Terms & Conditions.

1. Eligibility

VGS is primarily intended for students in the first or second year of undergraduate study, while exceptional high-school applicants may also be considered. Applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria published on the VGS website and provide complete and accurate information.

STEMvibe Foundation may request reasonable supporting information to verify eligibility or application details. An application may be rejected or withdrawn from consideration if material information is false, misleading, incomplete, duplicated, or submitted on behalf of another person without authorisation.

2. Application and selection process

The VGS 2026 selection process is designed to assess mathematical curiosity, reasoning, originality, clarity, and intellectual engagement rather than performance on a single entrance examination. The published process currently consists of:

• Initial application: qualitative responses and a short CV from all applicants.
• Stage 2: 100 shortlisted applicants complete a mathematical exposition or exploration.
• Final cohort: 30 applicants are selected for the inaugural residential gathering in December 2026.
• Optional interview: a short interview may be used where additional context would help the evaluators understand an applicant's mathematical thinking or submission.

Selection is competitive. Submission of an application, completion of a stage, or participation in an interview does not guarantee shortlisting, final selection, funding, an internship, employment, or any other opportunity. VGS may adjust evaluation procedures or timelines where reasonably necessary and will make reasonable efforts to communicate material changes.

3. Applicant responsibilities and academic integrity

Applicants are expected to act honestly and in good faith throughout the application and selection process. You must:

• Submit work that genuinely reflects your own thinking and involvement.
• Accurately acknowledge sources, collaborators, tools, or external material where acknowledgement is appropriate or required by stage-specific instructions.
• Refrain from plagiarism, impersonation, fabrication, unauthorised collaboration, manipulation of evidence, or other deceptive conduct.
• Comply with deadlines, format requirements, interview instructions, and other reasonable directions communicated by VGS.

If AI tools or other external resources are used while preparing a selection submission, the applicant remains responsible for the accuracy, originality, understanding, and integrity of the submitted work. VGS may ask an applicant to explain, discuss, or defend any part of a submission to understand the applicant's own contribution and reasoning.

A serious integrity violation may result in disqualification, withdrawal of an offer, or removal from the programme.

4. Programme participation and conduct

Selected participants must follow reasonable programme, venue, safety, and conduct instructions communicated before or during the residential gathering. Participants are expected to engage respectfully with peers, speakers, volunteers, organisers, venue staff, and other members of the community.

Harassment, discrimination, threats, violence, deliberate disruption, property damage, serious misconduct, or unlawful behaviour may result in removal from VGS. Where a participant is under 18, VGS may communicate with the participant's parent or lawful guardian regarding participation, safety, travel, or conduct where reasonably necessary.

5. Camp arrangements, accommodation, meals, and travel

VGS is a fully funded residential programme. Accommodation, meals, refreshments, and eligible travel for selected participants will be arranged or funded by VGS for the duration of the camp, subject to the travel and logistics instructions communicated by VGS.

Fully funded travel does not necessarily mean air travel. Depending on the participant's location, route availability, cost, safety, and logistical considerations, VGS may arrange or fund travel by train, bus, flight, or any other appropriate mode of transport. The mode of transport, booking process, reimbursement limits (if any), and other travel conditions will be communicated by VGS. Participants should not assume a particular mode of transport or incur travel expenditure independently unless specifically authorised or instructed by VGS.

6. Health, safety, and emergencies

VGS will take reasonable steps to organise the programme safely, but travel and residential participation involve ordinary risks. Participants must follow safety instructions, provide accurate emergency information where requested, and promptly report serious concerns. In an urgent situation, VGS or venue personnel may take reasonable steps to protect a participant's health or safety and may contact an emergency contact or guardian where appropriate.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit any responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded.

7. Intellectual property

Unless otherwise stated, the VGS website content, branding, logos, graphics, designs, programme materials, and other content created by or for STEMvibe Foundation are owned by or licensed to STEMvibe Foundation. Such content may not be copied, reproduced, modified, distributed, sold, or commercially exploited without permission or another lawful basis.

Applicants retain ownership of original intellectual property in their application responses and selection submissions. By submitting material to VGS, you grant STEMvibe Foundation a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, copy, review, annotate, and internally share the material with authorised evaluators and service providers solely for application administration, evaluation, integrity checks, record-keeping, and programme operations.

VGS will not publish an identifiable applicant submission as promotional or educational content without separate permission, unless the material is already public or disclosure is otherwise required by law.

8. Media and publicity

Submitting an application does not by itself authorise VGS to use your photograph, image, voice, or testimonial for publicity. Selected participants may be photographed or recorded during the residential programme. Where appropriate, VGS will provide notice and seek consent or guardian consent for promotional, educational, archival, or documentation uses. If VGS provides an opt-out mechanism for a particular media use, participants should follow the instructions communicated for that purpose.

9. Website and portal use

You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to the VGS website, application portal, database, administrator functions, or another applicant's information; introduce malicious code; bypass security controls; interfere with service availability; automate disruptive or fraudulent submissions; or use the platform for unlawful, abusive, or deceptive activity.

10. Programme changes, postponement, or cancellation

STEMvibe Foundation may change programme dates, venue, schedule, speakers, selection milestones, format, or other arrangements where reasonably necessary due to operational, venue, travel, safety, legal, force-majeure, or other circumstances. We will make reasonable efforts to notify affected applicants or participants of material changes.

If VGS is postponed or cancelled, the organisers will communicate the available next steps. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, STEMvibe Foundation is not responsible for non-refundable personal expenditure incurred before written confirmation that such expenditure is covered or authorised.

11. Third-party services and links

The VGS website or programme may use or link to third-party services. Those services may be governed by separate terms and privacy policies. STEMvibe Foundation is not responsible for third-party content, availability, or services outside its reasonable control, except to the extent responsibility cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Privacy

Personal information collected through VGS is handled in accordance with the VGS Privacy Policy. Applicants and participants should review the Privacy Policy before submitting information through the website or application portal.

13. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

We aim to keep the VGS website and application portal accurate and available, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access. Programme descriptions, venue information, timelines, speakers, or other details may change as arrangements are finalised.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, STEMvibe Foundation and persons acting on its behalf will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss arising solely from use of the website, an unsuccessful application, reasonable changes to the selection process, technical disruption, or circumstances outside our reasonable control. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

14. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in VGS, the application process, technology, or applicable law. The current version will be published on the VGS website with an updated effective date. Continued use of the website after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised website terms; where a material change directly affects an already-submitted application or confirmed participant, VGS will make reasonable efforts to provide appropriate notice.

15. Governing law and contact

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Applicants and participants should first contact STEMvibe Foundation in good faith to resolve any concern relating to VGS. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts having jurisdiction over the registered office of STEMvibe Foundation, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

For questions regarding these Terms & Conditions, contact vgs@stemvibe.org.