Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition

Scholarship Sponsored by Water Environment Federation

Introduction The U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP), established in 1997 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) as a companion to the Stockholm Water Prize, recognizes outstanding high school research in water science. It is widely regarded as the premier international award for secondary-school students who undertake water-focused research projects. Who may enter (Eligibility) - Open to high school students in grades 9–12 who are at least 15 years old by August 1 of the competition year. - Individual entries or teams of up to two students are permitted. - Projects must be research-focused and address water-related topics such as improving water quality, water resources management, or water and wastewater treatment; studies may target local, regional, national, or global problems. - Work should follow accepted scientific practice for experimentation, monitoring, reporting and include appropriate statistical analysis. Important dates and submission information (2026) - The 2026 State Competition submission portal is now open. Projects must be submitted by April 15, 2026. - Regional winners and self-nominated students must register for their State Competition by April 15, 2026. - State winners will receive instructions for advancing to the U.S. National Competition. Only State Competition winners are eligible to move forward. - The U.S. National SJWP will be a two-phase event in May–June 2026. The virtual judging round will take place during the first two weeks of May 2026; the top 20 finalists will advance to an in-person national final on June 8–10, 2026 in Chicago, IL. - The international SJWP takes place during World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2026. - State winners are announced online at www.sjwp.org in May. State Competition requirements - To compete at the state level, entrants must complete the online entry form (refer to the SJWP State Competition entry form for required information) and upload their research paper electronically. - State-level submissions do not follow a strict paper format, but uploaded files must not exceed 2 MB. - If a team enters, only one team member should submit the project online but must include full information for both team members. - Selection of state winners is based on the submitted papers and, in some cases, interviews conducted at science fairs; judging panels are composed of water professionals. - State winners must be available to participate in the U.S. National Competition. National Competition requirements - State winners advancing to nationals must complete the national online entry form and submit their research paper by the May deadline (see the specific May deadline on the competition page). Papers must conform to the National Paper Guidelines to be eligible. - A short video (approximately 2 minutes 20 seconds) describing the project is required. - Competitors must be available for the virtual U.S. National Competition during the first two weeks of May 2026. If they reach the top 20, they must also be available to attend the in-person final in Chicago on June 8–10, 2026. - Judges will evaluate national entries using the competition’s six assessment criteria and will give significant weight to both the research paper quality and the student’s demonstrated project knowledge and ownership in the video presentation. - The national winner (at least one team member, if applicable) must be able to travel to Stockholm to represent the U.S. at the International SJWP during World Water Week; if the winner is unavailable, the award will be passed to the first runner-up. Judging criteria, paper guidance and safety - Entries are judged on six factors: relevance, creativity, methodology, subject knowledge, practical skills, and quality of the report/presentation. Compared with many other science contests, this competition places greater emphasis on the scientific research paper than on poster presentations. - Detailed Judging Criteria and Research Paper Guidelines are provided (PDFs available on the competition site) to help entrants prepare their submissions. - Students are encouraged to consult the ISEF Rules Wizard to confirm that their proposed procedures follow safe-handling practices; returning the forms generated by that tool is not required. Contact and submission - The 2026 State Competition portal is open now — please submit projects through the state portal by April 15, 2026. - For further information, contact Alison Hayden.