Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research - ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship

ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship

You win a cash prize of 1,000 USD (about 920 EUR) for first place or 750 USD (about 690 EUR) for second place in this annual video contest. You also receive a certificate. On request, the organiser sends letters of recognition to you and to your faculty, department and dean. The prize is run by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan, which collects and shares social science data. To enter, you make a video of up to 3 minutes about one study from the ICPSR catalogue. You present its main features, why it matters and what it could be used for, like an advertisement for the dataset. Any format works, from animation software to a phone camera.

Who can apply

• Level: You are an undergraduate or graduate student.
• Institution: Your university or college is an ICPSR member institution.
• Timing: You must not graduate too early. For the 2027 round, your graduation date must be 1 April 2026 or later.
• Field of study: Any subject, as long as you work with social science data.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Dataset: The study you present must come from the curated ICPSR collection, not from OpenICPSR or studies hosted elsewhere. Members-only studies are preferred, but not required.

How to apply

You submit an entry form with your details, the dataset you chose and a link to your video. For the 2027 round, the deadline is 23 February 2027 at midnight Eastern Time. Winners are announced in April 2027.

How realistic are your chances?

Only two prizes are awarded each year, so this is a real contest rather than a grant you simply qualify for. The field is small, though: only students at ICPSR member institutions willing to make a video can enter. A clear, creative video that explains a dataset well decides it, so effort on the video matters more than your grades.