Thanks to generous sponsorship, the top three participants will receive monetary prizes. The award ceremony will take place on the Main Stage of SPIE AR | VR | MR, 20 January 2026.

Monetary prizes will be awarded as follows:

1st: $3,000

2nd: $1,500

3rd: $750-$1,250

Who can apply? The presenter must be a full time registered student, working in academia or in a research institution, or working as an intern in enterprise, industry or defense sectors, including undergraduates and graduates. Additional contributors can be from academia or industry.

Do I need to write an SPIE proceeding paper? No. But you will be required to submit a one-page description, summarizing the result of your work by 11:59 PM PST on the deadline (to be established in September).

Do I need to be physically present at the show? Yes. A complementary Student SPIE attendee badge for SPIE AR | VR | MR will be provided to each finalist student based on the January one-page description. Each student will give a 3-minute pitch on stage to a jury composed of the main industries in the field of AR, VR, and MR.

How to apply: Submit your abstract by TBD deadline. Enter:

1. Your academic affiliation, including location (US, Europe, Asia, or other)
2. The challenge you are taking on (display, imaging, sensors, or other)
3. The targeted hardware platform (AR, VR, MR, smart glasses, or other)
4. A short abstract of your intended work (3-5 sentences).