Applications are open. Early-bird deadline: November 15.
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Applications for our 2027 programs are open now. All deadlines are the end of the day in your home time zone:
The initial stage takes applicants 45 minutes on average. We encourage brief notes and bullet points— we want to see how you think, not how well you write!
No, it's 100% free to apply. Our program is 100% free, too, though we accept parent donations to help support our work.
We’re not looking for any existing experience or specific backgrounds. Many successful fellows started with just their curiosity and a drive to make a difference.
Applicants are eligible if, at the start of the Fellowship (June 2027), they will be:
No. Our program helps you generate ideas and connects you with other motivated young people working on important global issues.
We look for applicants who demonstrate:
Initial application:
Select applicants will be invited to the second stage. There, you'll tell us about how you want to make a difference (research ideas not required) and answer critical thinking questions.
The puzzles test logic and problem-solving, with sections on topics like probability and game theory. You don’t need any special knowledge, preparation or studying!
Our programs are designed to work together, from learning foundational skills to conducting original, impactful research. Each program leads to the next, where participants can be invited to progress from:
This allows us to design our process so that each program builds on the skills and insights from the previous one.
Prior participants should still apply as normal. Our application is redesigned each year, so you need to re-apply to be considered for our future programs.
The Non-Trivial Fellowship is open to applicants from around the world. If selected, you can participate regardless of your location. Scholarships are available to most Fellows, except for those currently located in a small number of restricted countries (e.g., China, Iran, Russia, and a few others due to legal constraints). If you’re unsure whether this applies to you, feel free to reach out!
Non-Trivial is a free, online research incubator for 14 to 20-year-olds who aren’t yet at university. You learn how to do impactful research, start your own project with mentorship, and can win scholarships of up to $10,000. Non-Trivial is run by Leaf Inc., a US 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Yes. Non-Trivial is run by Leaf Inc., a US 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN 33-4661702). Since 2022, we’ve awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships and prizes. Our funders include Coefficient Giving and Carina Initiatives. You can read about past participants’ projects on our Winners page, and our alumni have gone on to universities including MIT, Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge and Stanford.
We don’t publish an acceptance rate: a single number is easy to take out of context, and it isn’t something we optimise for. What we can share: we receive thousands of applications each year, and for 2027 we plan to accept about 600 Research Foundations Finalists, about 200 Research Fellows and about 15 Research Scholars.
Yes. The application and all of our programs are fully online, so you can take part from anywhere in the world.
We are offering two options for selected 2027 Finalists:
In your application you can express a preference.
The RFP program requires a minimum commitment of 5 hours per week, which can be completed on a flexible schedule that works for you.
You'll learn the basics of impactful research and generate impactful research ideas. You'll do that via:
Our optional interdisciplinary curriculum–spanning mathematics, machine learning, biology, economics, and philosophy–helps you apply academic concepts to real-world problems.
We plan to accept approximately 600 Research Foundations Finalists, split into a Winter and a Spring cohort. We may decide to accept more or fewer, e.g. depending on the applications we receive.
The program will be entirely in English. You don't need to be a native English speaker; however, it is important you be able to converse with other participants and facilitators in English.
The Research Fellowship is a 8-week part-time program over the summer, plus an onboarding week and a presentation week on either side. Onboarding begins June 7th. Demo Days conclude by August 13th.
The program requires a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week, which can be completed on a flexible schedule that works for you. If you are away at a camp or vacation for one of the weeks you are typically able to make up these hours before or after.
You'll start your impactful research with mentorship from a facilitator. You'll do that via:
It’s up to you!
We welcome projects on any topic that could make a substantial difference in the world. Previous participants have explored a diverse range of research topics, such as:
We reserve the right to not support any project we think would have a negative impact on the world.
We plan to accept approximately 200 Research Fellows in 2027. We may decide to accept more or fewer, e.g. depending on the applications we receive.
Great!
You're welcome to apply to work on an existing project. While our program focuses on exploration, we can still help with implementation and connect you with a supportive community.
Absolutely! Many of our previous winners completed their projects in groups (and many others did on their own).
Many aspects of our program are designed to help you find someone to work with who shares your interests, such as group events, one-on-one introductory calls, and our fellow database.
There will be an application process for securing funding that would help you pursue and advance your project. This means, for example, purchasing textbooks, courses, technology, or other resources you need to do your project, or personal compensation if your participation in Non-Trivial comes at the cost of paid work that helps to support you or your family. These grants will be distributed based on merit and need, and are not guaranteed. More information and official terms to follow for selected Fellows.
The Research Scholars Program is a prestigious recognition and an ongoing support system after the June - August Fellowship through which we'll help you identify what you need in your research, university path, or career exploration and then help you go get it! This may include expert mentorship, external funding opportunities, professional consultation or networking, and more.
You'll be able to pursue this ongoing support on a flexible schedule that works for you. Once selected as a Scholar, we'll be here to support your next steps when the come along!
We plan to accept approximately 15 Research Scholars. We may decide to accept more or fewer, e.g. depending on the applications we receive. A similar number of Fellows will also be awarded special awards from our organizational partners, including monetary prizes and mentorship.
In 2027 we plan to allocate $75,000 in scholarships to top projects based on our judges' rankings of progress made, potential impact, and presentation quality. The top three will earn $10,000 and other awardees between $2,000 - $5,000.
Scholars must use the funds for the purposes of education and personal development. This means, for example, purchasing textbooks, courses, technology, tuition, tutoring, or supplementing unpaid internships in service of pursuing their research.
You’ll hear back from us about Research Foundations by mid-January 2027. Applicants to the Fellowship will be informed of acceptance by the first week of May.
Yes! Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when applications for future cohorts open, and to learn about other opportunities.
Unfortunately not. We receive thousands of applications, and aren’t able to provide individualized feedback.
Unfortunately not, the decisions we make are final. However, we hope you apply again for future cohorts.
Since our founding in 2022, we’ve awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships and prizes to talented young people and other programs and competitions that support them. The largest historical funder of our work has been Coefficient Giving and our primary current funder is Carina Initiatives, who work to "send more kids from more communities to the frontiers of science and technology."
No funder makes decisions for us about our curriculum, selection of Fellows, judging of projects, or anything else that we do.
Leaf is an online program preparing talented teenagers to have a positive impact at university and with their career. The two entities have historically been distinct, but work closely together and are in the process of a strategic entity merger.
Leaf teaches you how to connect your academic interests and skills to real impact; Non-Trivial helps you put that learning into practice through carefully crafted research projects.
Exceptional work in a Leaf course is one way that applicants to Non-Trivial's selective programs can stand out, but participation does not guarantee entry, nor is participating in Leaf required in order to apply to Non-Trivial. The two programs have entirely separate applications.
Not right now, but you can let us know you might be interested in the future.
You can email Jonah (jonah@non-trivial.org) with your CV/LinkedIn and why you might be interested.
Feedback is crucial to helping us improve – especially critical feedback.
To give us feedback, you can:
Please contact us so we can help you.
Note: We receive a high volume of inquiries and don't have the capacity to reply to every message. However, we read every message and greatly appreciate hearing about issues with the website, application, and programs.
