Organizer Information
Negative Population Growth (NPG) is a U.S. national non-profit membership organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Established in 1972, NPG focuses on educating the American public and elected officials about the effects of population growth on the environment, natural resources, and quality of life. The organization runs scholarship contests and other educational initiatives related to population issues.
Title & Description
2026 NPG Photography Scholarship Contest
The 2026 NPG Photography Scholarship Contest invites undergraduate college students to submit an original photograph showing an area that has been negatively affected by population growth. Each photograph must be accompanied by a 20–50-word explanation describing what the viewer is seeing and explaining how the image relates to challenges associated with the nation’s growing population.
The NPG Scholarship Committee will select multiple winning photographs. Entries are judged on originality, relevance to the topic, and evidence of critical thinking. Applicants may submit more than one photograph, but each photograph must be entered separately. Artificial intelligence (AI) may not be used in creating the submission.
Categories
- Photography
- Documentary Photography
- Environmental Photography
- Social Issue Photography
Eligibility
The contest is open to applicants who meet all of the following requirements:
- Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
- Must be 14 years old or older.
- Must be an undergraduate college student enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program for the Spring 2027 semester.
- Must attend an accredited school in the United States or an institution operated overseas by the U.S. government.
- Relatives of NPG employees or directors are not eligible.
Applicants under 18 must provide a parent or guardian digital signature in addition to their own digital signature.
Program Benefits & Awards
The contest offers multiple photography scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. Scholarship funds are paid directly to the accredited college or university attended by each winning student.
Winning photographs may also receive publicity through NPG's website and advertising or promotional activities. By entering, applicants agree to the contest's Project Release Agreement, which grants NPG extensive rights to use, reproduce, adapt, distribute, and otherwise exploit submitted materials, names, likenesses, and related content worldwide and in perpetuity. No additional compensation is provided for such use beyond the designated contest prize.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 26 October 2026
- Winner Announcement: November 23, 2026
- Scholarship Period: For the Spring 2027 academic semester
Location
Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Additional Details
Applicants should carefully follow all technical and submission requirements because failure to comply with the rules may result in disqualification. AI-generated or AI-assisted work is not permitted. Both the photograph and its written description must be the applicant's original work.
Applicants should also review the Project Release Agreement before submitting. The agreement gives NPG broad, irrevocable rights to use submitted photographs, related materials, the applicant's name and likeness, and other associated content for contest-related and other NPG program, commercial, promotional, and advertising purposes. The agreement states that the submitted work is treated as a work-for-hire and that no additional compensation will be paid for these uses beyond any contest prize.
The contest is subject to NPG's privacy policy, and participation requires disclosure of certain personal and educational information. NPG states that it does not sell or trade this information to third parties except as specified in its privacy policy or as necessary for its programs and activities.