Eligibility Criteria, Rules, and Requirements

To be eligible to win a prize under this challenge, a Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals):

• At the time of submission, participants must be enrolled in 9th–12th grade in a high school within the United States or its territories, including public schools, private schools, validated home-schools, magnet schools, charter schools, parochial schools, military schools, virtual schools where students are working toward a G.E.D. (high school diploma), and alternative equivalent school options.
  • Shall have registered to participate in the challenge under the rules promulgated by NIH as published in this announcement;  
  • Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
  • Shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, for purposes of winning an NIH cash prize. However, non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents can participate as members of a team that otherwise satisfies the eligibility criteria.  
• Non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents are not eligible to win a monetary prize (in whole or in part). They are eligible to win non-monetary prizes, if provided. Their participation as part of a winning team, if applicable, may be recognized when the results are announced.
  • Shall not be a federal entity  or  federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;  
  • Shall not be an employee of HHS (or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity.
• A person employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency Ethics Official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this challenge.
  • Shall not be a judge of the challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, stepparent, child or step-child).   

If participating as a Student Team, each team agrees to enter only one submission to this challenge through one student member of the Student Team that is appointed as the “Team Leader” by that Student Team. The team leader will carry out all correspondence with NEI regarding the Student Team’s submission and will submit all required documentation to NEI on behalf of the Student Team.  

Participants must submit a registration form that is signed by each participant. The registration form confirms video submissions as individual or team efforts (with a maximum of 3 group members). Groups should also designate a group leader to be the main point of contact for communication with NEI. 

Individuals and teams must complete Section 2 of the form—teams must assign a team leader and list team member information. If a participant is under the age of 18, then the signature of the participant’s parent or legal guardian is required. 

Each Participant must ensure that all individual(s) photographed, videotaped, or recorded provide, or have a legal parent or guardian provide, consent to being photographed, videotaped, or recorded and consent to public posting of the photograph, video, or sound recording by signing an “Audio/Video/Photography Authorization to Reproduce Physical Likeness” (video authorization) form. The Primary Video team leader must include the signed video authorization forms from each individual with the submission.  

On the registration form, we’ve provided a space for submissions to list support received during contest, which includes working with a sponsoring adult. The sponsoring adult should be in a position to advise the video team leader as necessary to facilitate the submission of their video. Examples of a sponsoring adult are a parent or other family member, scientific mentor, community leader, teacher, school counselor, principal, other school official, minister, priest, or other religious leader, or person with a similar standing in the community. Sponsoring adults cannot serve as a participant of the Challenge. 

Participants should only submit one video. If multiple submissions are received from one student, then only the first file (video) will be considered, as identified by the submission time stamp. Participants may not serve on more than one team. 

Federal grantees may not use federal funds from a grant award to develop their challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their challenge submissions.  

Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of a challenge submission. 

By participating in this challenge, each Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) warrants that they are the sole author or owner of, or have the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe on any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware.  
Each Participant(s) warrants that any submitted video is the product of no more than three (3) U.S. high school students who contributed to the production of the video, and that this work is wholly original with the Participant(s). Videos must not infringe upon any copyright or any other rights of any third party. Videos will be screened to validate originality of the work.  

By participating in this challenge, each Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage or loss of property, revenue or profits, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising from participation in this challenge, whether the injury, death, damage or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. 

Based on the subject matter of the challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from challenge participation, no Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) in the challenge is required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in this challenge. 

By participating in this challenge, each  Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) agrees to indemnify the federal government against third-party claims for damages arising from or related to challenge activities. 

A  Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) shall not be deemed ineligible because the  Participant used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all  Participants in the challenge on an equitable basis.  

Each Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies. 

Each Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) in this challenge must comply with all terms and conditions of these  rules, and participation in this challenge constitutes each Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein. 

All prize winners and finalists will agree to allow their submissions (videos), along with their first name and state of residence, to be posted on the NEI Eye on the Future website. Additionally, NIH may publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere. By participating in this challenge, each Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) grants to the NIH an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free, nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, analyze, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the video content throughout the world. Each Participant will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the challenge, each Participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the Participant’s rights to the federal government. Participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to NIH, but Participants must grant to the federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein. 

As a condition for winning a cash prize in this challenge, each Participant (whether an individual or group of individuals) that has been selected as a winner must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents (i.e., banking information) to NIH  within ten (10) business days of formal notification. Failure to return all required verification documents by the date specified in the notification may be a basis for disqualification of a cash prize-winning  submission.

Past winners are eligible to submit a video in this challenge; however, their submissions must either address a new topic or demonstrate significant improvement in their previous findings or innovations. Please note that past winners who choose to participate again are not eligible to receive a cash prize, but may be considered for an honorable mention. 

NEI is conducting this challenge under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended [15 U.S.C. § 3719]. NEI’s general purpose is to conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind. This challenge will advance this purpose by encouraging high school students to think about and communicate why science is important for their lives. While this challenge is not limited to the science of eyes, NEI believes that youths' general exploration of science today has the potential to impact eye and vision research tomorrow. 

• All submissions will be pre-screened for eligibility with respect to compliance with the rules and submission guidelines of the challenge and inclusion of signed registration and video authorization form(s) as applicable.  
• Next, each video will be evaluated by a minimum of three (3) judges and further analyzed to determine the final score for each submission. Judges will be members of the NIH staff who will evaluate eligible submissions based on the evaluation criteria identified below.
• Then, video submission finalists from the review stage will be presented to the judging panel to determine the winners considering the specific scoring and incorporate bonus points, when applicable.  
• Lastly, the judging panel will submit their selection of winners to the Award-Approving Official for a final decision on prize payments.

NEI judges will score each video using a 4-point scale on the following constructs:

• Scientific Context and Accuracy: The submission seeks to understand a scientific question and connects content to existing scientific knowledge.  
• Relevance: The submission clearly communicates why the topic is important and relevant to the category it is submitted in.
• Engaging: This submission has a clear narrative, has a structure that is easy to follow, grabs the audiences' attention in a unique way, and maintains enthusiasm throughout the video.  
• Creativity: The submission approaches a problem in an innovative way, whether by proposing a unique solution or by providing an insightful analysis and presenting information in an original way that is unique to the submitter.  

Additionally, up to 2 points will be awarded for video submissions that are eye-health related.

A total of 50 points is possible.

Cash Prize Distribution—Videos will be judged and awarded separately, with three (3) cash awards for the highest-scoring video submission in each video category. Total cash prizes: $6,000.

• “Science in your world” winner: $2,000
• “Science in action” winner: $2,000
• “Science in your future” winner: $2,000

Award-Approving Official: The Award-Approving Official will be the NEI Director, Dr. Michael F. Chiang. 

NIH cash prizes awarded under this challenge will be paid by electronic funds transfer (EFT) and may be subject to federal income taxes. Winners will be required to provide financial institution information to NIH to facilitate the EFT process. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and NIH will comply with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable. In the case of minors, if the winner is an individual, then prizes will be paid to the parent or legal guardian on behalf of the individual winner; or if the winner is a team, to the parent or legal guardian on behalf of the Primary Video Team Leader of the winning team.

NEI will pay cash prizes to the sole Primary Video Team Leader of the winning videos. If two (2) or more individuals collaborate on a Team to submit a winning video, then division of the cash prize is at the discretion of the Team.

NIH reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend or modify the challenge or any part of it for any reason, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no submissions are deemed worthy. 

• Submit an original video using the following guidelines:
  • Video content cannot be longer than 3 minutes. If you include credits during the video, then it will not count towards the 3-minute submission limit.
  • Videos must be submitted via an unlisted YouTube link and may include audio in languages other than English but must have English subtitles.  
  • If participating as a team, then videos must be submitted by a Primary Video Team Leader on behalf of a team (no more than three (3) U.S. high school students per team).  
• Follow the instructions below when uploading your video to YouTube:  
  • Sign in or create an account with YouTube and upload the video.
  • When uploading, be sure to set the following preferences:
    • Under “Details”: scroll to “Audience,” then check “No, it’s not made for kids”
    • Click the “Show More” button, scroll down and check “Off” under “Comments and Ratings”
    • Under “Visibility,” check “Unlisted”  
  • After setting the preferences, copy and paste the unlisted link into the submission form. 

• Submit a signed registration form, which includes the full name, contact information, the U.S. high school name, and grade of each participant, as well as an agreement to the rules of the challenge. For teams, the information and signatures of each member is required. For those under the age of 18, the signature of the participant’s parent or legal guardian is required.
• Submit all signed video authorization forms for each individual who appears in the video. Any individuals videotaped must provide, or have a legal parent or guardian provide, consent by signing a video authorization form. The video authorization form can be found on the How to Enter page. Signed forms must be provided at submission.
• Keep track of sources used and include them in your registration form or add them as credits in your video. 

• Submission Start Date: January 12th, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
• Submission End Date: April 19th, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time or once the first 300 submissions have been received.  
• Winners Announced: By the end of June 2026. 

What are some tips for creating a video submission?

• Respond to the submission category selected—Videos communicating any aspect of scientific study reflecting ideas and concepts students have learned will be considered responsive.
• Express a Point of View—Make sure to include and explain YOUR point of view from both evidence-based and personal perspectives when presenting your ideas. Be sure to properly cite any published work you reference.
• Use Original Thinking and Creativity—Whatever you propose should be YOUR own idea. If you’re incorporating work from others, then make sure to cite them appropriately. Remember to think outside the box! We’re looking for creative approaches across the board—in your concept or idea, as well as how you present it.
• Have a Clear Goal—When producing a video, remember to provide a clear storyline or message and be creative, using music and/or graphical elements to highlight key points. Keep in mind that videos must not infringe upon any copyright or any other rights of any third party. Videos will be screened to validate originality of the work.  

How can I receive updates about the teen video contest?

Sign up for the Eye Health Connection newsletter to get important reminders about the contest.

You can also follow us on Facebook at @NationalEyeInstitute, on X at @NatEyeInstitute, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/national-eye-institute-nei

If I have other questions about the contest, who should I contact?

For further information, please contact NEI at 2020@nei.nih.gov