NEW YORK – October 31, 2026 -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is offering a $1,500 top prize to college students and $1,000 to high school students in its 2027 Student Paper Competition, with entries due June 11, 2027.
ANSI and its Committee on Education launched the sixteenth annual contest under the theme "Would You Trust It? Exploring How Standards Build Confidence in Products, Services, and Emerging Technologies." Students must examine what makes something trustworthy and how standards contribute.
Three focus areas span consumer products, digital services and AI
Under products, students can cover sports equipment and wearables, autonomous and micromobility vehicles including e-bike and e-scooter battery fires, or food safety involving pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli and norovirus.
The services track covers social media and e-commerce, including online privacy, age verification and secure payments, and food delivery, including drone delivery safety and tamper-evident packaging.
The emerging technology track covers artificial intelligence and biometrics. Students may also propose their own topic, subject to approval, through ANSI's Lisa Rajchel.
Every qualifying entrant gets $20; AI-written papers are barred
Each qualifying submission earns a $20 gift card and a certificate. ANSI reserves the right to award no prizes, based on the judges' determination.
Submissions must be original, not AI-generated, and not previously published. Entries must follow the requirements in the ANSI 2027 Student Paper Competition flyer and be emailed to Rajchel.
Winning papers reach government, industry and academic standards experts
Winners will be announced in August 2027. Their papers will be published on ansi.org, potentially in other media outlets, and shared with the domestic and international standards community, including experts in government, industry, professional societies and academic institutions.
The 2026 competition theme was "Imagine a World Without Standards or Rules—What Would Happen?" Winning papers from all previous years are available in the competition archive.