2026 SOA Research Institute Student Research Case Study Challenge

The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute is dedicated to advancing education and research for the actuarial profession. As part of its mission, the SOA Research Institute recognizes the importance of partnering with colleges and universities to help develop future actuaries. With this in mind, the SOA Research Institute holds an annual Student Research Case Study Challenge, which provides an opportunity for teams of students to apply their actuarial skills on a real-world problem in a business setting.

Teams of two to five students will research a case study situation, conduct an actuarial analysis, formulate solutions, and present recommendations in a report. The work will require a team approach to identify issues and organize priorities. The team will need to understand and select from potential data sources, develop models with appropriate accuracy metrics, summarize relevant results, and then present recommendations in a written format for a target audience of executives from a broad array of professional backgrounds. Teams can look forward to showcasing their creativity while building synergies within an actuarial setting. Teams are encouraged to seek guidance from a faculty advisor to assist them in their overall approach.

Submissions will be graded by a panel of SOA Research Institute judges, and the teams with the top submissions will be invited to present their submissions to the judges virtually. All teams meeting a minimum standard will be recognized in official SOA publications and team members will be awarded a certificate of participation.

Key Dates for the 2026 Challenge

Release case study	January 16, 2026
Intent to participate form due	March 8, 2026
Student submissions due	March 13, 2026, 3:00 PM U.S. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
Semifinalists announced	March 27, 2026 (approximate)
Finalists announced	April 10, 2026 (approximate)
Finalist presentations	April 15–17, 2026
Winners announced	April 24, 2026 (approximate)