Run by the Davidson Institute, this is one of the largest scholarships available to high schoolers — but it’s not based on grades or a single essay. It’s based on a substantial, original piece of independent work you’ve already completed, such as a physics research project, an invention, or a significant scientific study.
Applications open in fall 2026 for the 2027 cycle. Because the bar is “a completed, significant piece of work,” this is best suited to students who have already been doing independent research (for example, through a summer program or a science fair project) rather than something to start from scratch right before the deadline.