How to Win the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Updated: 18th October, 2026
TL;DR
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge asks you to explain a physics, life sciences, or math idea in a video of 2 minutes or less. Anyone ages 13 to 18 can enter. The winner gets a $250,000 college scholarship, and a teacher and a school get prizes too. The 2026 deadline was September 15, and 2027 dates aren't posted yet. Judges score engagement, illumination, creativity, and difficulty. To go deeper into the science behind your video, look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor for an online research project.
What is the Breakthrough Junior Challenge?
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a free global science video contest for students ages 13 to 18. You make a video of 2 minutes or less that explains a concept in physics, life sciences, or mathematics. It can be animated, filmed, or a mix of both. The contest was founded in 2015 by Julia and Yuri Milner.
You apply online and submit a YouTube link to your video. Judges and other entrants then score it over several rounds. At the end, one winner earns a scholarship, and the winner's teacher and school get prizes. Dates below are from the 2026 cycle, the latest posted on the official site.
Detail | Info |
Submission window (2026 cycle) | May 11 to September 15, 11:59 p.m. Pacific time |
Eligibility | Ages 13 to 18, from anywhere in the world |
Video length | 2 minutes (2:00) or less, shared as a YouTube link |
Subject areas | Physics, life sciences, and mathematics |
Cost | Free to enter |
Entries allowed | One per person each year |
Winner's prizes | $250,000 college scholarship, $50,000 for your teacher, and a science lab for your school worth up to $100,000 |
Other recognition | Popular Vote Top Scorer and 7 Regional Champions |
Pros -
It costs nothing to enter or win, so the only investment is your time.
It's open to students ages 13 to 18 worldwide, including homeschoolers.
The winner earns a $250,000 college scholarship, and a teacher and school share in the prize.
A 2-minute limit teaches you to explain a hard idea in plain words.
Cons -
You can submit only one video per year, and past winners can't enter again.
You must score at least five other videos by September 30 to be eligible for the scholarship.
Your topic has to fit physics, life sciences, or math, and fields like computer science count only if they tie directly to those.
The scholarship pays your college directly, and you must use it within 8 years of finishing high school.
Who can enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge?
You can enter if you're at least 13 by May 11 and not yet 19 on October 1 of that year. For the 2026 cycle, that meant turning 13 by May 11, 2026 and staying under 19 on October 1, 2026.
You can enter whether you go to a public school, a private school, or are homeschooled. Homeschoolers use a parent or guardian's contact details where the form asks about a school. College students can enter too, as long as they meet the age rules.
You must enter as an individual, not as a group or business. If you're under 18, you also need a parent or guardian's permission. Your entry must be in English, and past winners can't enter.
The form asks you to name a current or past teacher or tutor who inspired you in science or math. Parents, siblings, and grandparents don't count. Read the full official rules before you start. If you also love math or physics competitions, check out these olympiads for high school students.
How do you enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge?
You enter online in a few steps, and the whole process happens before the September deadline.
Check your eligibility. Make sure your age fits the rules above.
Create an account. Sign up with an email and password, or log in with Facebook or Google, and agree to the terms.
Make your video. Pick a physics, life sciences, or math concept and keep the video to 2:00 or less.
Fill in the application. Applications open May 11. You answer a short questionnaire about yourself, your school, and your topic.
Submit your YouTube link. Your video can't be set to private.
Share your video. Follow the Breakthrough pages on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and share your video on your own accounts.
Complete peer review. Score at least five other entries by September 30 to stay eligible for the scholarship.
How does judging work for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge?
Your video goes through peer review, an expert panel, a public vote, and a final selection. Every round uses the same four criteria, and each is scored on a 5-point scale.
The first round is peer review. You score at least five other entries, and you can score up to 100, with a limit of 20 a day. Staff then do an administrative review. After that, an Evaluation Panel scores the top 75 videos. Staff verify the finalists the panel picks, and then the public votes in the Popular Vote Challenge.
The popular vote picks one Popular Vote Top Scorer and 7 Regional Champions. A Selection Committee reviews the finalists, and the Chairman makes the final choice. The official site lists the winner announcement date as to be decided.
Milestone | 2026 dates |
Peer-to-peer review | September 17 to 30 |
Administrative review | October 1 to 3 |
Evaluation Panel review (top 75 videos) | October 4 to 25 |
Finalists verified by staff (up to 30) | October 26 to November 18 |
Popular Vote Challenge | November 24 to December 9 |
Finalists, Popular Vote Top Scorer, and Regional Champions announced | December 10 |
Winner announced | To be decided |
The 2027 schedule isn't posted yet. If you plan ahead, expect similar timing, but check the official timeline when it updates.
What do winning videos have in common?
Winning videos score high on the four judging criteria. Aim for all four, not just one.
Engagement: Does your video hold a viewer's interest all the way to the end?
Illumination: Does it explain the idea clearly and show real depth?
Creativity: Do you approach the topic in a fresh, original way?
Difficulty: Is the topic challenging, usually taught at the high school level or beyond?
What do past winning topics look like?
Recent winners tackled advanced ideas. The 2025 winner, Matea Cañizares, explained quark-gluon plasma. The 2024 winner, Jasmine Eyal, covered mechanogenetic cellular engineering, and the 2023 winner, Sia Godika, explained Yamanaka factors. The 2026 winner hasn't been announced yet.
The 2025 finalists show how wide the range is. Topics included Noether's theorem, CAR-T therapy, and the principle of least time. The common thread is a hard idea made easy to follow. You can watch past winners on the official winners page to see how they did it.
How do you pick a topic?
Pick a topic in physics, life sciences, or math that you understand well and that most people don't already know. The official FAQ says some nearby fields, like computer science, AI, or psychology, can work if they connect directly to those three areas.
Your topic needs some difficulty. Judges score for it, so a famous idea that everyone already knows won't help you. You don't need to discover anything new, though. You just need to explain a hard idea well.
Choose something you can explain without notes. If you only half understand a topic, your video will show it. Cellular biology, genetics, neuroscience, quantum theory, relativity, and number theory are all fair game.
Finally, pick something you care about. You'll spend weeks with this idea, so your interest will show up on screen.
How do you script and film your video?
Start by learning the topic deeply, then write a script that anyone can follow in 2 minutes. You won't use everything you learn, but deep knowledge keeps your script accurate. For ideas on where to build that knowledge, see these science research competitions for high school students.
Next, plan how to show each idea. Mark the parts that call for an animation, a demo, or an analogy. A good analogy makes an invisible idea easy to picture.
Write the script in plain words and cut jargon. After a viewer finishes, they should understand what you explained. Open with a hook, like a question or a relatable moment, so people want to keep watching.
The official FAQ lets you get technical help with camera work, lighting, sound, and editing. You must still script and direct the video, and the content has to be your own. Friends can act in it, and you may use AI as a tool to carry out your concept.
If other people appear on screen, you need their consent. Also check any music or images you use for copyright. Vertical (9:16) and horizontal (16:9) videos are both accepted.
What's the timeline from idea to submission?
You can start well before applications open, since the 2026 window ran from May 11 to September 15. That gave entrants about four months to apply, and you can begin planning earlier.
Choose your topic. Spend a few weeks reading and watching videos until you pick an idea you can explain.
Learn it deeply. Take notes and test yourself by explaining it out loud.
Write your script. Time it so it runs under 2 minutes, and revise it a few times.
Film and edit. Add animations, graphics, or demos, and ask a few people to watch a rough cut.
Upload and apply. Post to YouTube, then submit your link well before September 15 so you aren't rushing.
Review other videos. Score at least five entries between September 17 and 30.
Want more contests to enter? Browse these research competitions for high school students.
Frequently asked questions: Breakthrough Junior Challenge
How long should the video be?
Your video should be 2 minutes (2:00) or shorter. The length is measured by the YouTube clock. Your video can't be private, and it can be vertical or horizontal.
Is it free to enter?
Yes, it's free to enter. You don't have to buy anything or pay a fee to enter or win. You just create an account and submit your application with a YouTube link to your video.
What do winners get?
The winner gets a $250,000 college scholarship, paid directly to the school and usable within 8 years of finishing high school. Your chosen teacher receives $50,000. Your school gets a science lab upgrade worth up to $100,000.
Can you enter more than once?
You can enter once per year. If you entered last year, you may send in a revised video of 2 minutes or less, as long as you still meet the age rules. Past winners can't enter again.
Is the Breakthrough Junior Challenge legit?
Yes, it's a real contest founded in 2015 by Julia and Yuri Milner. The rules, dates, and past winners are posted on the official site. You never pay to enter, so be careful of any site that asks you for money.
Can you use AI to make your video?
Yes, you may use AI as a tool to carry out your video concept. The idea, script, and direction must still be yours. Group brainstorming and feedback are fine, but the final entry has to be your own work.
Have more to say about your topic than a 2-minute video allows? Look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor for a 12-week online research project that ends in a college-level paper. Apply here.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.