Submission deadline
15 November 2026
Optional early submission for written comments; March round.
Competition
Open now
Research Question Prize
by Aldevere
An academic essay contest that challenges you to explain a difficult question clearly, show why simple answers fall short, and identify what remains uncertain.
Last verified: 12 Oct 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy
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Research Question Prize at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility
Current status
Open now
Eligibility
Students worldwide; individual entries
Age range / Year group
Ages 14-18
Location / Region
Online
Cost
Free
Prize highlight
$500 + 50% scholarship, capped at $3,000
Entry format
Online essay; PDF or Word
Research Question Prize summary
Explain a genuinely difficult academic question to a curious younger reader, rather than simply arguing for an answer.
Your explanation should reveal the key ideas, disagreements and remaining uncertainty, using plain language and concrete examples.
This suits students who enjoy digging into why an apparently simple question becomes complicated and want to test their understanding through writing.
What is Research Question Prize?
The Research Question Prize is an academic essay competition run by Aldevere, a research mentorship provider. Its challenge is to explain a difficult question in any academic subject to a curious 12-year-old, making the problem understandable without pretending it has an easy answer.
You choose your own question and explain the important ideas, disagreements and gaps in knowledge behind it. Academic staff and mentors read entries anonymously against four published criteria, emphasizing your thinking rather than impressive vocabulary or an elaborate bibliography.
Why Succeed highlights Research Question Prize
The younger-reader brief tests whether you understand a question well enough to explain it without hiding behind jargon.
Choosing your own academic question gives the work a clear connection to your interests.
The criteria reward honest uncertainty and fair explanations of disagreement, rather than a forced conclusion.
Anonymous judging and conflict-of-interest recusals make the assessment process explicit.
The originality rules draw a clear boundary between language checking and outsourcing the thinking.
Who is Research Question Prize for?
Best for
Students who enjoy investigating academic questions and want to practice explaining complexity in their own words.
Not ideal if
You want a fixed subject prompt, a conventional persuasive essay, or to reuse work already submitted for assessment.
Is Research Question Prize worth it?
This is worth considering if you want a focused test of understanding rather than another broad essay assignment. Explaining where a question becomes difficult can give you useful practice for research proposals and academic interviews, especially when you choose something you already care about.
The main limitation is that a concise explanation still needs careful reading and revision; a famous topic does not compensate for shallow understanding. Treat the work as an opportunity to develop your thinking, and describe any recognition accurately rather than assuming it will determine a university decision.
How much preparation does Research Question Prize need?
Effort level
Moderate, with substantial reading if the question is unfamiliar.
Best started
A few weeks before submission, allowing time for reading and revision.
Main challenge
Making the explanation simpler without making the question falsely easy.
Typical preparation
Choose a question you have encountered in a lesson, book or problem.
Read reliable sources and note why a simple answer is insufficient.
Test a draft with a reader unfamiliar with the topic and revise confusing steps.
Useful if
You want to identify gaps in your understanding before a research project or interview.
What do students do on Research Question Prize?
You build a short explanation around a question whose answer is genuinely difficult. The aim is to help a younger reader understand the problem, the competing ideas and the uncertainty that remains.
Step-by-step process
- 1
Choose a question in an academic subject you care about.
- 2
Identify what the question asks and why an obvious answer falls short.
- 3
Explain the essential concepts with plain language and concrete examples.
- 4
Present relevant interpretations or disagreements fairly.
- 5
Show what remains uncertain, contested or unanswered.
- 6
Cite your sources and prepare an anonymous submission.
Research Question Prize dates and deadlines
Upcoming
Research Question Prize, March 2027 submission deadline
15 March 2027
Research Question Prize, November 2026
15 August-15 November 2026
Final essay submission deadline.
Research Question Prize, March 2027
15 January-15 March 2027
Final essay submission deadline.
Competition opens
15 August 2026
November 2026 round.
Results notification
10 December 2026
All November-round entrants notified by this date.
Prompt announcement
15 December 2026
March 2027 question announced.
Competition opens
15 January 2027
March 2027 round.
Results notification
10 April 2027
March-round results due by this date.
| Milestone | Date | Timezone | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Submission deadline | 15 November 2026 | Local | Upcoming | Save deadline |
Research Question Prize, March 2027 submission deadline | 15 March 2027 | Local | Upcoming | |
Research Question Prize, November 2026 | 15 August-15 November 2026 | Local | Active | |
Research Question Prize, March 2027 | 15 January-15 March 2027 | Local | Upcoming | |
Competition opens | 15 August 2026 | Local | Past | |
Results notification | 10 December 2026 | Local | Upcoming | |
Prompt announcement | 15 December 2026 | Local | Upcoming | |
Competition opens | 15 January 2027 | Local | Upcoming | |
Results notification | 10 April 2027 | Local | Upcoming |
Eligibility and requirements
Students aged 14-18 at the closing date.
Any country, school system or academic subject.
One individual entry per student per round.
Work must not have been submitted for assessment elsewhere.
Under-18 entrants provide a parent or guardian's name and email.
No Aldevere enrollment or school permission required.
How much does Research Question Prize cost?
Entry cost
Free — No account or program purchase required.
What's included
Certificate for every valid entry., Written mentor comments for essays submitted by the feedback cutoff.
How to enter Research Question Prize
- 1
Prepare your essay as a PDF or Word document without your name.
- 2
Complete the prize form with your age, year group, country, school and subject.
- 3
Provide a parent or guardian's name and email if you are under 18.
- 4
Upload the document, enter its word count and complete the originality declarations.
- 5
Submit through the official form, or email hello@aldevere.com if your school network blocks it.
Save this competition in Succeed, keep the deadline visible, and track your progress before you submit.
Start your entry checklistCompetition prompts
Choose one question from your selected subject area. Succeed shows a small preview here, but always check the current competition instructions before writing.
Q1.Choose a difficult question in an academic subject you care about. In no more than 1,000 words, explain it to a curious 12-year-old
Q2.explain what it asks, why the answer is not obvious, the important ideas or disagreements, and what remains uncertain.
Submission requirements
Your essay document stays anonymous; identifying details belong in the entry form.
Maximum 1,000 words, excluding references.
English language.
PDF or Word document.
Maximum file size: 10 MB.
No entrant name in the document.
Original work not previously submitted for assessment.
Sources cited where used; fabricated citations disqualify.
AI limited to spelling and grammar checks.
Declare permitted AI use in an excluded end note.
Prizes and recognition
First place
One award per round, plus a 50% Aldevere program-fee scholarship capped at $3,000 and a winner's certificate.
Second place
One award per round, plus a 35% program-fee scholarship capped at $2,000 and a winner's certificate.
Third place
One award per round, plus a 20% program-fee scholarship capped at $1,000 and a winner's certificate.
Highly Commended
A Highly Commended certificate, with no fixed number of awards.
What this may help with
Demonstrating subject engagement and discussing your own academic work.
What it does not guarantee
University admission or publication in an indexed scholarly journal.
Judging criteria
- Is the question genuinely difficult, and does the entry show why?
- Would a curious 12-year-old follow it?
- Does it handle the complexity honestly?
- Is the thinking the entrant's own?
Polish, ornate vocabulary and a long bibliography are not criteria in themselves.
How to stand out
- Choose a question you can investigate closely rather than a famous problem you barely understand.
- Explain early why the tempting simple answer is insufficient.
- Use a concrete example before introducing an abstract concept.
- Define every technical term you keep and remove terms that add no explanatory value.
- Identify the specific evidence or reasoning behind disagreement without inventing two equal sides.
- End with a precise account of what remains unknown rather than forcing a tidy resolution.
Research Question Prize FAQs
Yes. Choose a genuinely difficult question in any academic subject. Famous unsolved problems are allowed, but a smaller question you understand well can be a stronger choice.
No. The curious 12-year-old is a test of clarity, not a required style. Use plain words and concrete examples without oversimplifying the question.
Only for spelling and grammar checks, with a short declaration at the end. AI must not generate your question, argument, structure or prose.
The essay must be no more than 1,000 words. References and the required note declaring permitted AI use do not count toward that limit.
No. The entry must be your own work and must not have been submitted for assessment elsewhere. Joint entries are also prohibited.
Neither is required. Students enter directly, and entrants under 18 provide a parent or guardian's name and email.
No. Cash prizes are unconditional, and declining the scholarship does not affect the cash award. Scholarships reduce an Aldevere program fee and do not cover the whole fee.
You retain copyright. Winning and commended essays are published only with consent, including a parent or guardian's consent for entrants under 18.
Alternatives to Research Question Prize
Compare these writing competitions if you prefer a different academic brief or a more personal form of explanation.
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Save this competition in Succeed to compare it with other essay prizes, deadlines and entry formats in one place.
Compare with other competitionsContent reviewed by
Ben Stacy
Co-founder, Succeed | Former secondary teacher and educational leader
Ben works at the intersection of education, technology and school adoption, with expertise in how secondary schools evaluate data-driven tools and how education technology is used in practice.
Sources & verification
Source types reviewed
- Research Question Prize, November 2026
- The Aldevere Review: A Journal of Pre-University Research
- Privacy Policy | Aldevere
- Terms of Service | Aldevere
- Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy | Aldevere
- Generative AI Policy | Aldevere
- Sponsor a Scholar | Aldevere
- International High School Research Program | Aldevere
- For Counsellors | Refer a Student to Aldevere
- For Parents | Aldevere Research Mentorship
- About Aldevere | Research Mentorship & Method
- Apply | Aldevere, Request a Research Mentorship Interview
- FAQ | Aldevere Research Mentorship
- College Application Profile Check | Free Common App Tool
- Research Mentorship Fees | Aldevere
- How It Works | Aldevere Research Mentorship Process
- Apply | Aldevere, Request a Research Mentorship Interview
- Aldevere Research Question Prize: Free Essay Competition
Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.
What we verified (on 12 Oct 2026)
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Eligibility requirements reviewed
Entry form reviewed
Prize conditions checked
AI restrictions reviewed
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How Succeed uses this information
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