Hudson River Trading’s (HRT) engineering culture is built on rigor, performance, and intellectual honesty. We write code to solve complex, real-time challenges at the intersection of computer science and global markets, and we believe that fostering deep technical expertise, curiosity, and diverse perspectives are essential to advancing the state of modern computing.
As part of this commitment, we are proud to partner with CppCon – the premier forum for the C++ community to share knowledge and explore language evolution – to support the next generation of C++ engineers who are passionate about building high-performance, reliable software. We are supporting CppCon’s mission of providing opportunities for C++ developers, researchers, and language contributors to learn from leading practitioners by offering a scholarship for select students to attend CppCon 2026.
Through this scholarship, we aim to help reduce barriers to attending CppCon and invest in students eager to grow as systems programmers, software engineers, and quant researchers. We are looking for students who are not just users of C++, but genuinely curious about what happens “under the hood” – from memory models and concurrency to low-level hardware behavior – and who are excited by challenging problems, motivated by learning, and serious about building excellent software.
The HRT CppCon Scholarship will be awarded to a select group of students who demonstrate strong academic performance, a genuine interest in C++, and a passion for learning and solving challenging technical problems. CppCon attendees will gain exposure to cutting-edge talks on modern C++, performance engineering, concurrency, tooling, and real-world applications, as well as opportunities to connect with peers and industry experts.
What We Look For
We evaluate applicants holistically, with an emphasis on the following areas:
1. Passion for C++ and Systems Programming Successful applicants demonstrate a clear interest in C++ through coursework, professional experience, personal projects, research, or open-source contributions. We value curiosity about language design, performance tradeoffs, memory models, concurrency, and low-level systems behavior.
2. Technical Depth and Growth Mindset We are not selecting solely based on seniority or credentials. Instead, we look for evidence of strong fundamentals, thoughtful problem-solving, and a desire to continuously improve as an engineer. Applicants should be able to articulate what they want to learn at CppCon and how it fits into their technical development.
3. Alignment with CppCon’s Mission CppCon is a technical conference focused on deep learning, sharing knowledge, and advancing the C++ ecosystem. Strong applications reflect an understanding of the conference’s value and demonstrate how attending would meaningfully benefit the applicant and their broader community.
4. Potential for Impact We are particularly interested in candidates who intend to apply what they learn by contributing to open source, improving systems at work or school, mentoring others, or sharing knowledge within their communities.
The scholarship includes:
- Full Access: In-person registration for the Main Conference at CppCon 2026
- Travel & Transit: Round-trip airfare or train travel to and from the conference venue
- Accommodations: Lodging at the official conference hotel for the duration of the event
Eligibility Requirements
- Academic Standing: Undergraduate or graduate students in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related STEM field with a demonstrated interest in C++ or systems programming.
- Age: Must be 18 years of age on or before the application deadline, Star Wars Day (May the 4th, 2026).
- Availability: Must be available to attend the full duration of the conference in person in Aurora, Colorado from September 12-18, 2026
- Applicants are responsible for obtaining their own travel visas. Upon request, CppCon may provide a letter of support for the visa application process for select students.
- Post-Conference Contribution: Scholars will provide a short technical write-up (approx. 500 words) or a blog post summarizing their favorite talk or a key technical takeaway from the conference.
Apply here
The application deadline is Star Wars Day (May the 4th, 2026) and applicants will be notified by May 18th.
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