2026 Potomac ACM Policy Challenge

2026 Award Recipients

The Potomac ACM Chapter is pleased to announce the award recipients of the 2026 Potomac ACM Policy Challenge:

  • Ava Hedenberg
  • Olivia Jones
  • Jess Liu

Recipients are listed alphabetically by surname.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients. We thank all participants for sharing their research and ideas, and the research advisors and reviewers for their contributions to the Challenge.

Participation, Review and Publication

Coauthored manuscripts are permitted. Manuscripts are reviewed anonymously; the committee separately reviews candidates’ CVs and research-advisor recommendations with identifying information.

Program information clarified on 23 October 2026.

2026 Application Information — Closed

Applications for the 2026 Challenge are closed. The application requirements and dates below are retained as a historical record. The linked 2022 author-release form is an archived document, not a current request to sign a publication licence.

Introduction

The Potomac ACM Policy Challenge encourages talented students who value a peaceful future, collaboration, and intellectual experience to conduct research on technology policy outside of the classroom. We believe young students can influence their community by increasing engagement, knowledge, and awareness about technology policy and forming a public consensus. Public awareness, comprehension, and participation can help shape tomorrow’s technology policy.

The Challenge, organized by the Potomac Association for Computing Machinery Chapter, is a forum for students free to apply, showcase their research, exchange ideas, and improve their communication skills while competing for awards. Our candidates will use their knowledge and skills to advance the profession and make a positive impact.

Submission Deadline (Closed)

September 15, 2026 – End of Day, Anywhere on Earth (AoE), UTC -12

Eligibility

Before the submission deadline, a candidate must have accrued the following:

  1. A sustained level of contribution to activities in technology policy over time, with a clear impact within their community.
  2. An original research manuscript in technology policy under a research advisor.
  3. Enrolling in a college-level course, including college-level classes in high school: the A-Levels, International Baccalaureate (IB), and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

The Challenge is open to students from any country. Candidates must be twenty-two years old or younger by the submission deadline date.

Each candidate must provide the following:

  1. The candidate’s resume
  2. Author release — legacy 2022 version (archived reference)
  3. A reference letter from the research advisor
  4. A manuscript in MS Word format in line with the ACM reference guide

The manuscript shall have a maximum of 6,000 words (the word count limit includes the title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list). The Challenge Committee evaluates each candidate independently and makes every effort to recognize scholarship and community accomplishments equitably. For the distinction between anonymous manuscript review and identified supporting-material review, see Participation, Review and Publication above.

Suggested Research Topics

Selection Criteria

Successful candidates for the Challenge must impact technology policy in scholarship and leadership contributions. Therefore, the research advisor’s reference letter should address the candidate’s most significant accomplishments and conditions, such as:

  • Specific theoretical or practical achievements that demonstrate innovation, originality, and creativity.
  • Leadership roles demonstrate outstanding service to the community.
  • Candidates who receive/qualify for free or reduced lunch in the school participate in a TRIO program and qualify for fee waivers from the ACT, College Board, and NACAC.

2026 Application Schedule (Archived)

The following dates were published for the 2026 application cycle:

  • Application opening: July 2026.
  • Submission deadline: September 15, 2026 — end of day, Anywhere on Earth (AoE), UTC −12.
  • Scheduled shortlist announcement: September 22, 2026.
  • Scheduled award decisions: before October 16, 2026.

For questions about the Challenge or its results, please contact challenge@potomac.acm.org.