A global essay competition challenging students to confront the problems no single discipline can solve.
In 1973, design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber coined the term wicked problems — challenges so complex, interconnected, and resistant to simple solutions that no single discipline can solve them alone.
Climate change. Global inequality. AI governance. Public health systems.
These problems don't have right or wrong answers. They demand rigorous thinking across boundaries.
The Wicked Problems Prize challenges students under 19 to confront them head-on in 2,000–3,000 word essays. Each year, the Prize selects one theme and asks students to examine it through distinct disciplinary lenses — because wicked problems reveal different truths depending on how you look at them.
Entry fee: $30 USD. Fee waivers available for demonstrated financial need.
From the water cooling data centers to the energy powering large language models, artificial intelligence carries an environmental price tag that is rarely discussed. Who bears this cost? What should be done about it? This year's Wicked Problems Prize challenges students to examine this question through the lens of a single discipline.
Each essay must approach the theme from one of the following disciplinary perspectives — and is read by a judge in that field. Tap a lens to meet its judge and watch their briefing on the question.
Specific lens prompts and judge briefings will be released June 1, 2026.
Plus additional prizes in education services — supported research programs and personalized academic consulting for finalists.
We do not want $30 to stand between any student and the Prize. Waivers are available for any student with demonstrated financial need — and the process is short, private, and verified by someone you already know.
Name, email, school, country. We use this to track your application and apply your waiver once it is approved.
A few sentences in your own words. We do not request documentation; your teacher's sign-off is the verification step.
One tap opens a draft email in your own email app — addressed to the teacher, counselor, or principal you nominate. Review and send.
Their reply, forwarded to waivers@wickedproblemsprize.org, is all we need. Waivers are typically approved within 48 hours.
We never ask for income statements, tax records, or family financial documents. The teacher who signs off does not need to know amounts.