The 2026–27 CITRIS Aviation Prize brings together students, researchers and professionals to develop a human-in-the-loop mission-guidance system for California Airlink, CITRIS Aviation’s proposed advanced intercampus air transportation network.
Teams from the four CITRIS campuses will focus on one of four technical areas: pilot interfaces, situational awareness, conflict resolution and energy-efficient routing, or aviation communications. Selected teams will advance to the second phase, developing their subsystems and working together to create an integrated mission-guidance concept that supports pilot decision-making.
The competition will culminate in flight-relevant validation aboard an aircraft emulating an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, or eVTOL. Representatives from NASA’s Ames Research Center will serve on the judging panel.
Applications are due November 23.