Opportunities & funding

Find a program, scholarship, competition or place to share research. Compare the requirements before investing time or money.

Browse by school stage, subject and location. Filters identify possible starting points; exact grades, age, residency and project rules still decide eligibility. “Online submission” does not mean an online event.

Sources checked October 28, 2026. Unknown costs are never treated as free. Funded programs and financial-aid awards have their own conditions. Closed and unconfirmed entries remain available under “All statuses.”

For a young scientist, start with a parent, teacher or program coordinator. Use the mentoring guide to plan a specific, supervised request.

17 opportunities. Without JavaScript, all entries remain readable below.

Dates below are the published dates; confirm current availability directly. Filters require JavaScript; all entries are readable without it.

journal · JURSE

Journal of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Excellence

Rolling route listed — confirm current availability

Fields: All disciplines
Work / participation: Original research; reviews
Eligibility: Work completed while enrolled at an accredited higher-education institution; submit within one year of graduation.
Location / delivery: Online submission; check author-location rules.
Community-college relevance: Broad higher-education eligibility; confirm any unusual enrollment case with the editor.
Adult support / endorsement: No mandatory mentor qualification stated in the inspected guidelines; confirm before preparing a submission.
Costs / funding: No submission or publication fee stated by the journal.
Dates / review timing: No fixed deadline listed. Initial consideration may take about nine months; further review can take 10–16 weeks. Not a fast graduation-deadline route.

Check current scope, rights and timing before committing to this route.

Submission instructions — JURSE

Author guidelines

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

journal · JYI

Journal of Young Investigators

Rolling route listed — confirm current availability

Fields: Science and engineering
Work / participation: Original research; review articles
Eligibility: Undergraduate research authors; original research can be submitted within one year of graduation. Check the rules for your article type.
Location / delivery: Online submission; check author-location rules.
Community-college relevance: Undergraduate route; confirm eligibility if your enrollment or article type is unclear.
Adult support / endorsement: Research supervisor must meet the journal’s doctoral/professional qualification or five years of relevant industry-experience route. Advisor approval and author/supervisor agreements are required.
Costs / funding: Publication is described as free. A separate submission-charge policy was not located; confirm it.
Dates / review timing: No fixed deadline or reliable review duration verified. Use the current checklist and manuscript template.

A qualifying supervisor and complete agreements are part of admission, not optional extras.

Submission instructions — JYI

Submission checklist · Disclosures and cost statement

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

journal · Reinvention

Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rolling route listed — confirm current availability

Fields: All disciplines
Work / participation: Original research; reviews; critical reflections
Eligibility: Undergraduate or honours-degree work from any institution or country; submit within six months of graduation. Student must lead and correspond for collaborative work.
Location / delivery: Online submission; check author-location rules.
Community-college relevance: The policy refers to degree-level undergraduate work. Ask the editor how it applies to your specific associate-degree program.
Adult support / endorsement: No universal mentor requirement stated in the inspected author page; collaborative authorship rules still apply.
Costs / funding: No submission or article-processing charges.
Dates / review timing: Typical article length 2,000–5,000 words. Check the current call and editorial timeline before submitting.

Do not infer that every course report meets the journal’s research standard.

Submission instructions — Reinvention

Author information

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

journal · AJUR

American Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rolling route listed — confirm current availability

Fields: All disciplines
Work / participation: Novel original research; some article types require an advance scope check
Eligibility: Undergraduate research. Independent work may use the professional-endorsement route described in the Q&A.
Location / delivery: Online submission; check author-location rules.
Community-college relevance: Undergraduate route; novelty and a qualified endorsement matter more than the institution’s name.
Adult support / endorsement: Mentor approval is submitted separately before the manuscript. Seven potential reviewers are requested; authors must not contact them about the review.
Costs / funding: No publication or submission fees.
Dates / review timing: No fixed submission deadline. Prepare editable and PDF versions using current instructions.

A replication or classroom exercise needs substantive original contribution before it is a credible AJUR candidate.

Submission instructions — AJUR

Submission requirements · Eligibility and article-type Q&A

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

journal · JTAS

Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science

Rolling route listed — confirm current availability

Fields: Science
Work / participation: Research manuscripts; confirm fit for reviews or other formats
Eligibility: General research journal; no dedicated community-college submission category was verified.
Location / delivery: Online submission; check author-location rules.
Community-college relevance: Ask the editor about scope and authorship expectations for student-led work.
Adult support / endorsement: No blanket student-mentor rule verified in the author instructions. Confirm before submitting.
Costs / funding: No page charge when an author is an Academy member; otherwise $35 per printed page. Membership costs are separate.
Dates / review timing: Reviewed by two reviewers and an editor. Word manuscript, separate figures and three suggested reviewers are requested.

Budget for the actual page count and current membership terms; membership is not acceptance.

Submission instructions — JTAS

Author instructions and charges

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

journal · SATURN

Science and Technology Undergraduate Research Notes

Availability needs confirmation

Fields: Science and technology
Work / participation: Undergraduate research papers, including course-based work
Eligibility: Undergraduate principal author; current issue includes community-college course projects.
Location / delivery: Online submission; check author-location rules.
Community-college relevance: Directly relevant publication examples exist; individual manuscript eligibility still needs confirmation.
Adult support / endorsement: The 2026 editorial describes review by the course professor and an outside scientist. Confirm the arrangement for independent work.
Costs / funding: No clear fee policy located. Ask the editor; do not assume publication is free.
Dates / review timing: The current-issue webpage says February 2026, while its linked PDF cover says August 2026, Vol. 15 No. 1. Activity is evidenced in 2026, but the date conflict remains unresolved.

Confirm fees, submission availability and editorial requirements before investing in journal-specific formatting.

Submission instructions — SATURN

Author instructions and editor contacts · Current-issue page · Linked 2026 issue

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

conference · NCUR 2027

National Conference on Undergraduate Research 2027

Deadline: 2026-12-04; check current status

Fields: All disciplines
Work / participation: Research abstract; choose an accepted presentation format in the current call
Eligibility: Undergraduates from higher-learning institutions. Completed and in-progress projects can be proposed. Student is the primary submitter.
Location / delivery: Grand Rapids, Michigan; travel required for the listed meeting.
Community-college relevance: The conference welcomes higher-learning institutions broadly; verify the category and presentation format for your project.
Adult support / endorsement: Name and email of a mentor/professor familiar with the work are required. Submission-account instructions require an institutional email.
Costs / funding: Student registration without lunch: early $260–315 (Jan 13–29); regular $315–390 (Jan 30–Mar 5), depending on membership category. Lunch, travel and lodging add cost. Separate abstract-submission fee not verified.
Dates / review timing: Abstracts: Sept 9–Dec 4, 2026; decisions Jan 13, 2027. Conference Apr 12–14, 2027 in Grand Rapids. Abstract maximum 300 words. Confirm the deadline time and presentation options on the official page.

Registration is not yet open at the verification date. Acceptance does not include travel support or waive charges.

Submission instructions — NCUR 2027

Abstract guidelines · Registration pricing

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

conference · TAS Middle Tennessee

Tennessee Academy of Science — Middle Tennessee collegiate meeting

Deadline: 2026-04-03; check current status

Fields: Science
Work / participation: Historical 2026 call: 10-minute undergraduate oral presentations; no posters
Eligibility: The 2026 call was for undergraduates. No 2027 call verified.
Location / delivery: Tennessee; see event location below.
Community-college relevance: Potential regional route when a new undergraduate call is published; do not treat the past call as open.
Adult support / endorsement: Future-call requirements unverified.
Costs / funding: Future fees unverified.
Dates / review timing: April 11, 2026 meeting; April 3 submission deadline. Both are past. Future location, rules and dates need a new source review.

Kept for planning and monitoring, not as an active submission opportunity.

Submission instructions — TAS Middle Tennessee

Regional meeting page

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

conference · TAS Annual 2026

Tennessee Academy of Science annual meeting 2026

Deadline: 2026-10-09; check current status

Fields: Science
Work / participation: Oral and poster presentations under the current call
Eligibility: At least one author must be an Academy member. Check the specific student presentation category.
Location / delivery: Tennessee; see event location below.
Community-college relevance: A regional scientific meeting, not a guaranteed student acceptance route.
Adult support / endorsement: No universal mentor qualification verified; confirm student and author requirements.
Costs / funding: Listed student registration $15; dues $10 and optional lunch $10 are separate. Confirm applicable on-site charges.
Dates / review timing: Nov 13–14, 2026, Lebanon, Tennessee. Abstract deadline Oct 9 and online-registration deadline Oct 23 have passed; the page describes on-site registration.

Submissions are closed. Verify attendance availability before travel; future calls are separate.

Submission instructions — TAS Annual 2026

Meeting information, deadlines and fees

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

scholarship · TN Promise

Tennessee Promise — class of 2027

Deadline: 2026-11-02; check current status

Fields: College funding; not STEM-specific
Work / participation: Scholarship application; FAFSA; continuing program obligations
Eligibility: Eligible Tennessee seniors or qualifying equivalency students; residency, citizenship and enrollment rules apply.
Location / delivery: Eligible Tennessee postsecondary institutions.
Adult support / endorsement: Mandatory program meeting and mentoring; check the program checklist with a counselor.
Costs / funding: Last-dollar eligible tuition and mandatory fees after other gift aid. Does not promise coverage of all college expenses.
Dates / review timing: Class of 2027 application: November 2, 2026; FAFSA: April 1, 2027. Early graduates have a separate checklist.

Meeting, community-service, enrollment and academic-progress obligations continue after applying. Confirm your own eligibility.

Official requirements — TN Promise

Eligibility, deadlines and application portal

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

program · GSSE

Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering 2027

Deadline: 2026-11-20; check current status

Fields: Science, mathematics and engineering
Work / participation: Summer study and laboratory experience; application essays
Eligibility: Current Tennessee high-school sophomores or juniors; GPA at least 3.5, a high-school lab-science credit and one year of algebra.
Location / delivery: Residential program in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Adult support / endorsement: Two teacher recommendations and counselor verification; parent/guardian contact information.
Costs / funding: Full or partial scholarships. Partial awards leave a student payment; the current amount is not verified.
Dates / review timing: Student application: November 20, 2026; recommendations/counselor documents: December 11. Decisions March 5; program June 6–July 3, 2027.

Complete both the unified application and emailed GSSE supplement. The homepage still lists a parent verification form; the detailed application page says it is no longer separate. Confirm this discrepancy.

Official requirements — GSSE

Application steps and prerequisites · Dates and scholarship terms

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

program · Appalachian STEM Academy

Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge 2027

Deadline: 2026-12-04; check current status

Fields: STEM group research
Work / participation: Residential research and a final presentation
Eligibility: Current grades 6–8; high-school route for current grades 9–11 and age 16 by the start. High-school applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet the program’s Appalachian residence/school rules, including 2027–28. Confirm all middle-school application requirements.
Location / delivery: Oak Ridge, Tennessee; designated Appalachian counties only. Coffee and Franklin counties are included.
Adult support / endorsement: Program staff supervise group research. Review application and adult-support requirements with a parent or teacher.
Costs / funding: Travel, lodging, meals and supplies covered; incidental spending extra. Program subject to available funding.
Dates / review timing: Application: December 4, 2026. July 2027 sessions; confirm exact arrival/departure dates with the program before planning travel.

Not every nearby county is eligible. The current program pages and announcement differ on some session end dates; older detail pages still show 2026. Use the current application and confirm.

Official requirements — Appalachian STEM Academy

Current call, funding and application · High-school eligibility · Middle-school program · Eligible counties · Announcement with differing session dates

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

outreach · UTSI outreach

UT Space Institute STEM outreach

Availability needs confirmation

Fields: STEM exploration
Work / participation: School visits, activities, field trips and guest speakers
Eligibility: K–12 outreach; research-facility tours are listed for grades 9–12. Ask which activity fits your group.
Location / delivery: Tullahoma-area schools, homeschool groups and community; visits by arrangement.
Adult support / endorsement: Have a teacher, parent or group organizer contact the outreach coordinator via the official page.
Costs / funding: No clear fee policy verified; request a quote and check transport and supervision needs.
Dates / review timing: No dated public booking calendar or open places verified. Arrange and confirm a session directly.

This is an inquiry route, not a confirmed event, mentor placement or SME partnership.

Official requirements — UTSI outreach

Outreach activities and coordinator · Visit arrangements

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

competition · Science Olympiad

Tennessee Science Olympiad 2027

Deadline: Before 2026-12-15; check current status

Fields: Team STEM challenges
Work / participation: Team competition; event-specific preparation
Eligibility: Division B: grades 6–9; Division C: grades 9–12. Teams have up to 15 students; check division and school rules.
Location / delivery: Tennessee regional tournaments; school/team registration.
Adult support / endorsement: School and head/co-head coach profiles register the team. Ask your school about an existing team.
Costs / funding: First team per division $275; additional team $225. New or five-years-absent schools: $225. Supplies and travel are extra.
Dates / review timing: Register BEFORE December 15, 2026. Payment and regional capacity affect confirmation; check event dates with the assigned tournament.

Registration is not complete until fees are processed. A nearby team or open place is not guaranteed.

Official requirements — Science Olympiad

Registration, divisions and fees

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

competition · MTSEF

Middle Tennessee Science and Engineering Fair 2027

Deadline: 2026-12-04; check current status

Fields: Science and engineering
Work / participation: Original project, poster and abstract
Eligibility: Grades 6–12 in the fair’s service area. Ask the organizer whether your school/county qualifies before planning entry.
Location / delivery: Nashville, Tennessee; serves 24 Middle Tennessee counties. Tullahoma-area eligibility remains unconfirmed.
Adult support / endorsement: An adult sponsor is required for every project. Check required forms and approvals before experimentation.
Costs / funding: Participation fee policy not verified; confirm costs and transport.
Dates / review timing: Registration and scientific-review preapproval paperwork: December 4, 2026. Other forms: January 31; poster/abstract: March 26; fair: April 3, 2027.

Some projects need approval before any experimentation. A published date does not establish your school’s eligibility.

Official requirements — MTSEF

Registration, deadlines and research rules · Service area and grades

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

scholarship · Local science scholarship

Tullahoma Vision Associates Science Scholarship — 2026 record

Deadline: 2026-03-16; check current status

Fields: Science-related postsecondary study
Work / participation: Essay, résumé, transcript and test scores
Eligibility: Graduating area high-school seniors pursuing a science field under the 2026 call.
Location / delivery: Tullahoma-area high schools; confirm the sponsor’s geographic definition.
Adult support / endorsement: The published page points to school guidance offices; no research-mentor requirement verified.
Costs / funding: $1,000 to one recipient, paid to the school in two installments. Application-fee policy not stated.
Dates / review timing: The March 16, 2026 deadline has passed. A 2027 call has not been verified.

Kept for monitoring only. Do not submit the old form as though a new award cycle were open.

Official requirements — Local science scholarship

Sponsor’s dated scholarship requirements

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

competition · Thermo Fisher JIC

Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

Availability needs confirmation

Fields: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Work / participation: Research project at an affiliated fair, then nominee application
Eligibility: Grades 6–8. An affiliated fair may nominate its top 10%; students cannot apply directly without nomination.
Location / delivery: U.S. affiliated-fair nomination pathway; national competition.
Adult support / endorsement: Work with a teacher/adult sponsor to verify a suitable affiliated fair and its research rules.
Costs / funding: National nominee application is free. Local fair charges may differ. Top award $25,000; awards are competitive.
Dates / review timing: Current-cycle application dates and a qualifying local fair have not been verified here. Start by confirming the fair pathway.

Do not assume MTSEF or any school fair can nominate you this year. Check current affiliation and deadlines with the fair.

Official requirements — Thermo Fisher JIC

Eligibility, nomination and awards

Source check: 2026-10-28. Recheck official terms before applying or submitting.

How information stays useful

Deadline labels age automatically; past events and closed calls are excluded from the default filtered view. A source check older than 30 days is marked for review. This does not verify a new call, revise a fee or make a policy current. Changes to eligibility, costs and mentoring need a documented source review before publication.