The SJWP is the world's most prestigious award presented to a high school student for a water-research project. The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has coordinated the U.S. competition since its inception in 1997, and partners closely with their Member Associations (MAs) to execute the program.

Initially, a paper competition from 1997-2001, the eligible projects were gleaned from the regional and state international Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) by MA-appointed judges.  In 2002, the MAs sent their state winners to the first onsite event that was jointly hosted in Dallas, TX by WEF and the Water Environment Association of Texas.  The event was modeled after the international event, including three days of competition and social activities, and up until 2013, was the U.S. model.

The competition is held in June in order to send the national winner to the international competition in late August.  It is open to public, private, or independent high school students in grades 9-12, that have reached the age of 15 by Aug. 1 of the competition year, and have conducted water-related science projects. Judging criteria are the same as the international competition and include ratings for relevance, methodology, subject knowledge, practical skills, creativity and paper/presentation. As of 2019, the SJWP has entered into a three-year contract with the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio to co-host the national competition. 

The competition currently relies heavily on established science fair competitions such as the ISEF.  There is also an on-line submittal opportunity to include students in private schools, home schools, or who have conducted independent projects.  It is not necessary for a student to have had a project in a science fair in order to enter.  A national judge's panel consists of 15-20 experts in a variety of disciplines/academia and is chaired by WEF Past President Dr. Jeanette Brown. To date, the U.S. has been awarded seven SJWP international titles. 

2019 SJWP National Competition

Date & Location:
June 13-16, 2019
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH

Student On-Site Schedule of Events
(available June 1)

Entry Deadline: April 15, 2019

The Water Environment Federation, with support from Xylem Inc., is proud to host the 2019 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize at The Ohio State University (OSU).  Ranked as one of the top three largest public universities in the United States, OSU is home to Ohio Water Resources Center, which is the federally-authorized and state-designated Water Resources Research Institute for the state of Ohio. It is only fitting that the US SJWP national competition will be held at this great setting!  Students will enjoy a taste of college life while they connect, share, enhance their knowledge of water-science, meet other young scientists with like-minded interests, and make life-long friends!