AAN Neuroscience Research Prize: How to Apply as a High School Student

By Dr. Harman Brah, MD · Judge, California Science & Engineering Fair

Any student in grades 9-12 at a U.S. secondary school can apply, on their own, with original neuroscience research they did and wrote themselves. The 2026 cycle closed on October 20, 2026, and the next cycle has not been posted yet, so now is the time to build the project rather than rush an application.

The prize is sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society. Its purpose is to encourage high school students to study the brain and nervous system, and to recognize the science teachers who support them.

Who can apply

Eligibility is about grade, not age. You need to be enrolled in a secondary school in the United States, in grades 9 through 12.

The work has to be yours alone. Group projects are not eligible, so a team science fair project cannot be entered as it stands.

The rules say an application “must represent original research as well as the original written work of the applicant.” In plain terms, you ask the question, you do the research and you write every word of the report.

A teacher can guide you. The rules also expect that teacher to leave room for your own creativity, so the ideas and the writing still have to come from you.

You do not need a lab

The research does not have to happen in a formal or traditional lab. That opens the door for students who do not have a university lab placement.

A strong neuroscience science fair paper can be entered without a lab. What matters is that the question is yours and the work is original.

What the application includes

• the application form
• an abstract of no more than 300 words
• a research report
• a bibliography
• e-signatures from a parent or guardian, a teacher and a mentor

Plan for the signatures early. Three different adults have to sign, and each one needs time to read what they are signing.

How judging works: two rounds

The judges are physicians and scientists who do neuroscience research at U.S. academic institutions.

Round one is the abstract alone. Every application is first judged only on the abstract. Judges at this stage do not read your report.

Round two is the full review. The top applications from round one get a full review of the whole application. Four winners are chosen.

This is the most important thing to understand about the prize. If the abstract does not stand on its own, the report never gets read.

Writing an abstract that stands alone

In 300 words, a judge who has never met you should be able to see:

• the question you asked and why it matters for the brain or nervous system
• what you did, in enough detail to judge whether it was sound
• what you found
• what it means, and what you would test next

Write the abstract last, after the report is done. Then give it to someone outside the project and ask them to tell you, without the report, what you studied and what you found.

A mentor can pressure-test the clinical framing, for example whether a claim about a disorder holds up. The student still writes the abstract and the report.

What winners receive

Three AAN winners each receive $1,000, a certificate and a poster session at the 2027 AAN Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, with travel for the winner and a parent or mentor.

One more winner receives the Bhuwan Garg High School Neuroscience Research Prize: $1,000 and a poster at the 2027 Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting, with travel.

Where the 2026 cycle stands

Applications opened July 29, 2026 and closed October 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Applicants should hear by the end of January 2027.

The next cycle has not been posted. Check the AAN prize page for new dates rather than assuming last year’s window.

What to do now

If you missed this cycle, the gap is useful. Use it to choose a neuroscience question you care about, do the work and write it up as a full report.

That same paper can serve a science fair, and later this prize once the next cycle opens. Keep a clear record of what you did yourself, since the work and the writing both have to be yours.

Our physician-led mentors help students plan and pressure-test research while the student does the work. See our science fair and research mentorship, or read about doing high school research without a lab.

FAQ

Can my child apply to the AAN Neuroscience Research Prize without working in a lab?

Yes. Projects do not need to take place in a formal or traditional lab setting. The research does need to be original and done by the student.

Can two students submit a neuroscience project together?

No. Only individual work is eligible. Group projects cannot be entered.

When is the next AAN Neuroscience Research Prize deadline?

It has not been posted. The 2026 cycle closed October 20, 2026, so watch the AAN prize page for the next cycle’s dates.

Does the judging panel read the whole research report?

Not at first. Every application is judged on the abstract alone in round one, and only the top applications get a full review in round two.

Can a teacher or mentor help with the project?

A teacher may guide the student, and a mentor signs the application. The research and the written work still have to be the student’s own.