Student Submission Instructions

Sponsored student teams must complete their submission packets through the online application portal no later than November 15th, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Time.

Required Portal Inputs

When filling out the online application form, teams must provide the following:

• Primary contact details
• Verified list of all team members and their specific roles
• Project title and targeted TRL category
  • See additional information on Grand Challenge main page:  Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
• Institutional Letter of Support: A mandatory text/signature upload verifying sponsorship from the university’s department head (view the online template).
• Executive Summary Upload: Uploaded as a 2-page text PDF.
  • Naming Convention: Surname_Institution_Open_TRL[X-X].pdf
  • (e.g., Bloggs_TCD_Open_TRL1-3.pdf)
• Video Pitch Upload: Uploaded as an MP4 file capped at exactly 5 minutes.
  • AI-generated voice cloning, automated text-to-speech, or deepfakes are strictly prohibited; students must use their own natural voices.
  • Naming Convention: Surname_Institution_Open_TRL[X-X].mp4
  • (e.g., Bloggs_TCD_Open_TRL1-3.mp4)

 

Evaluation Rubric & Required Content

For additional information on how projects will be evaluated, see Evaluation Rubric & Required Content section.