Manx students are being invited to form teams and enter the 2025-26 Conrad Challenge, with the chance of landing a trip to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The annual competition was founded by Nancy Conrad to honour the legacy of her late husband, Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad.
It is open to students aged 13-18 around the world.
Conrad Challenge
Teams can enter one of five categories – Aerospace and Aviation, Cyber-Technology & Security, Energy & Environment, Health & Nutrition, and The Water Challenge.
Each year River Advisers sponsors Isle of Man teams by covering their entry fees to the Conrad Challenge, as well as assisting with travel costs should a team make it through to the final.
Teams have until October 30 to assemble their crew of between two and five members and a coach, before entering the Challenge by completing the ‘Activation Stage’ at: conrad.spacecenter.org
By that same date, the team must also complete its ‘Lean Canvas’, a tool used to map out the fundamentals of their new venture in its early stages.
This involves sharing the team’s early thoughts to 12 questions that outline its innovation, market and business model.
The Innovation Stage, which will see teams bring their ideas to life by writing a brief, recording a video and creating a website, has a deadline of January 8, 2026.
A Trip to NASA
The top teams from the Innovation Stage are named finalists and invited to pitch their projects to a panel of judges at the 2026 Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit which takes place from April 22-25.
Jennifer Stone, Chief Strategy Officer at River Advisers, said: “The Conrad Challenge Is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to apply their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to solving real-world problems.
“Participants should choose a global or local issue that resonates with them and develop an innovative solution. We are excited to see what projects Isle of Man teams create and wish everyone taking part the best of luck!”
River Advisers supports a range of educational opportunities for Isle of Man students within its ManSat Scholarship Programs.
In addition to the Conrad Challenge, it offers scholarships to the NASA United Space School, held each year in Houston in July, and has sponsored island high schools to participate in the UK Rocketry Challenge.
It also awards an annual ‘ManSat Fellowship’ grant for Manx students seeking to further their studies in space, and scholarships to programs run by the International Space University in Strasbourg.
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