Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition

Scholarship Sponsored by Water Environment Federation

Introduction Founded in 1997 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) as a complement to the Stockholm Water Prize, the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) is recognized as the premier international honor for high school students who complete original water-related research projects. Who may enter (Eligibility) - Open to any high school student in grades 9–12 who has turned 15 on or before August 1 of the competition year and who has carried out a research project focused on water science. - Projects may be submitted by individuals or teams of up to two students. Project focus and research expectations - Projects should address ways to improve quality of life through enhancements to water quality, water-resource management, or water and wastewater treatment. Work may examine issues at the local, regional, national, or global level. - Submissions must follow a research-based approach: use accepted scientific methods for experimentation, monitoring, and documentation, and include appropriate statistical analysis where applicable. Key dates and deadlines - Regional winners and self-nominated entrants must submit into the State Competition by April 15, 2026. - State winners will receive instructions for advancing to the national level. Only state champions may move on to nationals. - The U.S. National SJWP competition will be conducted in two phases during May and June 2026. The initial virtual judging takes place during the first two weeks of May 2026; the in-person finals for the top 20 finalists will be held June 8–10, 2026 in Chicago, IL. - The International SJWP will occur at World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2026. State competition requirements and process - To compete at the state level, students must complete the online entry form (downloadable SJWP State Competition entry form) and upload their research paper electronically. - State competitions do not impose specific formatting requirements for the paper, but uploaded files must not exceed 2 MB. - If a project is a two-student team, only one team member should submit the entry online but must provide information for both participants. - A panel of water professionals will review submitted papers and, when needed, conduct interviews at science fairs to identify the top water-research project from each state. - State winners will be posted on www.sjwp.org in May of the competition year. State winners must be available for the U.S. National Competition: all state winners will participate in the virtual national judging during the first two weeks of May 2026; the top 20 will be invited to the in-person U.S. finals in Chicago (June 8–10, 2026). National competition requirements State champions advancing to nationals must: - Complete the national online entry form and upload their research paper by the specified May deadline. (Refer to the deadline at the top of this page.) Papers submitted to nationals must comply with the National Paper Guidelines to be considered. - Provide a short video (about 2 minutes and 20 seconds) explaining the project. - Be available for the first-round virtual national judging during the first two weeks of May 2026. - If selected among the top 20, attend the in-person U.S. National finals in Chicago, June 8–10, 2026. Assessment and selection Judges evaluate entries using six criteria: 1. Relevance 2. Creativity 3. Methodology 4. Subject knowledge 5. Practical skills 6. Report and presentation At the national level, judges will weigh both the written paper and the student’s ownership and understanding of the project as demonstrated in the video presentation when choosing the national winner. International competition - The U.S. National SJWP champion (at least one member of the winning team) must be available to represent the United States at the International SJWP during World Water Week in Stockholm, hosted by SIWI, in August 2026. - If the national winner is unable to attend the international event, the award and opportunity will be passed to the first runner-up. Contact and further information - Official state winner announcements and additional details will be posted at www.sjwp.org.