Since 2011, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has partnered with Tribeca Film Institute to recognize outstanding feature student screenplays with the Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize. Six leading film schools make up the Sloan symposium - UCLA, USC, NYU, AFI, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia. Each school submits one student screenplay for consideration of the prize every year, with last year's prize going to Laura Alsum of UCLA for her screenplay Survival of the Fittest.

The Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize inspires the next generation of filmmakers to create realistic scripted films about science and technology. The exceptional screenplays chosen to receive the prize challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and deepen our understanding of the natural world through visual media. The inaugural prize was awarded to NYU's Robert Cohen for his script Bystander in 2011. Other past winners include NYU's Grainger David, who received the award in 2012 for his screenplay Penny Stock, and Barnett Brettler of UCLA, who was recognized in 2013 for his script Waking Hours.

Along with a cash prize, the winner receives a year of industry mentorship commissioned by the Tribeca Film Institute, valuable industry contacts, and the guidance to move their screenplay toward production. The winner of this year's Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize will be announced by the Tribeca Film Institute next week on February 27th. Stay tuned for the announcement, but until then, check out TFI's sizzle reel about the award.

The Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize from Tribeca Film Institute on Vimeo.