For our 2026 event, Both Wave and Particle, we’re looking for people who want to contribute in three ways:

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Volunteers
Help us design and deliver an unforgettable event. From speaker support to stage production to guest experience, volunteers bring the energy and detail that make TEDxPrinceton possible. If you are interested in volunteering please fill out the form linked HERE.

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Live ASL Interpreter (Volunteer Role)
We are actively seeking a volunteer ASL Interpreter to provide real-time interpretation during our  TEDx Princeton 2026 event. This role is essential to ensuring accessibility for Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees and will involve interpreting speaker presentations, audience Q&A, and event announcements.

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Sponsors

Our sponsors provide the essential support that makes TEDx possible. Their partnership sustains the platform for ideas worth spreading in our community. Please see our Partner page HERE

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Speakers
Share an idea worth spreading. We invite applications from across disciplines—science, art, culture, technology, and beyond—that resonate with our theme and meet TEDx standards. If you wish to submit a speaker application, please read the information below and fill out and Submit the Speaker Application Form.

 

Speaking at TEDxPrinceton

 

TEDxPrinceton 2026 will be shaped around our theme, Both Wave and Particle. In quantum physics, something can behave as both a wave and a particle, not because it switches between two fixed states, but because its nature is revealed differently depending on how it is observed.

We see this as a powerful lens for ideas: truths that change under different perspectives, concepts that hold multiple forms at once, and discoveries that refuse to be contained by a single definition.
 

TEDxPrinceton Speaker Guidelines

TEDx events focus on the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately the world. In keeping with the TED spirit, TEDxPrinceton seeks outstanding presenters from diverse disciplines who have truly original “ideas worth spreading” and who can inspire an audience to explore, learn, and engage with those ideas. The TEDxPrinceton curation team is responsible for selecting speakers in alignment with the TED spirit and official TEDx guidelines.
 

Selection
All speakers are identified, reviewed, and confirmed by the TEDxPrinceton organizers. TED staff do not assist in identifying or securing speakers.
 

Payment

• TEDx events never pay speakers.

• Sponsorship

• Speakers may not sponsor any portion of TEDxPrinceton, in-kind or otherwise. Sponsors of the event cannot serve as speakers.

• Duration

• No talk can exceed 18 minutes.

• Multi-topical and Multidisciplinary

TEDxPrinceton will feature a wide range of speakers from different disciplines. The final program will include varied topics; no single subject will dominate.
 

Presentations
All talk content must comply with copyright law. Speakers must notify the organizers in advance of any third-party material to be used and must obtain written permission for any copyrighted materials. TED cannot provide legal assistance or act as a consultant on individual cases.
 

Content Standards
Talks must present original insights or argue for an original idea. The TEDx stage cannot be used for selling products, promoting individuals or businesses, or advancing political or religious agendas. All talks must be the speaker’s own work, with proper credit given where appropriate. Plagiarism, impersonation, or unverified claims are not permitted.
Speakers must be prepared to substantiate any claims—particularly scientific ones—so that their content can withstand scrutiny. TEDx is not a platform for inflammatory rhetoric, polarizing “us vs. them” framing, or pseudoscience. Talks that fail to meet these standards will be removed.
 

Speaker Release
Everyone appearing on stage must sign the TEDxPrinceton release form.
 

TEDxTalks Videos
All talks will be uploaded to the TEDxTalks YouTube channel unless they violate TEDx standards. If the organizers choose to withhold a talk, they are responsible for notifying TEDx staff and explaining the decision to the speaker.
 

Selection Criteria
Applications are evaluated according to the following:

• Innovative idea worth spreading (beyond a personal inspirational story)

• Speaker expertise and credibility

• Distinct discipline or category not already represented in the year’s program

• Timeliness and relevance of the topic

• Connection to the event theme

• Potential to engage and resonate with audiences

• Diversity of perspective

• Scientific credibility, where applicable

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TEDxPrinceton 2026 explores Both Wave and Particle—the same phenomenon revealed differently under different observation. We do not use fixed categories. Submit from any field—science, art, technology, policy, health—provided your idea can live in dual form and withstand scrutiny.

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Your proposal must do three things:

 

State the “wave” (pattern, field, flow) and the “particle” (instance, mechanism, stake) of your idea or the way in which you believe it ties to our theme.

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Explain how the idea illustrates how something impactful changes with observer, scale, or method.

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Ground the claim, specifying the evidence and the boundary of validity.

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We curate for originality, clarity, evidentiary strength, and interplay across disciplines. 

TEDxPrinceton is required to curate a balanced, multidisciplinary program. Even if your idea is compelling and aligns with Both Wave and Particle, it may not be included if a similar perspective is already represented or if it does not fit the final program design. Our selection process builds an event as a whole, not a collection of individual talks.​

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If you wish to submit a speaker application, please fill out and Submit the Speaker Application Form.