SAPA-GP Song Li Scholarship Student Competition
In recognition of the enduring support and generous philanthropy of Dr. Song Li, Founder and Chairman of Frontage Laboratories, SAPA-GP is proud to present the 2026 SAPA-GP Song Li Student Competition. Students will compete for the SAPA-GP Song Li Scholarship by sharing their vision and demonstrating creativity, business insight, and innovative thinking about the future of AI in biopharma and healthcare.
Key Facts
| Event | 2026 SAPA-GP Song Li Student Competition |
| Date | October 16, 2026 |
| Location | Science History Institute, downtown Philadelphia |
| Eligibility | Students in grades 7–12 |
| Prize | SAPA-GP Song Li Scholarship |
Competition Theme
“From Recombinant DNA to AI: What Scientific Revolutions Teach Us About Innovation, Risk, and Responsibility”
Students work with one or more large language models (LLMs) to develop an analytical essay between 1,000 to 2,000 words to address this theme.
Format & Judging
- Essays are submitted for review by the Competition Organizing Committee.
- Up to three finalists are selected from each of two grade divisions: grades 7–9 and grades 10–12.
- Finalists present their essays and answer questions before a panel of judges at the in-person final competition.
- Judging panel: a historian of science, a life scientist, an AI researcher or practitioner, and a biopharmaceutical executive.
- Final format: 5-minute presentation + up to 10 minutes of Q&A per finalist.
- Winners are determined by overall quality of essay, presentation, and Q&A performance.
Prizes (per grade division)
| Place | Award |
| 1st Place | $1,000 |
| 2nd Place | $500 |
| 3rd Place | $300 |
Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
| By September 1, 2026 | Essay submission deadline |
| By September 15, 2026 | Finalists announced |
| October 16, 2026 | In-person final competition & winners announced |
Eligibility & Rules
- Participants must be sponsored by a current SAPA-GP EEO member, a past SAPA-GP conference speaker, a former SAPA-GP president, or a current/former SAPA-GP advisor.
- Students must compete solo.
- All participants must sign an Academic Integrity and Ethical Conduct Statement affirming the work reflects their own ideas, analysis, and effort.
- Teachers, parents, mentors, and other adults may offer general guidance/feedback only — not direct contribution to writing, research, analysis, or preparation.
- Submissions must be created specifically for this competition (no prior submission, publication, or presentation elsewhere).
- Non-compliant submissions may be disqualified regardless of effort invested.
- Essays must be written in English.
- Each essay must include an appendix listing the LLM prompts used and source links for key references.