Program Overview
The Paperleap Student Researcher Award recognizes undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who demonstrate excellence, originality, and rigor in research or creative scholarship. Recipients exemplify curiosity, integrity, and the ability to communicate results that advance their fields and benefit society.
Every year, Paperleap recognizes a total of 120 student researchers, 30 within each of five broad discipline groups, to highlight the diversity of inquiry and the many ways student research advances discovery and learning. For each discipline group, 15 awards are presented to undergraduate students, 10 to graduate students, and five to doctoral students.
Student nomination deadline: March 31st, 2026.
Disciplines and awards
Each year, a total of 120 students, that is, thirty students per discipline (15 undergraduate students, 10 graduate students, and five doctoral students) are selected for recognition in the following areas:
- Natural sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Astronomy, and related areas.
- Formal sciences: Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, Logic, and related areas.
- Social sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Anthropology, Geography, and related areas.
- Applied sciences: Engineering, Environmental Science, Agricultural Science, Interdisciplinary sciences, and related areas.
- Health sciences: Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Biomedical fields, Public Health, Veterinary Science, and related areas.
Awardees are celebrated on Paperleap’s website and channels, and they receive an official award certificate and letter.
Eligibility
The Student Researcher Award is open to individuals who:
- Are currently enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral students at an academic or research institution (or within six months of graduation).
- Have contributed substantially to original research, scholarship, or creative work.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethical, inclusive, and responsible research practices.
- Can show evidence of impact (e.g., publications or preprints, conference presentations, prototypes, datasets, software, community engagement).
There are no restrictions based on country or institutional affiliation.
Nomination and selection process
The nomination and selection process is as follows.
- Nomination submission: students may be nominated by advisors, mentors, PIs, supervisors, or program directors; self-nominations are welcome.
- Initial review: the Paperleap award committee reviews all complete submissions to verify eligibility and adherence to guidelines.
- Evaluation: eligible nominations are assessed by a panel representing the five discipline groups using the criteria listed below.
- Final selection: the panel selects 120 recipients (thirty per discipline group).
- Notifications and announcement: nominees and awardees are notified privately; awardees are then publicly announced and celebrated.
Nominations should focus on the nominee’s research contributions and trajectory. Paperleap reserves the right not to present an award if there are no eligible nominees or if submissions do not meet the requirements.
What to submit
Each nomination must include a dossier of up to 3 pages outlining the student’s research goals, methods, results, and impact; and up to two letters of recommendation (at least one from a faculty advisor/PI or research mentor). Letters of recommendation do not count toward the three-page limit. Supporting materials such as preprints, resumes, datasets, software, or a portfolio may be referenced via links. All submitted material must be in English.
Evaluation criteria
While research approaches vary across fields, strong nominations typically highlight sustained, substantive contributions such as:
- Research excellence and rigor demonstrated through methods, analysis, and reproducibility.
- Originality and contribution to knowledge or practice in the relevant discipline.
- Scholarly communication (publications, preprints, presentations) and openness (e.g., data, code, or materials shared).
- Leadership, collaboration, and mentorship of peers within labs, studios, or project teams.
- Ethical conduct, inclusivity, and community impact in research and dissemination.
Important dates
The next student nomination deadline is March 31st, 2026. Awardees will be notified in June.