHS and Davidson require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, and STS requires U.S. residence or U.S. citizenship. ISEF entry depends on having a Society-affiliated fair you can enter, and the Breakthrough Junior Challenge and the YRI Global Research Proposal Competition are open worldwide.
Is the money paid in cash?
It depends. STS scholar awards are mailed to the student and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize is a cash prize, while JSHS scholarships go directly to the student's college. The YRI competition prize is a tuition scholarship to the Fellowship with no cash value.
When is the Regeneron STS 2027 deadline?
November 5, 2026 at 8 p.m. Eastern. Scholars are announced January 7, 2027 and finalists January 21, 2027.
How do I get a research project good enough to win?
Start at least a year before the deadline, pick one specific question, and work with someone who knows the field. The YRI Fellowship pairs students 1:1 with a PhD mentor for 10 weeks, ending in a first-author paper submitted to a peer-reviewed venue, with ISEF and JSHS preparation included. Applying takes 10 minutes and there is no fee.
Sources
- Society for Science: Regeneron Science Talent Search (2027 dates, total awards)
- Regeneron STS Official Rules (eligibility, scholar, school and finalist awards, research report rules)
- Society for Science: Regeneron ISEF (2027 location, qualifying through affiliated fairs, 2026 award total)
- Society for Science: ISEF Awards (Grand Awards, Young Scientist Awards, Gordon E. Moore Award, eligibility)
- JSHS: Scholarships and Awards (regional and national amounts, cap, payment rules)
- JSHS: National Symposium (2027 dates and location)
- JSHS: Core Rules of Competition 2026 to 2027 (grades 9 to 12, citizenship, regional schedule)
- Davidson Institute: Fellows Scholarship (amounts, categories)
- Davidson Institute: Fellows Scholarship eligibility (age, citizenship, data requirement, deadline)
- Davidson Institute: How to Apply (February 17, 2027 deadline, nominators, AI detection)
- Water Environment Federation: U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (prize, grades, age, teams)
- Breakthrough Junior Challenge: homepage (prizes, 2026 deadline)
- Breakthrough Junior Challenge: Official Rules (age range, sanctioned countries)
- YRI Global Research Proposal Competition 2027 (prizes, eligibility, deadline)