Regeneron Science Talent Search 2027: $3.1 Million in Scholarships for US High School Senior Researchers

Regeneron Science Talent Search 2027: $3.1 Million in Scholarships for US High School Senior Researchers

The Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS) is the oldest and most respected science and mathematics competition for high school seniors in the United States. Run by the nonprofit Society for Science and titled by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, it has recognized young researchers since 1942, when it began as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Over the decades its alumni have gone on to earn Nobel Prizes, National Medals of Science, MacArthur Fellowships, and other high honors. For a graduating senior who has completed a serious, independent research project, it is one of the strongest recognitions available before college.

This page explains what the competition offers, who qualifies, how the application works, what materials you need, when the deadlines fall, and how to prepare a competitive entry. All monetary figures and dates below come from Society for Science’s official pages for the current cycle. Where a detail is not published in exact form, that is stated plainly rather than guessed.

Key Details at a Glance

Note on naming: the cycle with an application deadline of November 5, 2026 is the competition whose finalists compete in March 2027, so it is commonly referred to as Regeneron STS 2027. If you are a senior in the 2026 to 2027 school year, this is your cycle.

What the Competition Offers

Regeneron STS rewards students at three levels, and the money is meaningful at every step.

First, out of the full applicant pool, 300 students are named Regeneron STS Scholars. Each Scholar receives a $2,000 award, and each Scholar’s school also receives $2,000 in recognition of the environment that supported the student’s work. Being named a Scholar is itself a national distinction that carries weight on college applications and beyond.

Second, from those 300 Scholars, 40 students are selected as Regeneron STS Finalists. Each Finalist receives a minimum award of $25,000 and a week-long, expenses-covered trip to Washington, D.C., where they present their research, meet leading scientists, and undergo a rigorous judging process.

Third, during Finals Week the top 10 Finalists compete for the largest awards. Based on Society for Science’s published award structure, the first-place prize is $250,000, second place is $175,000, and third place is $150,000, with the remaining top-10 awards ranging from roughly $40,000 to $100,000. Altogether, Society for Science distributes about $3.1 million to students and their schools each year.

These are unrestricted awards, which means recipients can apply the money toward college tuition, research costs, or other needs. Combined with the prestige of the name, the financial support makes this one of the most valuable pre-college honors in the country.

Who It Fits

Regeneron STS is a strong match for a specific kind of student: a high school senior who has already done real, original research and can communicate it clearly. It is not a test-based competition or a general scholarship you fill out in an afternoon. The center of the application is a research project you personally designed and carried out.

You are likely a good fit if you have spent a summer, a school year, or longer working on an independent investigation, whether in a university lab, a company, a research institute, a school program, or on your own. Fields span the sciences broadly: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, environmental science, behavioral and social sciences, medicine and health, and more. Judges value original thinking, sound methodology, and the ability to explain why the work matters, so the project does not need a large budget or fancy equipment to be competitive. Some of the strongest entries come from purely computational, mathematical, or theoretical work.

If you are earlier in high school, you are not yet eligible to apply, but you can begin building the research experience now so you are ready in your senior year. Many Scholars started their projects as juniors or even sophomores.

Eligibility

According to the official rules and Society for Science’s pages, eligibility centers on being a graduating high school senior and having done qualifying independent research.

• You must be a high school senior, meaning a student in the last year of secondary school (typically 12th grade).
• You must be living in and attending your final year of secondary school in the United States or its territories. US citizens living abroad may also qualify. Eligibility is based on your school situation rather than your citizenship.
• You must have completed an original, independent research project in science, mathematics, or engineering. Research conducted during any year of high school is eligible.
• The research must be individual. Even if you and another student worked on different parts of the same experiment, the official rules treat that as team research, which is not eligible for Regeneron STS.
• Age and consent requirements apply: you generally must be over 13 with legal parental or guardian consent to submit and participate, or 18 or older, or an emancipated minor.

Because eligibility details and any exceptions can change year to year, always confirm against the current Official Rules PDF linked from the competition site before you rely on any single point. If a specific situation is unclear, contact Society for Science directly rather than assuming.

The Application Process

The application is submitted individually through Society for Science’s online portal at sciencetalentsearch.smapply.org. There is no application fee. Applications are only accepted through the online system and must be properly submitted by the deadline, so plan to finish well before the cutoff rather than at the last minute.

The application is a holistic package. Judges do not look only at the research paper; they evaluate you as an emerging scientist across everything you submit. The main components are the research report, a set of short essays and questions about you and your work, letters of recommendation, and your high school report including an official transcript. You will also disclose all support you received on the project, describe prior research projects and activities, and may submit optional test scores.

Selection happens in stages. From the full pool, 300 Scholars are named in January. From those, 40 Finalists are chosen and invited to Washington, D.C. for Finals Week in March, where in-person judging determines the top 10 and the final award order.

Required Materials

Prepare each of these carefully, because the application is reviewed as a whole.

Research report. This is the heart of the application: a written description of your original, independent research project. Society for Science publishes Research Report Guidelines each cycle that specify the required structure and length limits. Do not treat the report as a formality. It should present a clear question, a sound method, honest results, and a thoughtful discussion of significance and limitations. The exact page limit is set in the official guidelines for the current year, so check that document rather than relying on memory or older figures.

Short essays and questions. The application includes short essays and questions that ask about you, your project, your prior research, and how you spend your time. These give judges a sense of your curiosity, your character, and how you think beyond the single project. Answer them specifically and in your own voice.

Recommendations. You can request up to two recommendations from educators who can speak to your academic ability and potential in the sciences, and up to two from people who know your research closely, such as a lab head, professor, or research mentor. Separately, your school counselor or administrator provides a high school report that includes your official transcript and academic standing. Ask your recommenders early and give them the context they need to write with detail.

High school report and transcript. An official transcript and academic report submitted by your school completes the recommendation set and confirms your standing.

Disclosures. You must disclose all support you received on the research and application, including mentors, facilities, funding, and any assistance. Accurate disclosure is required and reflects the integrity the competition expects.

Timeline and Deadline

For the current cycle, Society for Science has published the following schedule:

• June 1, 2026: Application opens.
• November 5, 2026, 8:00 PM ET: Application deadline. Everything must be properly submitted through the online system by this time.
• January 7, 2027: The 300 Scholars are announced.
• January 21, 2027: The 40 Finalists are announced.
• March 11 to 17, 2027: Finals Week in Washington, D.C., with the awards ceremony on March 16, 2027.

The single date that matters most for applicants is the November 5, 2026 deadline. Recommendations and the school report depend on other people, so working backward from early November, you should be lining up recommenders and drafting your report by late summer or early fall. Submitting a few days early protects you against portal problems, file-upload issues, or a recommender who runs late.

Preparation Strategy

The students who do well here tend to start early and revise often.

Begin with the research itself. A competitive entry rests on a genuine, independent project, so the earlier you find a question you care about and a mentor or setting to pursue it in, the stronger your position. If you are reading this as a junior, use the summer before senior year to push your project toward a real result.

Write the report as a scientist writing for scientists, but keep it readable. Judges review many papers, so clarity wins. State your question plainly, explain your method so it could be reproduced, present results honestly including anything that did not work, and be specific about why the work matters and where it could go next. Have a mentor and at least one person outside your field read a draft; if a non-specialist cannot follow your motivation, tighten it.

Treat the essays as a chance to show how you think, not to repeat your resume. Judges want to understand your scientific curiosity and character. Give concrete examples rather than general claims.

Choose recommenders who can write with specific detail about your work and potential, and give them your report, your timeline, and enough lead time to write well. A vague letter from a famous name is weaker than a detailed letter from the mentor who watched you troubleshoot your experiment.

Finally, read the current Official Rules and the Research Report Guidelines closely and follow them exactly. Formatting and length requirements are set each year, and following them is part of demonstrating that you can do careful work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Starting the paperwork too late. The research takes months, and recommendations and transcripts depend on other people. Waiting until October to begin is the most common way strong students end up with a weak submission.
• Blurring individual and team research. Regeneron STS requires individual research. If parts of your project were done jointly with another student, the rules may treat it as team research and disqualify it. Understand this boundary before you build your application around a project.
• Writing a report that only an insider can follow. Judges span many fields. If your motivation and significance are buried in jargon, your work will not land. Explain why it matters in plain terms.
• Ignoring the official guidelines. Length limits, structure, and disclosure requirements are published each year. Missing them signals carelessness in a competition that rewards precision.
• Underestimating disclosure. Failing to fully disclose support, mentorship, or resources undermines credibility. Be complete and honest.
• Treating the essays as an afterthought. The application is holistic. Thin or generic essays waste an opportunity to show the person behind the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a fee to apply? No. There is no application fee to enter the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Do I have to be a US citizen? No. Eligibility is based on being a high school senior living in and attending your final year of secondary school in the US or its territories, regardless of citizenship. US citizens living abroad may also qualify. Confirm your specific situation against the current Official Rules.

Can juniors or younger students apply? No. Only high school seniors may apply. Younger students can begin their research now so they are ready to apply as seniors.

What kind of research qualifies? Original, independent, individual research in science, mathematics, or engineering. Research done during any year of high school is eligible. Team projects are not eligible.

How much can I win? The 300 Scholars each receive $2,000 (and their schools receive $2,000 too). The 40 Finalists receive at least $25,000 each, and the top prize is $250,000. About $3.1 million is distributed in total each year.

When is the deadline? For the current cycle, the application deadline is November 5, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET, with the application opening June 1, 2026.

Where do I apply? Through the official portal at https://sciencetalentsearch.smapply.org/, linked from the competition page.

Official Links

• Program overview: https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/
• Award structure: https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/sts-awards/
• Application requirements: https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/application-requirements/
• Frequently asked questions: https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/frequently-asked-questions/
• Application portal: https://sciencetalentsearch.smapply.org/

Always verify dates, amounts, and rules against the official Society for Science pages and the current Official Rules PDF before you apply, since details are set fresh each cycle. If any requirement is unclear for your situation, contact Society for Science directly.