The doors have officially opened for the 11th annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, inviting teenagers worldwide to join a global conversation about science through creative video presentations. With submissions accepted through September 15, this year’s competition continues an ambitious vision of inspiring scientific curiosity while building communication skills among young innovators.
Since its launch in 2015, the competition founded by Julia and Yuri Milner has received more than 30,000 submissions from over 200 countries, creating an unprecedented global platform for science education and engagement. The 2025 competition builds on this foundation while offering $400,000 in total prizes to support the winner, their teacher, and their school.
A Global Platform for Scientific Discovery
Yuri Milner’s vision for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge reflects his understanding that scientific talent knows no geographical boundaries. Students ages 13 to 18 from any nationality can participate by creating original videos up to two minutes long, explaining scientific concepts in engaging and imaginative ways.
The challenge isn’t just about scientific knowledge—it’s about communication. Participants must demonstrate their ability to make complex ideas accessible to their peers, a skill increasingly crucial as science becomes more specialized and society becomes more dependent on scientific understanding.
This approach aligns with Yuri Milner’s broader educational philosophy, which emphasizes making scientific concepts accessible to diverse audiences. Through the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, Yuri Milner has consistently supported initiatives that bridge the gap between advanced scientific research and public understanding.
Building on a Decade of Success
The 2024 winner, Jasmine Eyal from Singapore, exemplified the competition’s goals by creating a video about mechanogenetic cellular engineering inspired by her grandmother’s diabetes. Her personal connection to the scientific topic, combined with clear explanation and creative presentation, demonstrates the kind of science communication the competition seeks to foster.
The Selection Committee for 2025 includes an impressive array of scientific leaders and communication experts, from NASA astronauts to Breakthrough Prize laureates to education innovators. This diverse panel ensures that winning videos combine scientific accuracy with effective communication and creative presentation.
Notable committee members include Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space; Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy; and multiple Breakthrough Prize laureates across physics, mathematics, and life sciences. Their involvement demonstrates the competition’s serious commitment to identifying and nurturing scientific talent.
The Power of Popular Engagement
One of the competition’s most innovative features is the Popular Vote phase, running from November 24 through December 9. During this period, up to 30 finalist videos will be posted across the competition’s digital platforms, allowing public engagement with scientific concepts through social media interaction.
The video receiving the highest combined engagement across Facebook and YouTube will earn its creator automatic advancement to the final judging round. This democratic element ensures that effective science communication—measured by actual audience engagement—receives recognition alongside expert evaluation.
This approach reflects Yuri Milner’s understanding of how modern science communication works in digital environments. As outlined in his Eureka Manifesto, effective science communication requires reaching audiences through the platforms and formats they actually use.
Supporting the Complete Educational Ecosystem
The competition’s prize structure demonstrates thoughtful understanding of how scientific education actually works. The $250,000 scholarship for the winner provides substantial support for continued education, while the $50,000 teacher prize recognizes the crucial role of educators in fostering scientific curiosity.
The $100,000 science laboratory, designed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, creates lasting infrastructure that will benefit countless future students. This three-pronged approach—supporting the student, recognizing the educator, and strengthening the institution—creates ripple effects that extend far beyond individual achievement.
Previous winners have gone on to attend institutions including MIT, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford, suggesting the competition successfully identifies students likely to make significant scientific contributions. But perhaps more importantly, all participants gain experience in science communication that serves them regardless of their eventual career paths.
Yuri Milner’s humanitarian focus, evident in initiatives like Tech for Refugees, extends to this educational approach as well. By supporting entire educational ecosystems rather than just individual winners, the competition creates sustainable foundations for continued scientific advancement.
Looking Toward September
As submissions open for the 2025 competition, potential participants can draw inspiration from previous winners who have tackled topics ranging from Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to circadian rhythms, from neutrino astronomy to quantum physics. The diversity of topics demonstrates that any area of scientific inquiry can become accessible through creative explanation.
The competition’s partnership with Khan Academy provides additional educational support, while Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s involvement in designing the winner’s school laboratory ensures that prizes create lasting educational infrastructure.
For students considering participation, the challenge is clear: identify a scientific concept that captures your imagination, understand it thoroughly enough to explain it to others, and find creative ways to make that explanation engaging and memorable. The global platform awaits, and the next breakthrough in science communication might come from anywhere in the world, embodying Yuri Milner’s vision of science as a universal language that connects people across cultures and continents.
With nearly four months until the submission deadline, young scientists worldwide have time to research, create, and polish videos that could launch them toward futures in scientific discovery and innovation.
