Planet Impact Lab
Available: Princeton In-Person
Mentor: Sergey Samsonau, PhD
Seize the Opportunity
Research that matters. Problems that affect millions. Recognition on a world stage. Planet Impact Lab tackles environmental challenges - water quality, ecosystem health, pollution, conservation - with scientific methodology. Build real research skills. Publish findings. Compete in prestigious international competitions. Featured competition: Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
Featured Competition: Stockholm Junior Water Prize
The world's most prestigious water research competition for high school students. Tens of thousands of entries from 40+ countries. Students conduct original research and defend their findings before panels of water science professionals.
This lab prepares you for the US competition. Your research becomes your entry. Win your state? Advance to nationals. Win nationals? Compete internationally in Stockholm.
Get selected and represent Team USA. Attend the award ceremony at the Nobel Prize dinner venue. Not selected? Continue your project and publish your research. Either outcome gives you international-level competition experience and published work. Credentials most applicants can't match.
See past SJWP winning projects (examples from official competition)
These projects won the Stockholm Junior Water Prize. They represent the caliber of research this competition recognizes.
2025 Winners (Source)
| Award | Country | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm Junior Water Prize | Germany | Scalable flood warning system for small streams |
| Diploma of Excellence | Türkiye | AI and water efficiency: leak detection via sound |
| People's Choice | UK | Sun-based water distillation system |
2024 Winners (Source)
| Award | Country | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm Junior Water Prize | UK | PFASolve: Detection and filtration of perfluoroalkyl substances from Thames Basin surface water |
| Diploma of Excellence | Mexico | Reuse of Inked Water with Homemade Filtration to Produce Veggie Gardens |
| People's Choice | Brazil | Aquatic Rover: Autonomous vehicle for water quality |
2023 Winner (Source)
| Award | Country | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm Junior Water Prize | USA | Simultaneous removal of ocean carbon and soluble oil-in-water contaminants through a Multi-Functional Remediation Framework |
More winners: Stockholm Water Foundation | Official Rules: WEF SJWP
What You'll Do
Investigate real environmental challenges with scientific methodology.
- Design experiments and monitoring protocols
- Collect and analyze field data
- Apply statistical analysis to your findings
- Write research papers that meet competition standards
- Present findings and defend conclusions
This is how professional environmental scientists work. Field work, lab analysis, and rigorous documentation together.
Why Princeton for Planet Impact Research
Central New Jersey offers exceptional conditions for environmental field research - few locations in the USA can match this combination of accessible conservation land, long-term monitoring data, and active research programs. Two major sites within 20 minutes of Princeton.
The Watershed Institute
1,000 acres of protected watershed habitat with 30+ years of water monitoring data and professional field research protocols.
Decades of baseline data. Professional scientists have monitored these streams since 1992. Your measurements can build on - or challenge - years of documented water quality trends.
Real environmental issues. Road salt runoff, nutrient pollution, habitat degradation, harmful algal blooms - the problems are here and documented.
Access to professional resources. Public Clean Water Report Card with 2020-2024 assessments. StreamWatch program protocols and quality assurance documentation. Forest, wetlands, and floodplain habitat along Stony Brook.
Volunteer opportunities. Join StreamWatch teams to learn field techniques - chemical testing, biological assessment, bacterial monitoring.
Duke Farms
2,700 acres of publicly accessible conservation land with active ecological research programs.
Bioacoustics monitoring. Audio recorders capture bird, bat, and insect populations across habitats.
Wildlife tracking. Camera traps and habitat surveys document species presence and behavior.
Ecological restoration data. Ongoing meadow, forest, and wetland restoration projects with documented outcomes.
Open to visitors. Students can conduct field observations on site.
Stand Out for College Applications
Environmental research demonstrates what admissions officers rarely see: independent scientific investigation that addresses real-world challenges. The combination of research skills, environmental awareness, and international competition experience is rare. Not selected for competition? Continue your project and publish - real credentials whether or not you advance.
Lab Structure
Project format: Individual or team. Stockholm Junior Water Prize allows teams up to 2. ISEF allows teams up to 3.
Competition Details
Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2026:
- State deadline: April 15, 2026
- State winners announced: May 2026
- US National Competition: June/July 2026
- International Competition: Stockholm, Sweden, August 2026
See competition rules and guidelines: wef.org/sjwp
About the Mentor
- Trained 100+ students in research methodology at NYU
- Built and directed research labs program at PRISMS (one of the top USA high schools)
- Developer of original research education methodologies
Prerequisites
- Active SoTS Membership
- Competitions may have their own age requirements. For example: Age 15+ by August 1, 2026 for SJWP.
- Commitment to weekly meetings and independent work
- Curiosity about environmental issues
No prior research experience needed.
Enrollment
Princeton (In-Person)
- Weekly meetings (1-1.5 hours) in central Princeton. 5 members per group.
- Spring: January - April
- Fall: September - December
- Semester commitment required
Continuation: Students with active projects may continue month-to-month online between semesters to maintain momentum.
References
Real problems. Real research. World recognition. Your impact starts here.
Questions? Contact pil.lab@teenscientists.org