U21 RISE Showcase and Awards
Do you have an active project that's focused on creating global impact? Are you looking for additional support and resources to grow your reach? Apply now to be considered as a University of Maryland nominee for the international Universitas 21 (U21) RISE Showcase and Awards!
Applications to 2025 U21 RISE Showcase and Awards are now closed.
Nominees for the 2024 U21 RISE Showcase and Award have been selected. Read about the student projects chosen to represent UMD on the global stage.
Program Details
Do you have an active project that's focused on creating global impact? Are you looking for additional support and resources to grow your reach? Apply now to be considered as a University of Maryland nominee for the international Universitas 21 (U21) RISE Showcase and Awards!
WHAT IS 'RISE'?
RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) is U21’s international showcase of student achievement in sustainability and social innovation designed to accelerate the scale and impact of student-led projects by connecting them with a network of experts in academia and industry. RISE welcomes current projects that focus on global challenges - such as affordable and clean energy, gender equality, quality education, or clean water and sanitation - as outlined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. UMD is one of 30 members of the U21 network, which brings together research-intensive universities from six continents to exchange knowledge and perspectives.
Each U21 member institution is invited to nominate student-led projects based on an aspect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Alongside gaining access to a global network of supporters, nominated teams will have the chance of winning one of four prizes from U21 valued at over $2,000 each.
To select UMD nominees for the official, international RISE Showcase and Awards, the Office of International Affairs' Global Learning Initiatives are hosting this preliminary, campus-wide contest. All UMD nominees will receive Office of International Affairs funding for their projects, as detailed below. UMD will select up to two projects as RISE nominees; two additional nominees may be selected if the nominated projects have been created in collaboration with another U21 partner institution. All nominees will be required to submit a video about their project for the U21 Showcase, with guidance from the Office of International Affairs.
ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA
Current students and recent graduates (December 2022 or later) are eligible to apply. See the U21 RISE Handbook to review what types and stages of projects qualify, judging criteria for both UMD and U21 consideration, and more information on what is required of nominees to create a pitch/video for the U21 stage of the competition.
DEADLINE
You must submit your application by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
(Future deadlines: UMD will select its U21 RISE nominees by April 21, and nominees' U21 RISE pitches, including a video that's been vetted by UMD, are due May 11. Please note intermediate deadlines for pitch script and video draft will be shared with nominees upon selection)
PRIZES
Each nominee will:
-- Win $1,000 in project funding, from the Global Learning Initiatives.
-- Serve as a UMD nominee in the international U21 RISE Showcase and Awards, becoming eligible for additional U21 prizes valued at over $2,000 each and access to a global network of supporters.
QUESTIONS?
For questions on U21 and RISE, please contact info-gli@umd.edu.
Below: U21 Infographic - How far advanced should projects be?
