Davidson Fellows Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Davidson Institute

Here’s a clearer, teacher-friendly version of the information — organized so you know what to do and when to do it.

Overview
- Awards: $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 scholarships.
- Who may apply: gifted or high-achieving students who are 18 years old or under and have completed a significant piece of work.
- 2025 application is now open.

Application process (two parts)
1. Initial portion — brief project/portfolio description
- Purpose: confirms eligibility before you proceed.
- Submit this as soon as possible. The earlier you submit it, the sooner it can be reviewed and approved, which gives you and your nominators more time to finish the rest.
- Review time: typically held for review 1–2 business days.
- You will receive an email when this portion is approved.

2. Part two — nominators, parent approval, and category requirements
- After approval of part one, you’ll enter nominators’ contact information and send them the nominating forms.
- You’ll also enter a parent’s information and send a parent approval form. Only one parent approval form is required per applicant; if your submission is a team entry, one parent form is required for each team member.
- Make sure you also upload or complete any additional materials required for your specific category.

Choosing nominators
- Read the SAMPLE Nominating Form (PDF) carefully before you pick nominators.
- Choose people who can speak specifically to your project’s originality, rigor, and your role in it (mentors, teachers, advisors, principal investigators, etc.).

Important rules and technical notes
- One project only per student application.
- All intellectual property in your application remains yours. Materials are shared only with Davidson Fellows staff and judges; judges sign confidentiality agreements.
- Application materials are not published on the Davidson Fellows website. If you win and choose to have biographical/project information posted, the winners write and provide that content themselves.
- The Davidson Fellows Scholarship does NOT accept:
- community service projects,
- descriptions of a future major or intended occupation,
- Google products (this includes Google Docs and Google-hosted videos).
- Make sure you have your materials in acceptable file formats before uploading.

Deadline
- All application materials must be received by February 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Final advice
- Read the “How to Apply” page and your category requirements carefully before you begin.
- Submit the initial portion right away so you and your nominators have enough time to complete everything.
- Good luck — choose your project and nominators thoughtfully, and give yourself time to polish your submission.