Regeneron Science Talent Search

Seniors who have done their own research project with real data and results, in any science, math, or engineering field. Citizenship is not required, which matters for undocumented and international students in U.S. schools.

• Living in and attending the last year of secondary school in the U.S. or its territories, regardless of citizenship
• U.S. citizens living abroad may also apply
• Students at American schools abroad who are not U.S. citizens are not eligible
• Homeschooled students are eligible but must contact Society for Science to be added to the school lookup and provide course documentation as a transcript
• Research must be independent and individual; team projects cannot be split into separate entries
• The project must have collected data and produced results; proposals and literature reviews alone are not eligible

• $2,000 to each of 300 Scholars, plus $2,000 to each Scholar's school
• At least $25,000 to each of the 40 Finalists
• Top ten awards from $40,000 for tenth place to $250,000 for first place
• Finalists attend a week-long program in Washington, D.C. and present research to government and scientific leaders
• A t-shirt, laptop sticker, and one-year Science News subscription for every on-time entrant

• Original scientific research paper, maximum 20 pages
• Essay questions about your project and yourself
• Teacher and mentor recommendations, due by the same 8pm ET deadline
• Official transcripts
• Standardized test scores are optional
• Generative AI may not write your essays or draft your research report; AI used in the research itself must be disclosed

• Do not assume you need a multi-year lab project. Society for Science notes some successful projects took as little as six weeks.
• Enter recommenders into the system early. Their letters are due at the same deadline as your application, at 8pm ET.
• Every applicant who submits by the November deadline gets a t-shirt, laptop sticker, and a one-year Science News subscription, so nobody walks away empty-handed.
• If your school is not in the lookup system, especially for homeschoolers, contact Society for Science weeks ahead. That fix is not instant.
• If you are named a Scholar, your school also receives $2,000. Mention that to a teacher who might help you polish the paper.

About 2,600 students apply each year. The 300 Scholars are chosen from all entrants, and the top 40 Finalists are selected from those Scholars. The most recent cycle drew the largest applicant pool since 1967. Winners are determined through interviews with a panel of PhD scientists.