Davidson Fellows Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Davidson Institute

Overview You can earn a Davidson Fellows scholarship of $100,000, $50,000 or $25,000. Awards are for gifted, high‑achieving students age 18 or younger who have completed a substantial, original piece of work.

Key deadline

• Application open now. All materials must be received by February 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Before you start — quick advice from a teacher

• Read the “How to Apply” page and the category requirements carefully before beginning.
• Submit the first part of your application as soon as you can so eligibility can be confirmed and your nominators have more time.
• Choose nominators who know your work deeply and can speak to its originality and rigor. Read the SAMPLE Nominating Form (PDF) before choosing them.
• If you’re working with a partner, email DavidsonFellows@DavidsonGifted.org BEFORE starting the application (two‑person teams are allowed only with prior notice).

Application structure (two parts)

1. Initial portion — brief project/portfolio description

   • Purpose: confirm eligibility and that your work meets the category requirements.
   • Submit this part right away. Review usually takes 1–2 business days.
   • You will receive an email when this portion is approved and you may continue.

2. Part two — nominators, parent approval, and required materials

   • Enter nominator contact information and send them the nominating forms.
   • Enter parent/guardian contact information and send the parent approval form(s). NOTE: only one parent approval form is required per applicant; for team submissions, one parent form is required per team member.
   • Upload all materials listed under your chosen category.

File types and content rules — read this carefully

• IMPORTANT: Google products are not accepted (this includes Google Docs and Google-hosted videos).
• The scholarship does NOT accept community service projects.
• Descriptions of intended future majors or occupations are not eligible submissions.
• All applicants must acknowledge any direct quotations or paraphrased material that is not their own.

Intellectual property, privacy, and publication

• All intellectual property submitted stays with the applicant.
• Application materials are shared only with Davidson Fellows staff and the independent judges, who sign confidentiality agreements.
• Application materials are not published on the Davidson Fellows website. Winners who wish to have biographical or project write-ups on the site must provide those themselves.

Review process — how decisions are made

• Submissions are first checked for completeness and accuracy.
• Qualified entries are grouped by category and evaluated by an independent panel of judges with domain expertise. Judges may consult additional experts as needed.
• All submissions are screened with plagiarism detection and AI‑generated text detection tools.
• The judges determine which applicants become Davidson Fellows and which award level ($100k, $50k, $25k) each will receive.

Practical checklist before you hit submit

• Initial portion submitted early and approved.
• Nominators selected after reading the sample form; nominators’ contact info entered; forms sent.
• Parent approval form(s) sent.
• All required files uploaded in accepted formats (no Google files).
• Keep copies/screenshots of your submissions and emails confirming receipt.

There is also an online tips video you can watch for more guidance. If you have questions about team submissions, email DavidsonFellows@DavidsonGifted.org before beginning the application. Good luck — start early and be precise about attribution and file formats.