Students in the Isle of Man are being encouraged to take part in the 2025-26 Conrad Challenge, an international competition that could see winners travel to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The challenge, founded by Nancy Conrad in memory of her husband, Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad, is open to young people aged 13-18 worldwide.

Teams of between two and five students, supported by a coach, can enter in one of five categories: aerospace and aviation, cyber-technology and security, energy and environment, health and nutrition, or the water challenge.

Local firm River Advisers sponsors Isle of Man teams by covering entry fees and, if required, helping with travel costs should a team reach the finals.

To take part, teams must register by 30 October 2025 and complete the ‘Activation Stage’ at conrad.spacecenter.org. They must also submit a ‘Lean Canvas’ by that date, setting out the fundamentals of their idea across 12 questions covering innovation, market and business model.

Those who progress move to the ‘Innovation Stage’, which involves producing a written brief, a short video and a website. The deadline for this stage is 8 January 2026.

Finalists will be invited to present their projects at the 2026 Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit, due to take place in Houston 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 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 Manx students through its ManSat Scholarship Program. These include scholarships to the NASA United Space School, the UK Rocketry Challenge and the International Space University in Strasbourg, along with an annual fellowship grant for students pursuing further studies in space.

Further details are available at www.riveradvisers.com/scholarships.