The 22nd annual ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI 2027) has opened the call for submissions for its Student Design Competition (SDC), inviting student teams from around the world to present original human-robot interaction design work to an audience of researchers, practitioners, and judges. The competition, which will be held in Santa Clara, California, USA, during the conference from 8–12 March 2027, is themed “Robots in Public Spaces“. The goal of the SDC is to showcase design thinking in HRI: the quality of the interaction design, the clarity of the rationale behind design decisions, and serious engagement with the realities of deploying robots among people.

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability invites students around the world to join the 2026-27 season of The Global Sustainability Challenge. The Global Sustainability Challenge, led by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and leading institutions worldwide, invites university students to develop bold solutions in Sustainable Energy and Adaptation & Resilience. Winners receive cash prizes, global recognition, and an exclusive invitation to Stanford’s EcoGlobal program.

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The Stanford Center on Longevity invites university students from around the world to compete in the 2026-2027 Longevity Design Challenge, on the theme “Human-Centered Robotics for Longevity”. For its fourteenth year, the design theme, “Human-Centered Robotics for Longevity,” explores how robotics can support longer lives while strengthening, rather than replacing, the relationships and communities that make those lives worth living. Top winners receive cash prizes of $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place). Finalists receive a $1,000 cash prize and mentorship from industry experts and researchers.

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The iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD 2027 is open for entries. Organized by iF Design, the 2027 edition marks the 25th anniversary of the competition. It invites design students from around the world to participate in a free international competition for student concepts aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Winners gain international recognition and a share of the prize money. The Awards Ceremony will take place in New York City in June 2027.

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The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) has announced the 2027 IIDA Student Design Competition. The 14th annual edition of the competition invites design students from around the world who are currently enrolled in an interior design or interior architecture program. It seeks space planning and design concepts for a healthcare project set out in the published design brief. The best works will be awarded with $2,500 for first place, $1,500 for second place and $750 for third place. Winners will be featured on IIDA’s website, in the spring 2027 issue of QUAD and in Design Matters newsletters, and in a press release distributed to industry outlets.

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The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is excited to announce the 15th Annual Science Without Borders® Challenge. The 2027 theme is “Navigate with Care”. People rely on the ocean for transportation, recreation, commerce, and livelihoods, but the choices made while navigating can also affect marine life and fragile ocean habitats. Safe and responsible navigation can help prevent vessel strikes, groundings, anchor damage, pollution, and other impacts while also promoting safety for people on the water. The Challenge is open to students worldwide who are 11–19 years old and enrolled in primary or secondary school, or the home-school equivalent. College and university students are not eligible.

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The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and its educational and research organization, the ET Foundation, have opened for submissions the ETF 2027 Rick Merluzzi International Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition. The competition aims to challenge and empower the next generation of designers to consider how aluminum extrusions can shape a more sustainable world and improve quality of life. Winning student designs will be displayed at the Fourteenth International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar and Exposition – ET ’27.

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