Opens Oct 1
JSHS
Submit a research paper or register as a delegate or observer.
- Dates February 22 – February 23, 2027
- Grades 9–12
- Cost Free
Registration begins October 1, 2026!
Junior Science & Humanities Symposium
The premier high school research competition in Iowa and Nebraska — students compete for scholarships and recognition by presenting their original research before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers.
- Region Iowa & Nebraska
- Cost Free
About
The Heartland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (Heartland-JSHS) program is the premier high school science competition in Iowa/Nebraska. Students compete for scholarships and recognition by presenting the results of their original research projects before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers. Students will also have the opportunity to visit cutting-edge university research labs, hear from university researchers about their work and career paths, and network with their peers. Not sure if your students are ready to compete? Your school can bring a few students to participate in the symposium without presenting.
JSHS enables teachers to create life-changing experiences for their students! Students conduct original STEM and humanities research, using the Science and Engineering Practices of the Next Generation Science Standards. Meaningful student engagement in research supports student success in a variety of domains, including developing 21st-century skills. High school students will surprise themselves by tackling problems they thought were beyond their reach and will develop confidence in their abilities, academically and beyond.
Dates
Heartland Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium:
- October 2026: Research proposal site opens
- January 11, 2027 (11:59 PM CST): Research proposal due
- January 25, 2027: Notification of proposal acceptance
- February 22-23, 2027: Heartland-JSHS Symposium
National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium:
- Coming soon
Research
Research can happen in a wide variety of settings. Past JSHS participants have conducted research on their family’s farm, using publicly available data sets, in an ag or science classroom, through participation in a citizen science project, or from working with a local expert or university faculty mentor. Whatever the research project, when students participate in Iowa-JSHS, they write research papers detailing their investigations and submit it as a proposal to present at Iowa-JSHS. The proposal submission deadline also creates authentic space that imposes the need for students to set continual goals throughout their research projects.
Awards
Heartland JSHS Awards:
- Scholarships of $2,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third place are jointly awarded by the Departments of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force to student finalists who are citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) of the United States.
- Scholarships of $750 to attend the University of Iowa are awarded to the top five finalists by the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.
- The top five finalists are invited to attend an expense-paid trip to compete at the annual National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.
National Awards:
- Seven $12,000 undergraduate tuition scholarships
- Seven $8,000 undergraduate tuition scholarships
- Seven $4,000 undergraduate tuition scholarships
This is probably one of the best venues for young kids to see a university setting and to experience high school level research.
How to Participate
Any high school student in the Heartland Region (the entirety of Iowa and Nebraska) can participate in Heartland-JSHS, provided they are a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident. In order for a submission to be considered for competition, research papers must meet the requirements outlined in the Iowa Research Handbook. Any students accepted to deliver an oral or poster presentation, and up to five student delegates (those attending but not presenting), may attend from each school. Interested teacher observers and delegates may register to attend here.
Each proposal is evaluated by a panel of judges at the University of Iowa, creating an authentic audience for whom students must develop a written product. Judges will use the Research Paper Selection Rubric found in Section 4 of the Iowa Research Handbook to select qualified proposals. The students submitting the top 15 proposals will qualify to deliver an oral presentation with slides at the Heartland-JSHS and compete for the Heartland-JSHS awards. Additional students will be invited to deliver a poster presentation as space allows.
The top 5 oral presentation finalists at Heartland-JSHS will be invited to compete for additional scholarship money at the National Symposium in April.
Submitting a research proposal for consideration to qualify for Heartland-JSHS is free. Attending the virtual symposium and engaging with STEM experts from around the world is also free.
Our generous sponsors include the National Science Teachers Association, U.S. Department of the Army, Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Iowa.
Submit a Paper - updated link coming in October 2026
Paper submissions will open for this year starting in October and must be submitted by January 11, 2027 (11:59 PM CT).
How to Prepare
A detailed explanation of the Heartland-JSHS program along with basic guidelines for teachers and students can be found in the Iowa Research Handbook. The STEM Student Research Handbook (Harland, 2011) is also helpful for beginning researchers.
Information on guidelines and successful strategies may be found at the National JSHS website.
For more information on student research, be sure to check out our blog posts on this topic!
Register Now
Sponsors
Contact Us
Questions? For the fastest response, please email jshs@belinblank.org.