For Students

The Schweickart Prize is awarded annually to an exceptional individual or team of graduate students and/or post-doc fellows for their innovative ideas and their potential for leadership in the advancement of planetary defense. Award applicants must submit a proposal for an innovative and original idea that, looking forward, would materially improve planetary defense capabilities in one or more areas that include asteroid impact prediction, impact mitigation, mitigation law and public policy development, and public outreach and education. The proposals are judged based on originality, implementability and likelihood to materially advance planetary defense.

The winning recipient will receive:

$10k unrestricted cash award
Museum quality award with authentic meteorite
Networking opportunities with leaders in the field and conference presentations
Public recognition through digital press campaign

To apply, students must complete three separate steps including pre-application, proposal submission and, if selected as a finalist, an interview, which will assess their ability to articulate, defend, and refine their proposals based on feedback from the Schweickart Prize Selection Committee.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MARCH 5, 2025

Eligibility

Student Requirements

Applicants must either be currently enrolled in a graduate-level program at an accredited university or have graduated within the past year.

International Students are encouraged to apply.

Applying as an Individual or a Group

Applicants may apply individually or as a member of a graduate student group. One student must act as the team representative to facilitate the application and selection process. A group may not consist of more than six students.

Reapplying to the Schweickart Prize

If an applicant's submission is not successful, they may reapply every year as long as they meet eligibility requirements. However, an applicant may only be awarded the Schweickart Prize once as an individual or as part of a group.

Application Process

To be considered for the Schweickart Prize, applicants must first complete a pre-application form prior to the full proposal submission.

‍All application steps must be completed by March 5th, 2025.

1. The pre-application form requests the following required information:

Your name + contact information
Current university information
Previous + present degree information
Proposal area of study/focus
University advocate name and contact information
CV

2. Request two letters of recommendation, one for each of the selection criteria and have the author send them to sprize@b612foundation.org by/before March 5, 2025.

Subject matter expert in your proposal area of focus
Leadership abilities and potential

3. Submit the following materials as PDF attachments to sprize@b612foundation.org:

A 500 word proposal with a solution to one of the interdisciplinary challenges facing planetary defense. Proposals may include figures and tables. Captions, references and links do not apply to word count. Note: The selection committee is especially interested in the potential for specific activities in your plan to make a useful contribution to advancements in your area of focus. The successful applicant will be selected for their academic merit, passion, and commitment to furthering their proposals. Heavy weight will be given to the potential of the plan of action to make a contribution in this area.
A 250 word personal statement regarding career aspirations
A copy of your academic transcripts

Finalist Interviews

After assessment of the applications by the Schweickart Prize organization, select applicants will be contacted to participate in the interview phase, which will happen mid-April 2025. Interviews will be held by video conference between each finalist (or finalist group) and the Selection Committee. Finalists will be requested to submit a final version of their proposal (finished word count can be up to 1,000 words), taking into account questions and comments from the interview.