This is your chance to share your ideas widely! The ideas that advance to the final round will be publicly posted on the NSF Innovation in Graduate Education Challenge website. Individual ideas as well as analysis of all the ideas could be published, shared with the press, institutions of higher education, other federal agencies, professional societies, and additional organizations interested in higher education. It is hoped that submissions will help inform future direction at NSF and more broadly.

Winners will be contacted by mid June.

Ideas do not have to be one of a kind. Innovation can come from improvements or new perspectives on previous ideas.

Viable does not have to mean inexpensive or easy to implement, but it does have to be within the limits of reason or within the limits of reason over a period of time.

No. This is an idea challenge only.

When registering for the contest, team leaders may list a number of team members for acknowledgment, as well as a team name. All team members must satisfy the Eligibility Criteria. There is no limit to the size of your team, but you will only be able to list the names of up to 50 individuals in the online submission form. If you wish to submit on behalf of a larger team (for example, a larger student group or club) simply cite the name of the group in the entry form.

No. Individuals may only submit one idea whether it is individually or as part of a team.

No. Once you submit an idea to the contest it is considered a final submission and cannot be revised or replaced.

See the Participants’ Guide for a full listing of eligible STEM disciplines within the mission of NSF. Graduate students pursuing clinical research are not eligible to apply.