Linh Tran
University of Michigan
Lab Manager at University of Michigan's ODESI Lab | Research assistant at WHIRLAB | Specializes in Psychology and Economics
Synthica × NSRI · 2026
Global Research
Challenge
A premier international competition uniting student researchers to advance humanity through data-driven discovery.
$10,000+
Student Awards
300+
Recognised
5
Research Areas
Global
Reach
Registration Open
$30 entry fee includes registration and one submission · $10 per additional project
Register →
About the Competition
Where Student Research Meets Global Impact
The Global Research Challenge is a premier continental research competition hosted by the Synthica in partnership with NSRI. Students from all disciplines submit original research papers reviewed by leading professors and industry experts.
Modelled after elite competitions such as iGO, KSEF, iSEF, Regeneron, and YISF, this challenge gives students a prestigious platform to present groundbreaking research, earn recognition, and compete for over $10,000 in student awards.
Online Submission
All academic fields and disciplines accepted
Peer Review
2 expert reviewers per paper
Finals Presentation
Video presentation reviewed by professor judges
Team Entries
Up to 3 members per team
Awards & Recognition
$10,000+ in Student Awards
Global Grand Award
Top 3 papers globally · Judged by Top Researchers
1st Place
$1,500
2nd Place
$500
3rd Place
$250
Best Paper Award
1st, 2nd & 3rd place per category · Selected by faculty judges after finalist video presentations
- Health & Life Sciences
- Engineering & Technology
- Physical & Chemical Sciences
- Environmental & Earth Sciences
- Social Sciences, Humanities & Policy
Recognition Tiers
Top 300
Research Distinction
- Research Distinction Certificate
- Official Competition Recognition
Top 100
Semi-Finalist
- Official Semi-Finalist Certificate
- Recognition Letter
Top 40
Global Finalist
- Official Finalist Recognition
- Published on Synthica or NSRI Journal
- Featured on Research Showcase
Final results announced · June 29, 2026
Research Areas
Five Research Categories
Health & Life Sciences
Biology, medicine, neuroscience, public health, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering.
Engineering & Technology
Computer science, AI/ML, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering innovations.
Physical & Chemical Sciences
Physics, chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, and quantum research.
Environmental & Earth Sciences
Climate science, ecology, geology, sustainability, and environmental policy.
Social Sciences, Humanities & Policy
Economics, sociology, political science, psychology, history, and public policy.
Important Dates
Competition Timeline
Paper Submission Deadline
All fields accepted. Online submission portal closes at 11:59 PM EST.
Blind Review Period
Two expert reviewers per paper. Top 300 earn Research Distinction · Top 100 become Semi-Finalists · Top 40 advance as Global Finalists.
Finalist Announcements
Top 40 Global Finalists announced. Finalists begin preparing video presentations for submission.
Finalist Video Presentation Submission
Global Finalists submit recorded video presentations for review by professor judges.
Final Results Announcement
Grand Award and Best Paper winners announced following finalist video review.
Resources
Competition Documents
Program Partners
Supported By
Expert Reviewers
Judging Panel
Aarthi Raghavan
University of California, Los Angeles
Researcher at Stoyanova Lab | UCLA Board Member of Biomedical Engineering Society | Pediatric Cancer Research at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital
Boya Zhang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PhD Candidate at University of Geneva | Research at MIT Laboratory for Computational Physiology | Board Member of MIT VISTA
Davin Yin
Harvard University
Researcher at MIT CSAIL | Analyst at Havard Undergraduate Consulting Group | ML Engineer at Halo Microelectronics
Jaylan Roy
Stanford University
Researcher at Stanford University | President of Computer Engineers of the Next Generation | Organizer of Los Altos Hacks
Nicholas Mino
Carnegie Mellon University
Researcher Assistant at CMU's Scotty Labs | Co-Founder and CTO of Posematic | Research Assistant at Stanford University
Joanna Jian
New York University
NYU Stern's Speaclized Entrepreneurship Program for Undergraduate | Accounting Intern at UL Accounting Services | Founder of PDFtoCalendar
Muhammad Ibrahim Qasmi
Bahauddin Zakariya University
Kaggle Grandmaster | Winner of multiple coding/research competitions at MIT, Stanford, Meta, Google DeepMind, and UC Berkeley.
Suhani Deswal
Panjab University
Research at Space India | Experienced researcher in health and life sciences, specifically environmental topics
Muhammad Haris Ahsan
Government College University, Faisalabad
IEEE Technical Committee | Section Leader at Stanford University's Code In Place | Founder of TechTon - sharing tech research opportunities
Tafara Chenga
University of Zimbabwe
Research Director at UZIM | Robotics Enginner at AbedAI Technologies | Research focuses on AI for Robotics-related fields
Syed Anaitullah Bukhaire
University of Kashmir
Research Mentor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology | PhD in Statistics | Research focuses in AI Safety and Public Health
Questions
Frequently Asked
Open to all student researchers globally. Teams of up to 3 members are allowed. All academic fields and disciplines are welcome.
Registration is handled through our Google Form. No account creation needed — you will receive a confirmation email with payment instructions after submitting.
$30 covers registration and one project submission. Each additional project is $10. Fees support prize operations, review processes, and award distribution.
Yes. Your $30 covers the first submission. Each additional project is $10 with no stated maximum.
All submissions undergo blind peer review with 2 expert reviewers per paper. Top 300 receive Research Distinction, top 100 become Semi-Finalists, and the top 40 advance as Global Finalists for video presentation submission June 22–26.
Papers should be submitted as PDF documents following standard academic research format. Detailed formatting guidelines are provided upon registration confirmation.
Global Finalists are announced June 21, 2026. Finalist video presentations are submitted June 22–26, and final results are announced June 29, 2026.
Ready to Make Your Mark?
Rewards increase as participation grows.
The more people you bring in, the larger the total
reward pool. Share the competition with strong
candidates to maximize the opportunity.
Apply →
Registration takes approximately 5 minutes