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The science competitions your students can enter this year

By Emma Molloy

Discover STEM-themed competitions for you and your students to enter in this academic year

Source: © Shutterstock

Learn about the fantastic array of science competitions your students can enter – so you can sign up as soon as possible

There is a great range of science competitions out there that your students can enter. Competitions come in all shapes and sizes, including essay writing, photography and video competitions, and can be local or national events.

Besides the array of downloadable materials you can make use of in your lessons, as homework or part of a science club, the benefits of taking part include learning how to work in a team, grasping how lessons apply to real-world problems, and there could even be some extra cash to bag!

You can jump straight to the lists of science-writing competitions , or more arty competitions (such as photography and drawing prizes), or simply read on to discover what’s open to you and your students this academic year.

These competitions have been ordered by closing date. Listing a competition does not serve as an endorsement by the RSC.  Last updated: October 2023.

Imperial College Science & Innovation Competition

Age:  4–adult Registration opens:  September  2023 Closes:  15 December 2023

The  Science & Innovation Competition , run by the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College, aims to motivate primary and secondary-aged children to engage with science, to encourage them to work as part of a team and engage in fun activities. Adults are also welcome to enter.

Teams of two to four people are asked to develop a new and innovative scientific solution to help achieve one of the  United Nation’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development . To enter, teams need to create a five-minute film that describes the science behind their idea. Finalists are invited to take part in an event during spring 2024 at Imperial College, London (date to be confirmed). Learn more on the  website .

UK Chemistry Olympiad 

Age: 16–18 (recommended) Registration opens: September 2023 Closes: January 2024

Run by the RSC, the  UK Chemistry Olympiad is designed to challenge and inspire older secondary-school students, by encouraging them to push themselves, boost their critical problem-solving skills and test their knowledge in real-world situations. Explore past papers to get an idea of the types of questions involved.

There are three rounds that culminate with the prestigious International Chemistry Olympiad , which will take place this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Round 1, a written test taken in your school, is scheduled to take place on 25 January 2024. Students then receive bronze, silver or gold certificates depending on their scores. Up to 30 students will then be selected to move on to the second round – a training weekend at the University of Nottingham. Four students will then be chosen to represent the UK in the international competition from 21–30 July 2024.

To get started, register your school or college. Do this and find out more information about preparing on the Olympiad homepage .

Top of the Bench

Age: 14–16 Registration opens: soon Closes: January 2024

Top of the Bench  (TOTB) is an annual practical chemistry competition that has been running for over 20 years. It’s a long-standing favourite for students and teachers, and provides an opportunity for students to put their teamwork and practical skills to the test.

Regional heats are led by  RSC local sections  between October and January. The winning team from each heat progresses to the national final, held in the spring at a UK university (where there is also a session for teachers to explore resources and classroom ideas with one of the RSC’s education coordinators).

First prize is awarded to the best overall school performance, with five teams receiving runners up prizes. The Jacqui Clee Award is also awarded each year to the student who makes an outstanding individual contribution.

Teams must consist of four students: two from year 9/S2; one from year 10/S3; one from year 11/S4.

Find more information including past papers and how to apply on the  TOTB homepage .

Slingshot Challenge

Age: 13–18 Registration opens: now Closes: 1 February 2024

The Slingshot Challenge is run by National Geographic and is an exciting opportunity for students to get involved with the global programme. Students can enter in teams of up to six. Individual entries are welcomed although all entries are expected to involve collaboration with peers, stakeholders, and/or marginalized communities.

Students work to prepare a short, 1-minute video, from topics with an environmental focus. Training sessions for teachers and resource/tool kits are available from the website and the providers can offer feedback and technical support ahead of official submissions.

Videos are expected to put forward compelling, evidence-based information and be engaging for the audience. A small number of motivating prizes are awarded each year to the student of up to $10,000.

For full details see the Slingshot Challenge website .

Schools’ Analyst

Age: 16–17 Registration opens: soon Closes: 23 February 2024

The  Schools’ Analyst Competition  is returning to schools in 2024. Run collaboratively by the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund and the Royal Society of Chemistry, this event allows students to expand their chemistry knowledge and skills through practical analytical experiments. Students must be in Year 12 (England, Wales, NI)/S5 (Scotland)/5th Year (Ireland).

Schools and colleges register their interest to host a heat and, if randomly selected, can now enter up to 25 teams of three students to compete to be crowned the overall school winner. Each winning school team will then compete within their region to find regional winners. Regional winners receive a cash prize for themselves and their school.

Register your school  to take part by 23 February 2024. To take part, students only need access to standard school laboratory equipment and some consumables (a bursary is available for those who need it).

Equipment boxes are sent to 400 entrants, selected at random, and delivered in advance of the event. Results must be submitted by 17 May in Ireland (to ensure schools have the chance to award winners before the summer holidays) and 14 June elsewhere.

Science meets art

If you have some students who would be hooked by the artistic side of science, check out these competitions:

• RSB Photography competition (open to all ages; opens March 2024; £500 top prize for under 18s)
• RSB Nancy Rothwell Award for specimen drawing (ages 7–18; open March–July 2024; prizes include set of drawing pencils and small cash prizes for students and schools)
• Science Without Borders challenge is an artwork competition with a focus on ocean conservation. The 2024 theme is ‘hidden wonders of the deep’ (ages 11–19; closes 4 March 2024; maximum prize of $500)
• British Science Week poster competition ; this year’s theme will be ‘time’ (ages 3–14; closes March 2024)
• RPS Woman Science Photographer of the Year is open to women of all ages and backgrounds (open and under 18s; closing date TBC but expected March 2024)
• Minds Underground Competitions ; Minds Underground run a number of essay competitions each year covering a variety of STEM and other topics (all ages; closing dates vary but 2024 questions will be released January 2024, see website for full details)

MathWorks Math Modeling challenge

Age: 16–19 (England and Wales only) Registration opens:  November 2023 Closes: 24 February 2024

The  M3 Challenge  is an internet-based applied maths competition that inspires participants to pursue STEM education and careers. Working in teams of three to five students, participants have 14 consecutive hours to solve an open-ended maths-modelling problem based around a real issue during the challenge weekend, 1–4 March 2024.

The problem typically has a socially conscious theme – equity, the environment, conservation or recycling, energy use, health, and other topics that young people care about. The challenge gives students the opportunity to use maths modelling processes to represent, analyse, make predictions and otherwise provide insight into real-world phenomena. For example, 2023’s problem centred around modelling the impacts of e-bikes to better understand if they are likely to become part of a global, more sustainable energy plan.

Numerous free  resources , including modelling and coding handbooks, videos and sample problems are available to help teams prepare for the event.

The competition’s final presentation and awards ceremony event is held in New York City in late April – an all-expense paid experience for the finalist teams. These top teams will be awarded scholarships toward the pursuit of higher education, with members of the overall winning team receiving $20,000 (»£16,000).

For rules, resources and to register, visit the competition  website .

The Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition

Age: 16–18 Registration opens: now Closes:  30 September 2023 and 31 March 2024

The  Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition , run by Cambridge Assessment, is an exciting extra-curricular activity for teams of aspiring scientists who are studying with the Cambridge IGCSE or O Level science programmes.

Teams of three to six students choose a topic and work on a scientific investigation over 20–25 hours. The competition encourages investigations with some practical or community relevance and an eye on sustainability.

Projects may involve laboratory work and should include creative and collaborative working, critical thinking and reflection. Students should be given the opportunity to present their results to a wider audience, perhaps at a science fair or other school event.

Teachers provide initial project evaluations and the best are put forward for consideration by a panel of experts. The winning team receives a certificate and is featured on the competition website. The competition runs twice a year, so keep abreast of all the dates  on the website .

TeenTech Awards 

Age: 11–16 Registration opens: now Closes:  March 2024 for first-round submissions

The  TeenTech Awards  encourage students to see how they might apply science and technology to real-world problems across several different categories, from food and retail through the future of transport to wearable technology. Students identify an opportunity or a problem, suggest a solution and research the market.

Students can work in teams of up to three people and there are lots of award categories. All submitted projects receive feedback and a bronze, silver or gold award. The event is well supported with training sessions for teachers and students, so everyone knows what to expect and what the judges will be looking for!

The best projects go forward to the TeenTech Awards Final for judging and the winning school in each category will receive a cash prize. The final is expected to take place in London in June 2024.

Science writing competitions

Numerous essays competitions run each year covering all aspects and areas of STEM. Below is just a selection of some of the competitions out there. Entries into science writing competitions make great additions to UCAS applications, and they get students thinking about science, too.

• The Oxford Scientist Schools’ Science Writing Competition  (700-word magazine article; ages 15–18; deadline likely to be July 2024; prize includes £50 and being published in the magazine)
• Newnham College, Cambridge (2000-word academic essay; age 16–18 women at state school only; deadline likely to be March 2024; winners receive up to £400 to split with their school). Teachers can sign up to mailing lists now to hear more about this essay competition and other events from the college.

British Science Week poster competition

Age: 3–14 Registration opened: January 2024 Closes: March 2024

British Science Week will run from 8–17 March. Alongside numerous activities and events across the country, there will be a themed poster competition – and this year’s theme will is ‘time’.

Entrants can explore a wide range of ideas covered by the broad theme. Judges are on the look out for an innovative angle or creative interpretation of the theme; clear, accurate and informative content; and effective, engaging communication. This competition is a great way for students to practise their communication skills. There are numerous prizes up for grabs that cover all age categories.

Entrants can be teams or individuals from any organisation, although schools are limited to five entries. Find out more on the website , including activity packs and other resources to make the most of British Science Week.

Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition

Age: 11–18 Registration opens:  October 2023 Closes: 27 March 2024

The Big Bang Competition  is open to young people aged 11 to 18 in state-funded education or who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group. Private school participants can get involved as part of a collaboration with state-school peers.

Participants complete project-based work, focusing on investigation, discovery and use of scientific methods. Students choose their own STEM topic and work to submit their project as a written report or short video. The possibilities are endless!

Students can include their involvement in the competition in their extracurricular activities on UCAS forms and personal statements and have a chance of winning a range of awards and cash prizes.

Find out how to get started and get inspired with past projects on the Big Bang website .

BIEA Youth STEAM Competition

Age: 6–18 Registration opens:  October 2023 Closes: April 2024 for first-round submissions

The  BIEA Youth STEAM Competition  asks students to use their creativity to come up with ideas for a more sustainable future based on a specific theme. The theme for 2024 has yet to be announced, but the theme for 2023 was “developing solutions for sustainable cities”. Students research, design and present their solution, including a written report.

Students can enter as individuals or in teams of up to five members and schools can enter more than one team. There are lots of competition categories to cover all age groups. Submissions are expected to be accepted from January 2024 and the international final to be in July 2024. Learn more on the competition  website .

Local to Newcastle?

Newcastle Secondary School SciFair  is a university-run secondary school science fair for students from state schools across Newcastle. Sci-Fair is a whole day event that will take place during British Science Week. Students can get the opportunity to present their models, posters or PowerPoint presentations about a scientific topic of their choosing. SciFair is open to ages 11–16. There are multiple prizes to be won on the day to recognise student’s efforts. Spaces are limited capacity, so students should wait for their projects to be approved before starting work.

Unsung Heroes of Science video competition

Age: 16–18 Close s: April 2024 TBC

The International  Unsung Heroes of Science video competition   from Hertford College, University of Oxford is open to all 16–18 students. Entrants are tasked with making a two-minute video sharing the story of a scientist whose contributions were overlooked. Entries can be submitted by individuals or in teams of up to three.

The competition website also has lesson plans and links to videos of previous unsung heros, which are great resources for teachers to inspire their students.

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge

Age: 19 or younger Registration opens: now Closes:  1 June 2024

This competition — aimed at Year 12 students but available to younger students — is designed to stretch and challenge students beyond the curriculum interested in chemistry and is excellent experience for anyone considering chemistry for further study.

Students sit a 90-minute written paper under exam conditions in school, which is sent out to schools in advance. Mark schemes are available to teachers, and for schools submitting more than five scripts, these should be marked by the teacher. Scripts of students scoring over 50% are then submitted. Students who perform well receive a certificate and the best performers are invited to join a residential camp at the University of Cambridge at the end of August

The website contains lots of past papers and mark schemes, which are a valuable resource for teachers. Full details are on the  website .

IET Faraday Challenge

Age: 12–13 Registration opens: January 2024 for the 2024–2025 season Closes: July 2024

Faraday Challenges are cross-curricular STEM activity days for UK schools run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. This annual competition draws on students’ practical science and engineering skills, asking them to work in teams to solve real-world engineering problems and think creatively. Schools can host Challenge Days and invite teams from local schools to join them or apply to join a day at another school. Planning for these events starts early, so plenty of time to get organised for the day.

Teams should be made up of six students aged 12–13 years old (England and Wales Year 8, Scotland S1/S2, Northern Ireland Year 9). Schools may host a challenge day themselves or attend one hosted at another school.

Students win prizes for themselves and a trophy for their school. There is also a national league table and the top teams from across the UK go through to the national final, with the chance to win a cash prize of up to £1000 for their school. Plus, by taking part students will also meet the criteria for achieving a CREST Discovery Award.

If you are not able to enter into the main competition, there is also the opportunity for students to take part in the Virtual Faraday Challenge open to anyone aged 7–15.

Deadlines passed:

Cambridge chemistry race.

Age: 16–18 Registration opens: Mon 5 December 2022 Closes: February 2023

In the  Cambridge Chemistry Race , teams of 3–5 students solve as many theoretical problems as they can over the course of two hours – ranging from easy riddles to tasks of A-level difficulty and complex chemical problems.

Once a team has solved a question, the examiner verifies their answer and hands them the next question. Points are awarded based on the number of successful attempts. Whoever gets the most points wins!

Students are allowed to use a calculator, books, notes, and printed literature. The challenge aims to test problem-solving skills and chemical understanding rather than knowledge. Explore past questions and solutions  here  to get an idea of what’s in store.

Schools may only enter one team each and places are first come first served.

The competition is run in collaboration with the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry. This year, it is joined by the University of Oxford too, so students may compete in either city. The competition will take place on Saturday 4 February 2023. Learn more on the  competition website .

Global essay competition: Young voices in the chemical sciences for sustainability

Age: 35 and under  Registration opens: now Closes: 31 March 2023

An  annual essay competition  on the role of the chemical sciences in sustainability, organised by the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD) in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The competition is open globally to entrants under 35 years of age. The theme for the 2023 competition is: How can the chemical sciences lead the stewardship of the Earth’s element resources?

Essays will be grouped into seven regions for shortlisting and selection of winners, based on the entrant’s country of normal residence. Each regional winner will receive a prize of US$500 and their entries will be published in  RSC Sustainability . The shortlisted essays will be collected in an annual compendium,  Young voices in the chemical sciences for sustainability , available on the IOCD’s website. Individual shortlisted entries will also be featured from time to time on IOCD’s website.

Essays will be judged on how well they highlight the importance of scientific approaches grounded in the chemical sciences for solving sustainability challenges. Entrants should take a broad, global perspective, and reflect on the intersection of science, society and policy aspects, rather than describing a particular scientific advance in great technical detail. Essays must not exceed 1500 words of body copy.

Quantum on the Clock

Age: 16–18 Closed: 8 July 2022

The Institute of Physics’ QQQ group’s  Quantum on the Clock  competition is open to all A-level or equivalent students in the UK and Ireland. Students are tasked to create a three-minute video about any aspect of quantum science or technology. Entries can be individual or in teams of up to four students.

Cash prizes are on offer for the winners and runners-up, with the judging focusing on creativity, clarity, engagement and accuracy. The ‘best individual’ and ‘best team’ winners will also receive year subscriptions to  Physics World   and an expenses-paid invitation to a prize-giving ceremony at the Photon 2022 conference dinner, which will take place from 30 August until 2 September 2022.

To find out more and apply, watch this  video  and go to the Quantum on the Clock  website .

Clean Tech Competition

Age: 15–18 Closed: 22 April 2022 (registration); 29 April 2022 (paper submission deadline)

The Clean Tech Competition research and design challenge asks students to identify a problem with our natural world and resource use that they want to change, innovate a sustainable solution and submit a research paper to the judges. This year there is no topic restriction; entries simply need to have one goal: create a sustainable solution for an environmental issue.

This is a great opportunity to refine research, analysis and literary skills.

Each team should be made up of one to three students, who must be 15–18 years old on the submission deadline, 29 April 2022. Once the papers have been submitted, the top 10 teams from the global pool will be selected to progress to the virtual global finals. They will present their research and prototypes to the judges, and will receive handsome cash prizes, with the first team also earning a continued mentorship from an expert in the field. 

Find out more and register on the  competition website.

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

Age: 14–18 Closed: 11 February 2022

Imperial College London’s RCSU Science Challenge is all about science communication – requiring students to demonstrate their skills in debate and reasoning and teach the public about science and its consequences.

Questions on a given theme are set by eminent scientists – who even read the shortlisted entries, so there’s a real chance students’ work will be seen by world-leading academics. You can find last year’s (Covid-related) questions on the  website .

There are both individual and team categories, and students can answer one of the questions in either written or video form of up to 1000 words or four minutes respectively. Winners receive cash prizes, plus there are non-cash prizes for the runners up.

Shortlisted candidates will be informed on 14 March 2022 and invited to the grand final on 21 March 2022 at the Royal Institution, where they will deliver a short presentation. Find more information about taking part on the  challenge website .

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Science Competitions

The Australian Science Olympiad is a national extension program aimed at top-performing secondary science students. The competiton culminates in participation in the International Science Olympiad.

BHP Billiton Science & Engineering Awards

http://www.scienceawards.org.au/

The BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards reward young people who have undertaken practical research projects demonstrating creativity, innovation and the use of thorough scientific and engineering procedures. Entry is by nomination and projects may be submitted into one of two categories: 1. experiment, research or investigation and 2. invention or engineering

Australian Science Innovations Big Science Competiton

The Big Science Competition is open to students from years 7 to 12 and is designed to track their performance against state and national averages. Questions are designed to test critical thinking and problem-solving skills and are set in contemporary contexts. Canadian Canada-Wide Science Fair http://cwsf.youthscience.ca/

The Canada-Wide Science Fair is split into three age categories: junior for grades 7 and 8, intermediate for grades 9 and 10, and senior for grades 11 and 12. In order to be able to participate at the CWSF, students must first compete at their regional science fairs.

First Canada

http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/main/

First Canada runs a range of programs, including First Robotics Canada, in which high school students (aged 14 – 18) team up with technology companies to build robots designed to compete against one another. For younger students, the First LEGO Leagues (using LEGO-based robots) are available.

Canadian National Brain Bee

2017 Canadian National Brain Bee

http://brainbee.ca/

The Brain Bee is a competition for high school students grades 9 through 12. Students are tested on their knowledge about neuroscience and the brain.

Sanofi Biogenius Canada

The Sanofi Biogenius Canada (SBC) program, open to all high school students across Canada, challenges entrants to carry out innovative research projects in the field of biotechnology. Those selected for the SBC competition are matched with local mentors, giving students hands-on research experience in a lab setting. Competitors compile their results and present their findings at regional competitions. Regional winners go on to the National stage, where they compete for the top spot and the chance to compete in the International Biogenius Challenge, held at the BIO International Convention.

University of Toronto National competition

http://www.biocomp.utoronto.ca/ International Ask a question and win: http://www.moleclues.org/ University of Toronto National Biology Competition http://www.biocomp.utoronto.ca/ European DNA day essay contest for 2017: http://www.dnaday.eu/640.0.html UK Poster contest:  https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/poster-competition/

Brain bee UK  National competition  www.brainbee-uk.com

The Uncover Copper Competition

http://copperalliance.org.uk/education/competitions/2017-copper-competition

Are you a UK student aged 11–16? Would you like the chance to win £100 (plus £500 for your school) by exploring copper’s essential role in our present and future? Read on!

British Heart Foundation competition

http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/britishheartfoundationcompetition

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is offering primary and secondary schools across the UK the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime interactive workshop with a BHF-funded researcher to teach pupils about what the heart does and how it works.

http://www.physoc.org/biobakes2016

Tap into Great British Bake Off fever by making your own science cake! The Physiological Society is challenging you to make a cake which explains how your body works for your chance to win some great prizes.

The Junior Memory Championship

http://www.juniormemorychampionship.com/

Now in its ninth year, The Junior Memory Championship™, a hugely popular nationwide memory championship for primary school children, is officially open for entries for 2017

The Big Bang Competition

http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/the-big-bang-competition/enter-your-project/

The Big Bang Competition lets more young people than ever showcase their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects and is open to UK residents in full-time secondary education

Design for a Better World

http://practicalaction.org/design-for-a-better-world

Design for a better world offers an exciting new global design challenge and competition for students aged 11-14 years. The deadline for entering the competition is the 16th December 2016.

Edina Trust

http://www.edinatrust.org.uk/

The Edina Trust provides non-competitive, easy-to-access grants, for primary schools in certain areas of the UK, to be used to promote the teaching of science and gardening.

Salters’ National Awards for Science Technicians

We are delighted to announce that for 2016 these awards are in collaboration with both CLEAPSS and SSERC. The aim of the Awards continues to be about highlighting the importance of technicians in enabling high quality practical work to take place.

CONNECT Young Founders

http://connect.catalyst-inc.org/programmes/youngfounders

A very different, very fun experience for budding innovators that will help bridge the gap between an idea and commercial viability. Open to students aged 16-18 and resident in Northern Ireland, five finalists will receive an 8 week summer internships, £1500 each, and mentoring from an expert entrepreneur

British Science week

Poster competition: https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/poster-competition/

Fundraising for lions

https://www.zsl.org/school-lion-fundraising-register-of-interest

Fundraising for lions competition: This fantastic fundraising pack will empower your students to take some social action while having great fun learning about Asiatic lions. Open for students aged 3 to 18 years of age.

Clean Tech Competition

http://www.cleantechcompetition.org/

The Clean Tech Competition is a research and design challenge for pre-college youth that builds on sound scientific understanding of real-world issues and the integration of science, English/language arts, mathematics, technology, the arts, and the design process. Registration closes 26 February 2016. First round submissions due 18 March 2016.

CLEAPSS – ASE Primary Competition

http://www.cleapss.org.uk/primary/primary-resources

This year’s competition is all about improving biodiversity around the school or local area. Entry is open until 25 October 2016.

Imagine Cup Innovation Competition

Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition. We invite all eligible students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution in one of our competitions and challenges.

The WEIZMANN UK Safe Cracking Physics Tournament & ISSI

http://www.weizmann.org.uk/education/introduction#physics-competition

Teams who win the UK tournament receive a travel grant to enable them to travel to and spend 4 days exploring the Weizmann campus and taking part in the Shalheveth Freier International Tournament. Registration for the 2016 Tournament has now closed but registration for the 2017 competition opens in September 2016.

The Great Bug Hunt

http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/GBH2016

As spring approaches, search the habitats around you for bugs of all descriptions. Research, record, draw, paint, photograph and enter your results in the Great Bug Hunt for primary schools. Entry to the 2016 Competition is open until 17 June 2016

Salters’ Chemistry Club Handbook

http://saltersinstitute.co.uk/festivals/festival-news/

The Salters’ Chemistry Club Handbooks 1 and 2 are a very popular source of activities for teachers to use in chemistry clubs, enrichment activities or open evenings.

Armourers and Brasiers Tata Sixth Form Materials Prize

http://www.iom3.org/ab-sixth-form-prize

A new competition designed to support schools in encouraging students to develop a sustained interest in STEM careers.

Beat the Flood

http://practicalaction.org/beattheflood

Suitable for KS2-3 (age 7-14) pupils use their STEM skills to help them design and build a model of a flood- proof house.

Practical Action STEM Resources

http://practicalaction.org/stem

A range of different STEM challenges that can be both incorporated into your lessons or be used as the basis for an off-timetable day. Perfect for National Science and Engineering Week.

SCI-TECH Challenge

http://share.jayeapps.com/scitech/

A European scheme bringing together students for an annual challenge competition.

Dulux Design Competition

http://www.gratnells.com/Education/EducationZone/duluxdesigncompetition.aspx

Biology Challenge

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/biology-challenge

Biology Challenge is open to 13-15 year old pupils in Year 9/Year 10 in England and Wales, Year 10/Year 11 in Northern Ireland and S2/S3 in Scotland.

Photography Competition

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/photography-competition

Intermediate Biology Olympiad

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/intermediate-biology-olympiad

3,500 students took part in the 2016 Intermediate Biology Olympiad on 22nd June 2016. Certificates will be posted to teachers of bronze, silver and gold winning students at the start of the 2016 autumn term.

British Biology Olympiad

https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/awards-and-competitions/british-biology-olympiad

The  British Biology Olympiad  (BBO) is a competition to reward the best young biologists in the country. The Royal Society of Biology supports a team of dedicated volunteers who organise the competition.

BP ULTIMATE STEM CHALLENGE 2017

We are excited to share that BP has launched the  Ultimate STEM Challenge  for a third year in partnership with the Science Museum and STEM Learning. This year, students aged 11 to 14 across the UK are being challenged to use their STEM skills creatively to design either a  rocket ,  remote controlled aircraft  or  robot arm  that enables a safer and easier working environment in some of the Earth’s most extreme locations. Information is outlined on the  BP Education Services website  and more information will be available to share with schools in the near future.

The challenges are designed to inspire your students, not just the science enthusiasts. STEM Ambassadors can also get involved to help inspire your students by bringing real-world knowledge and applications to the challenges.

Teams are made up of two to four students aged 11 to 14, and they can win some fantastic prizes, including an invitation to a celebration event at the Science Museum, an Ultimate STEM experience day, £500 for their school and Science Museum goodies.

BLOODHOUND MICRO:BIT MODEL ROCKET CAR CHALLENGE – SEASON 2

Bloodhound SSC Education Team have launched  season 2 of the Micro:Bit model rocket car challenge  (England and Wales only).

The challenge is free for schools to enter and the Army, one of the main sponsors, is again providing some of the kit required free of charge. The competition is open to years 3 to 11. More details  here .

CLEAPSS – ASE PRIMARY COMPETITION 2016

This year’s  CLEAPSS – ASE Primary Competition  is all about improving biodiversity around the school or local area. This year the primary competition is bigger and better than ever! We know that primary schools do great work improving their local environment. Through the competition, we are keen to help you get outside and celebrate working with nature.

Download the competition details  here . Entry is open until  25 October .

SMALLPEICE TRUST STEM DAYS

Introduce your students to the exciting world of engineering by booking an in-school Smallpeice Trust STEM Day  for Years 6-11 – perfect for bringing science, technology, engineering and maths subjects to life. A Smallpeice educator will come to your school to hold a STEM Day workshop for up to 60 students. Depending on the course you’ve booked, the session will run for a full or half-day around normal school hours.

Pupils taking part can register for a Discovery CREST Award (FREE to Welsh students)

Most of the STEM Days are FREE thanks to sponsorship of our corporate partners.

NATIONAL SCIENCE + ENGINEERING COMPETITION

If your pupils have carried out a CREST Award you can enter their project for the  National Science + Engineering Competition . This is open to all 11-18 year olds living in the UK and in full-time education. The deadline is Monday 31 October 2016.

FORENSIC OUTREACH COMPETITION (STUDENTS AGED 11-16)

The competition is designed to encourage students to apply their knowledge of art history, science, mathematics and cryptanalysis to solve the mystery of Leonardo da Vinci’s real-life missing painting, The Battle of Anghiari. The challenge includes a lesson plan, worksheets and other resources.

Register your interest  here .

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE

FIRST LEGO League  (FLL) challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the  TRASH TREKSM  season, teams will choose and solve a real-world trash problem in the Project. They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under FLL’s signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism®. Registration now open.

ENTERPRISE TROOPERS

Enterprise Troopers  is a national competition for primary schools aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship in young people. To register your interest please email us at  [email protected]  or call 0844 736 6150.

THE LEADERS AWARD FOR STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS)

The  Primary, Secondary and Advanced Leaders Award for STEM  is a  Primary Engineer programme open to students from 5 to 19 years old. It is a fantastic way to increase their awareness of the breadth of opportunities open to them within STEM subjects. We help students to develop vital literacy and communication skills, and give them the chance to speak directly to professionals from different fields in STEM.

Register today! For more information, please contact  [email protected] .

NUFFIELD RESEARCH PLACEMENTS

The  Nuffield Foundation offers up to 1,000 funded places  a year, so that year 12 students across the UK can get an insight into the world of scientific research and development, including areas of technology, engineering and maths.

THE BIG SCIENCE CHALLENGE

Do you teach in a secondary school in the UK or the Middle East? Then enter our exciting competition and you could win a trip to London or Dubai for you and your students. The Big Science Challenge was created by the British Council and Rolls-Royce. Find out more about the competition and get further guidance and support go to  http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/the-big-science-challenge/resources .

WOODLAND TRUST

This is a good website with activities and competitions.

• Suitable for children under 13.
• Join the nature detectives CLUB – only £18 for a whole year of adventures
• 350+ activities – get weekly wildlife challenges, a giant wall chart and stickers, plus activity packs in the post – perfect for inquisitive young explorers.

More  www.naturedetectives.org.uk/club/

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

http://sciencechallenge.org/about

The RCSU Science Challenge is an annual science communication competition that asks entrants to demonstrate their skills in scientific debate and reasoning. The competition is open to those in secondary school or equivalent anywhere in the world.

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition

http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition seeks to recognise and reward the achievements made by young people across all aspects of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The compeition is open to all UK residents in full-time education or training (year group 7-13 and Scottish/NI equivalent).

The ODYSSEUS II project

The ODYSSEUS II project aims to foster the developments of qualified engineers, scientists and technicians in areas relevant to the priorities of EU space policy. The educational contest (The Youth for Space Challenge) combines scientific learning with hands-on experience. Organized in multiple rounds, the contest targets students throughout Europe.

CREST Awards

http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/crest-awards

CREST Awards are open to to those aged 11 to 19, giving entrants an opportunity to take ownership of their projects and explore real-world science, technology, engineering and math challenges.

UK Space Design Competition

The UK Space Design Competition is a science and engineering challenge that aims to replicate real work in the industry. Teams are provided with a list of requirements for a hypotheical space settlement, around which they must create a detailed design. The UKSDC is open to secondary and sixth form students (years 10 – 13) in the UK), and entry to the competition is via video and regional events. Winning teams from the entry points take part in a residential competition weekend hosted by Imperial College London. From there, they may go on to the international final at a NASA space center. A series of micro-competitions replicate experience for students in years 7 to 9.

Imperial College London Faculty of Natural Sciences Schools Science Competition

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/natural-sciences/study/schools-science-competition/

The Schools Science Competition is run by the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College and is open to teams of students from secondary schools in the Greater London area.

• Science Olympiad

https://www.soinc.org/about

Every year, more than 9 million students in grades K–12 enter a science competition. Of those, only several thousand students in grades 9–12 participate in the topmost levels of competition. These prestigious competitions include:

BioResearch Academy Summer Camp

Since the inaugural program in 2017, BioResearch Academy’s mission has been to enlighten young, motivated biological scientists on thinking creatively about research problems. It aims to inspire the next generation of researchers through transformative instruction and social learning within an intimate community of like-minded peers.

Use the Referral Code “ BioOlympiads ” and get a free book, “How to prepare for the biology olympiad and science competitions” by Martyna Petrulyte.

https://bioresearchacademy.com/

• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair website
• Intel’s ISEF website  contains additional information.
• Intel Science Talent Search website
• Intel’s STS website  contains additional information.
• Siemens Foundation website
• Siemens Competition rules and applications
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) : A competition for high school students only. Regional winners proceed to a national competition.
• International BioGENEius Challenge : For high school students only; recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology. Process is state, national, international; hosted by the Biotechnology Institute. Top prize is a $7,500 cash award.
• Google Science Fair : The Google Science Fair is an online science competition open to students ages 13-18 from around the globe. Top prize is a $50,000 scholarship.
• Some of the larger state and regional fairs.

Check out the websites for videos and much more information. Each of these competitions is distinctly different, but they all have extremely high standards for success, generally far beyond what is expected at other levels of competition. So, if you are in middle school or junior high school, we hope you aspire to participate in these fairs, but don’t worry about your current project meeting the same standards. Virtually all of the participants in the top competitions “worked their way up” from much simpler projects when they were younger!

Other opportunities:

DANA Foundation Neuroscience Project contest: http://www.dana.org/uploadedFiles/DABEC_guidelines.pdf

• AAN Neuroscience Prizes
• BioGENEius Challenge
• Broadcom MASTERS
• CTY Cogito Research Awards
• Davidson Fellows
• Destination ImagiNation
• Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge
• DuPont Challenge Science Essay Contest
• eCYBERMISSION!
• ExploraVision Awards Program
• Future Problem Solving Program

Google Science Fair

• High School Physics Photo Contest
• Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)
• Intel International Science Talent Search
• International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
• Junior Science & Humanities Symposium
• MIT THINK Scholars Program
• National Science Bowl
• Odyssey of the Mind
• Siemens Competition
• USA Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
• You Be The Chemist  Challenge

BIOLOGY & MARINE SCIENCE

• AFA Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship
• American Sleep Medicine Foundation High School Video Contest
• American Society of Human Genetics DNA Day Contest
• BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge
• Brain Awareness Video Contest
• Coleopterists Society Youth Incentive Award
• Davidson Fellows Awards
• Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge
• DuPont Challenge: Science Essay Competition
• eCybermission
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
• Intel Science Talent Search
• International Brain Bee
• International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM)
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
• National Ocean Sciences Bowl
• Neuroscience for Kids Poetry Writing Contest
• Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards
• USA Biology Olympiad

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

• 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program
• Action for Nature International Young Eco-Hero Awards
• Brower Youth Awards
• The DuPont Challenge: Science Essay Competition
• Earthwatch Student Challenge Awards
• The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
• National Junior Horticultural Association Environmental Awareness Project
• Our World Underwater Competition
• President’s Environmental Youth Awards
• River of Words Art and Poetry Contest
• SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards
• Shell Eco-marathon
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize
• Thacher Environmental Research Contest

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT SITES

• Discovery Channel’s Science Fair Central
• HomeworkSpot.com Science Fair Center
• LibrarySpot.com
• Math Projects for Science Fairs
• Project Laboratory in Mathematics
• Science Buddies
• WWW Virtual Library: Directory of Science Fair

Opportunities for Students/Classes

1) National Youth Science Camp – application: https://nysc.fluidreview.com/ information: http://www.nysf.com/w/programs/nysc/ This is a fabulous 4 week long, residential, all-expenses paid, summer science bonanza for graduating seniors. Those involved speak very highly of it, especially getting to know interesting people from around the country. Wisconsin can send two delegates. Applications are due by Feb 17, 2016.

2) Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge – http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/enter?utm_source=DiscoveryEducation Students in grades 5-8 are asked to propose a new invention or solution to an everyday problem, and explain their solution in a one-to-two minute video. Parents/guardians must register their child. The grand prize winner receives $25,000, though there will other finalists, and a winner from each state will receive a $250 technology package.

3) Free field trip transportation to Aldo Leopold Nature Center (ALNC), Monona, WI – http://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org During the month of January, you and your students can get free transportation to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. For a list of programs, visit their website: http://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org/, click on Programs, then click on School Programs.

4) Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision – http://www.exploravision.org/ Student teams envision a technology 20 years from now. Categories are K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. The extensive project write-up and presentation, which could certainly be linked to your science standards, is due Feb 1st .

5) EngineerGirl Essay Contest – http://www.engineergirl.org/26567.aspx In this contest open to boys and girls, students write about a new technology and how it can improve safety, health, well-being, and/or sustainability. Due Feb 1, 2016. Grade banded 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.

6) MIT Research Science Institute for Juniors – https://www.cee.org/apply-rsi During the summer after their junior year, students can participate in this prestigious summer STEM institute from June 26 to Aug 6 at MIT. The only cost is travel to get there and back. Very high academic qualifications are required.

Medical/Healthcare Opportunities:

Camp Cardiac  is a one week (8/1 – 8/5) medical career/studies program for students 15 and older, located at the NYU/Langone Medical center in Manhattan. The cost is $800 (scholarships available, & must be applied for by April 4). Camp Neuro is a similar one week program focusing on neuroscience. The cost is $800, with scholarships available. The application deadline for both programs is April 25. – learn more at these links: http://www.campcardiac.org/apply.html http://www.campcardiac.org/ http://www.campcardiac.org/new-york-city.html http://www.campneuro.org/

The Perry Initiative  offers one-day programs for girls (currently in 10th grade or higher) interested in medicine, science, or engineering, with a focus on the latest technologies in the field of orthopedic medicine. The application deadline for the next program, which takes place on May 14 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, is April 14; learn more and apply at this link: http://perryinitiative.org/programs/student-online-application/

Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan  is offering free biology-related summer courses to 9th, 10th, and 11th-graders, and also structured summer hospital internships to current high school juniors who are economically disadvantaged (free/reduced lunch) or from under-represented demographic groups (AfricanAmerican, Latino, Native American). The application deadline for all their programs is April 8. Learn more about these two programs and apply via these links: http://icahn.mssm.edu/about/diversity/ceye/programs/summer http://www.mssm.edu/static_files/MSSM/Files/Education/CMCA/Hospitalplaceme ntapplication.pdf

Bronx residents : 10th and 11th-grade students who live in the Bronx are eligible for summer medical internships in that borough. The initial application deadline is April 1. Learn more and apply at these links: http://www.bwahec.org/programs

New:  Sigma Camp  is a one-week math/science camp in Connecticut scheduled for 8/14-8/21. Students up to 16 years old may apply, and the cost is $1,150, with some limited financial aid available – the application deadline is April 18. Learn more at: http://www.sigmacamp.org/2016/info http://www.sigmacamp.org/2016/apply

The Google Science Fair  welcomes entries from high school students. The application deadline is May 18 – learn more at: https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/

The Manhattan College (in Riverdale) Summer Institute in Engineering  takes place from 7/18-7/21 and is open to all students. The cost is $100, and the deadline to apply is April 15 – learn more and apply at: http://manhattan.edu/academics/engineering/mechanical-engineering/summerinstitute http://manhattan.edu/academics/engineering/mechanical-engineering/summerinstitute/engineering-summer-institute-application

Oceanography:  The SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx  offers a ten-day program of classes and lab/fieldwork studying oceanography. All current 9th-11th graders are eligible, and the cost is $400 for the 6/27 – 7/8 sessions. Learn more at: http://www.sunymaritime.edu/Waterfront/Programs/WaterfrontSummerCamps

https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/

The Google Science Fair is one of the best-known international student science competitions. It is open to students aged 13 to 18.

eCYBERMISSION

https://www.ecybermission.com/

eCYBERMISSION is a web-based competition open to students from grades 6 to 9. Teams must use scientific, mathematical and engineering principles in order to solve a problem stemming from one of the following mission challenge categories: alternative sources of energy, food, health and fitness, forces and motion, robotics, technology, national security and safety and the environment.

Junior Solar Sprint

The Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) is a free educational program for students in the 5th through 8th grades. Entrants are required to conceptualise, construct and then race their own solar-powered cars. The aim is to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to create the fastest, best-crafted solar vehicle possible.

Young Mind Awards

http://www.youngmindawards.com/

The Young Mind Awards is a global compeition that focuses on promiting design engineering and research at the middle, high school and undergraduate levels. The competition spans five categeories: wireless, medical, research and development, electromechanical/mechanical and electronic.

Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS)

http://teams.tsaweb.org/

Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) is a one-day annual competition open to middle and high school students. During the competition, students apply their mathematical and scientific knowledge in order to help solve real-world engineering challenges.

MIT THINK Competition

http://think.mit.edu/overview/

The THINK Scholars Program is an educational outreach initiative that aims to promote the spheres of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by funding and supporting projects developed by students at the high school level. The program is run by undergraduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is sponsored by technology companies and educational organizations.

Desitnation Imagination

Destination Imagination is a worldwide competition open those kindergarten through university level. Students form teams of up to 7 members, select their preferred challenge and work together to develop a innovative and creative solution.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)

http://isef.intel.eu/

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. It draws on students who have participated in regional sciencie fairs within the Intel ISEF-affiliated network and provides them with the opportunity to showcase their independent research. Substantial prizes and scholarships are awarded. Zero Robotics

http://zerorobotics.mit.edu/

Zero Robotics is a programming competition in which the robots in question are SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites) inside the International Space Station. The competition has two divisions: the first is the the High School Tournament, focused on students in grades 9-12; the second is the 5-week Middle School Summer Program, which takes place at various locations across the United States.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl®

http://science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb/

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl® is an academic competition designed to examine middle and high school students’ knowledge across a variety of science and mathematics areas. Teams compete against one another in a rapid question-and-answer format, and are tested on a range of subject areas including chemistry, biology, Earth science, phsyics, mathematics, energy and more.

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams™

http://lemelson.mit.edu/overview

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams™ are made up of high school students, mentors and teachers who are awarded funds needed to invent technological solutions to real-world problems of their own choosing. A new program, JV InvenTeams (for 9th – 10th grade students) is designed to help develop young people’s skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through invention-based design activities.

The Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology

https://www.siemens-foundation.org/programs/the-siemens-competition-in-math-science-technology/

The Siemens Competition aims to promote excellence in mathematics, science and technology. High school students may submit either individual or team research projects to regional and national levels of the competition. College scholarships are awarded to winners.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) Program

JSHS is open to students from grades 9 -12 interested in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Entrants submit their original (field-based, experimental, observational or applied) research project before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers.

ExploraVision

http://www.exploravision.org/

ExploraVision is a science competition in which teachers sponsor and lead students in groups of 2-4 as they simulate real research and development. The aim of the competition is to envision what a current technology might look like in 20 years’ time. The competition is open to K – 12 students enrolled in public, private or home schools in the United States and Canada and is open to all interest, skill and ability levels.

Neuroscience Research Prize

http://tools.aan.com/science/awards/?fuseaction=home.info&id=11

This award was established to encourage US students in grades 9 – 12 to explore the brain and nervous system through laboratory research.

FIRST Programs

http://www.firstinspires.org/

The mission of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is to engage young people ahed K – 12 in programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills. Programs on offer include The FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competiton, among others.

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is open to students in grades 5 – 8 and asks entrants to come up with innovative solutions to solve everyday engineering and science issues.

BioGENEius Challenges

http://www.biotechinstitute.org/go.cfm?do=Page.View&pid=89

The BioGENEius Challenges provide high school students with a chance to compete and be recognized for excellent research in the sphere of biotechnology. The three challenges in which students can compete are the Global Healthcare Challenge (relating to medical biotechnology), the Global Sustainability Challenge (agricultural biotechnology) and the Global Environment Challenge (industrial/environmental biotechnology).

Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge

http://www.conradchallenge.org/

The Conrad Challenge is an annual, multi-phase competition in innovation and entrepreneurship. The competition seeks interesting and viable solutions across four areas, namely: cyber technology and security, energy and environment, health and nurtition and aerospace and aviation.

Future Engineers

http://www.futureengineers.org/

Future Engineers is an educational and design platform that hosts and develops challenges for young innovators and engineers.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE

• Alzheimer’s Association  (Multiple locations)
• American Cancer Society  (Multiple locations)
• Arthritis Foundation  (CA)
• Bay Area Red Cross Summer Internships  (CA)
• Baylor University High School Summer Science Research Program  (TX)
• Buck Institute for Age Research Summer Scholars Program  (CA)
• Cancer Research Center of Hawaii  (HI)
• Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute Cystic Fibrosis Summer Research Award  (CA)
• Children’s National Medical Center Student Innovators Program  (DC)
• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Job Shadow Program  (OH)
• City of Hope Cancer Center Summer Student Academy  (CA)
• Cleveland Clinic Department of Biomedical Engineering  (OH)
• Coriell Institute for Medical Research Summer Internships  (NJ)
• Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE)  (MA)
• Depression and Bipolar Alliance  (IL)
• Doris Duke Foundation Academy for Clinical Research  (PA)
• Drexel University College of Medicine High School Summer Research Internship Program  (PA)
• Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP)  (Multiple locations)
• Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Student Internship Program  (NY)
• The Forsyth Institute Scientific Scholars Program  (MA)
• Georgetown/Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Summer High School Volunteer Program  (DC)
• Harvard Medical School Project Success Opening the Door to Biomedical Careers  (MA)
• Harvard School of Public Health Summer Research Apprenticeship Program  (MA)
• Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research Summer Internship Program  (IN)
• HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology BioTrain Summer Internship  (AL)
• Human BioMolecular Research Institute Scientific Summer Internship  (CA)
• Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Summer Internship Program  (IN)
• Indiana University Cancer Center Summer Research Program  (IN)
• Institute on Neuroscience at Yerkes  (Multiple locations)
• J. Craig Venter Institute Internship Program  (MD, CA)
• The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program  (ME)
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Computational Biology  (MD)
• Johns Hopkins University Center Scholars Program  (MD)
• Joint Biotechnology Institute  (CA)
• Magee Women’s Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program  (PA)
• Masonic Medical Research Laboratory Summer Fellowship Program  (NY)
• Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Summer Research Internship  (FL)
• Medical College of Wisconsin Apprenticeship in Medicine Program  (AIM) (WI)
• Monmouth University School of Science Summer Research Program  (NJ)
• Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory High School Summer Research Fellowships  (ME)
• National Cancer Institute Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics Summer Internship Program  (MD)
• National Cancer Institute Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern Program  (MD)
• National Eye Institute Diversity in Vision Research and Ophthalmology Internship  (DC)
• National Human Genome Research Institute Summer Institute in Biomedical Research  (MD)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Summer Internship Program  (MD)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse Summer Research Program  (Multiple locations)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Summer Internship Program  (Multiple locations)
• National Institutes of Health Office of Biotechnology Activities Summer Internship Opportunities  (MD)
• National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research  (Multiple locations)
• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research  (MD)
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory Higher Education Research Experiences  (TN)
• Rockefeller University Science Outreach Program  (NY)
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute Summer Research Program for High School Students  (NY)
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies High School Summer Enrichment Program  (CA)
• San Diego Zoo Internships  (CA)
• Scripps Research Institute High School Student Research Education Program  (CA)
• Seattle Biomedical Research Institute  (WA)
• Stanford University Institutions of Medicine Summer Research Program  (CA)
• STEP-UP  (Multiple locations)
• Translational Genomics Research Institute Helios Scholars Program  (AZ)
• Tufts University Adventures in Veterinary Medicine Program  (MA)
• University of California-Berkeley Summer Stem Cell Research Internship Program  (CA)
• University of California-San Francisco Department of Pediatrics High School Summer Internship Program  (CA)
• University of California-San Francisco High School Biomedical Internship Program  (CA)
• University of California-Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program  (CA)
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences  (IL)
• University of Connecticut School of Medicine High School Student Research Apprenticeship Program  (CT)
• University of Massachusetts Neuroscience and Mental Health Summer Internship  (MA)
• University of Minnesota Medical School Lillehei Heart Institute Summer Research Scholars Program  (MN)
• University of Nebraska Medical Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders Travis B. Lewis Scholarship Award  (NE)
• University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Summer Academy  (PA)
• University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences  (TX)
• University of Utah Bioscience Summer Research Program for High School Students  (UT)
• University of Washington Genomics Workshops  (WA)
• Vanderbilt University Research Experience for High School Students  (TN)
• Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science  (MD)
• Washington University School of Medicine Young Scientist Program  (MO)
• Weizmann Institute of Science International Summer Science Institute  (Israel)
• The Wistar Institute Summer Fellowship Program  (PA)

BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

• Animal Internships  (Multiple locations)
• American Fisheries Society Student Opportunities and Internships  (Multiple locations)
• ARCUS Joint Science Education Program  (Greenland)
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums  (Multiple locations)
• The Bridge Student Opportunities Marine Science & Ecology  (Multiple locations)
• Bronx Zoo Teen Internship Program  (NY)
• Brooklyn Botanical Garden Apprentice Program for High School Students  (NY)
• Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University Department of Plant Biology  (CA)
• Central Park Conservancy  (NY)
• Cornell University Plant Genome Research Program Internships  (NY)
• Earth Sciences High School Internship Program  (CA)
• Earthwatch Institute Student Fellowship Programs  (Multiple locations)
• Environmental Internships  (Multiple locations)
• Environmental Internships and Volunteer Opportunities for NYC Students  (PDF) (NY)
• Environment and Marine Summer Programs and Internship Opportunities  (Multiple locations)
• Geosciences Bridge Program  (MD)
• Girls on Ice  (WA and AK)
• Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program  (Multiple locations)
• Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory High School Internships  (ID)
• IFRE Volunteers Abroad  (Multiple locations)
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) George Washington Carver (GWC) Internship Program  (IA)
• Joint Bioenergy Institute  (CA)
• Marine Advanced Technology Education Internships  (Multiple locations)
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park Summers of Discovery  (NC)
• National Park Service Student Internships  (Multiple locations)
• National Park Service Volunteer Opportunities  (Multiple locations)
• New York Botanical Garden Internships  (NY)
• New York City Recreation and Parks  (NY)
• Ocean Careers  (Multiple locations)
• Oregon Health and Science University  (OR)
• Santa Fe Institute Summer Research Program  (NM)
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Volunteer Opportunities  (DC)
• Stanford University Earth Sciences High School Internship Program  (CA)
• Student Conservation Association Internships  (Multiple locations)
• SUNY Oneonta Summer Internships at the Biological Field Station  (NY)
• Teen Advocates for Science Communicatio n (CA)
• Teen Environmental Education Mentorship  (CA)
• University of California-Davis Young Scholars Program  (CA)
• University of California-Santa Cruz Science Internship Program  (CA
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)  (IL)
• University of Missouri-St. Louis Students and Teachers as Research Scientists  (MO)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Internships  (Multiple locations)
• U.S. Department of Energy Student Internships  (Multiple locations)
• U.S. Department of Energy Student Internships in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy  (DC)
• U.S. Geological Survey  (Multiple locations)
• USDA Forest Service Temporary Student Employment Program  (OR)
• USDA Internships  (Multiple locations)
• Wave Hill  (NY)
• Woods Hole Science Aquarium Summer Internship Program  (MA)
• American Chemical Society Project SEED  (Multiple locations)
• Appalachian Regional Commission/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Summer Math-Science-Technology Institute (Multiple locations)
• ARCUS Joint Science Education Project  (Greenland)
• Argonne National Laboratory Pre-College Research Participation Program  (IL)
• Boston University Research Internship in Science & Engineering  (MA)
• Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program  (NY)
• Brookhaven National Laboratory STEM-Prep Summer Institute  (NY)
• California Academy of Sciences Careers in Science Intern Program  (CA)
• Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) Research Science Institute (RSI)  (MA)
• Cornell University Nanobiotechnology Center High School Summer Research Internship  (NY)
• Department of Homeland Security High School STEM Summer Internship Program  (Multiple locations)
• Exploratorium Explainers Program  (CA)
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory QuarkNet Summer Research Program  (IL)
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory TARGET: Science and Engineering Program  (IL)
• The Forsyth Institute Educational Outreach Program  (MA)
• George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program  (DC and VA)
• George Washington University and the Department of Defense Science and Engineering Apprentice Program  (DC)
• Idaho National Laboratory High School Internships  (ID)
• Los Alamos National Laboratory High School Cooperative Program  (NM)
• Maine Space Grant Consortium Research Internships for Teachers and Students  (ME)
• Michigan State University High School Honors Science Program  (MI)
• Monell Science Apprenticeship Program  (PA)
• Museum of Science Summer Youth Internship Program  (MA)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology Summer High School Intern Program  (Multiple locations)
• National Science Foundation Student Opportunities  (Multiple locations)
• Naval Research Laboratory Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program  (Multiple locations)
• Naval Research Laboratory Student Volunteers  (Multiple locations)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory High School Programs  (WA)
• Pathways to Science  (Multiple locations)
• Penn Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program  (PA)
• Planetary Society Global Volunteer Network  (Multiple locations)
• Sandia National Laboratory Pre-college Internship Program  (CA and NM)
• Science.gov  (Multiple locations)
• Smithsonian Institution Science Education Center Internship Program  (DC)
• Smithsonian Institution Youth Engagement Through Science  (DC)
• Stanford University Accelerator Center SLAC Youth Opportunity Program  (CA)
• Stanford University Internships for High School Students  (CA)
• Stony Brook University Simons Summer Research Program  (NY)
• SUNY Stonybrook Summer Research Program  (NY)
• Texas Tech University Clark Scholars Program  (TX)
• University of California-Berkeley Summer High School Apprenticeship Program  (CA)
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Research Opportunities for High School Students  (NC)
• University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics Summer High School Research Program  (NY)
• University of Texas Welch Summer Scholar Program  (TX)
• University of Wyoming Summer Research Apprenticeship Program  (WY)
• YouSTEM  (CA)

We are pleased to announce the 2023 Peterhouse Kelvin Science Essay Competition ! This competition aims to give students the opportunity to explore scientific concepts and topics beyond the classroom, and to engage with scientific research.  

*Please note that this competition has already taken place for 2023 .  You can read a selection of the winning entries from the competition  here . 

Who can take part?

The Kelvin Science Essay Competition is open to students in their penultimate year of study (Year 12 in England and Wales, S5 in Scotland, Year 13 in Northern Ireland, or e quivalent) who are educated in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Please make sure that you have read the submission guidelines and FAQs  carefully before entering. These sections contain important information about the format of your essay, and the rules of the competition. 

Kelvin Science Essay Questions - 2023

Please find attached the questions for this years competition. 

Submission Guidelines

Your essay should be no more than 2,000 words including footnotes and appendices on one of the four questions listed below. You should include a bibliography and ensure that all sources are referenced. The bibliography is excluded from the word limit. We know that not all students will be familiar with referencing, so you might find the following page from the University, which links to a Guide to Harvard Referencing, helpful. Any other standard system of referencing style is also acceptable. Please note that all work should be your own, and should not include any work that has been or will be submitted to an exam board as part of your studies. The main focus of your essay should not be material previously or currently being studied as part of your school courses.

There is a maximum of five entries per school across all questions. Please note that this limit does not apply to Sixth Form Colleges where year groups are over 1000 students in size. All entries must be approved by a teacher, so please make sure a teacher at your school knows that you are entering. On the submission form you will be asked to provide a name and contact information for the teacher who will be supporting your application. If more than five entries are submitted by one school, we will contact the referees at this school to let us know which submissions are to be considered. Schools with lots of potential entrants may wish to run their own internal competition before the chosen answers are submitted to us for consideration.

Submitting your Essay

Submissions will close on Monday 24th April at 23:59 pm GMT . We are unable to consider essays which have not been submitted by this deadline.

Your essay must be submitted as a PDF via the following form . Please ensure that all pages in your essay are numbered, and that your name and school appears clearly on the first page. You should name your PDF file in the following format: Question number-Surname-First Initial e.g. Q2-Smith-T. Your teacher will then receive an email from Peterhouse asking them to confirm that you are eligible and that your essay complies with our guidelines. They will need to complete this by Tuesday 2nd of May – please do make sure that they are aware of this.

Summary of Key Dates

Deadline for student submissions – Monday 24th April 23:59 pm GMT. 

Deadline for teacher confirmation – Tuesday 2nd May 23:59 pm GMT

The competition has a prize pool of £750. Winners will be contacted by email - please make sure your contact details are entered correctly! A prizegiving ceremony will be held in Cambridge in summer 2023.

If you have any further questions relating to the competition, please email us at [email protected] .  

Can I answer more than one of the four questions for the 2023 Kelvin Essay Competition?

We ask that students only submit one essay per person.

Can I make any changes once I have submitted my essay using the above form?

Please note that once you have submitted your entry it is not possible to make any changes – please ensure you are happy with your work before pressing ‘submit’.

Will I receive feedback on my essay?

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of submissions, it is not possible to provide feedback on individual essays.

Why do I need to include contact information for a teacher at my school, and who should this be?

After you submit your essay we get in touch with a contact at your school so that they can confirm you are eligible for the competition, and that the essay is your own work. This can be any teacher at your school who knows you, for example, the Head of Biology, one of your subject teachers, your form tutor, or your Head of Year.

Earth Science Week

Essay contest, essay contest 2023, “geoscience innovations solving problems“, about the contest.

AGI is sponsoring an essay contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2023. The essay theme for this year is: “Geoscience Innovations Solving Problems.“

Please see below for contest guidelines.

Click here to download the essay contest entry form.

Contest Guidelines

Who can enter.

The essay contest is open to any interested person in grades 6-9. You must also be a resident of the United States to enter.

What is the subject of the essay?

Your essay should focus on the topic “Geoscience Innovations Solving Problems.“

The world faces challenges in several areas including health, safe water, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, climate change, industrial development, and poverty. Geoscience professionals are continually innovating with new technologies and practices — affecting the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere — to solve problems and create healthier, more sustainable communities. Describe how one geoscience innovation is making the world a better place.

How long should the essay be?

The essay must be no more than 300 words. Longer essays will be rejected unread.

What do I need to submit?

A valid submission will contain the following information:

1. A typed essay in English of no more than 300 words, focusing on the topic “Geoscience Innovations Solving Problems.“ Each essay must be original, authentic, unpublished, the sole property of the entrant, and not previously submitted in any other contest.

2. Your personal information, printed at the top of the essay:

First and last name (as it appears on your entry form) Mailing address Phone number E-mail address Word count of essay

3. A completed and signed entry form. Print out the entry form here and send it to us when you send your essay. Entries cannot be accepted without a signed entry form.

How should I submit my essay and entry form?

Essays must be submitted electronically. Paste the text of your essay, along with your contact information, into the body of an e-mail. Essays attached as separate file attachments will not be accepted. Electronic submissions must be sent to [email protected]  with the subject heading as “ESW 2023 Essay Contest.”

Entry forms may be submitted electronically as an attachment or by mail. Fill out your form, including the signature of a parent or guardian. Electronically submitted permission forms must be scanned and sent, along with essays, to [email protected]  with the subject heading as “ESW 2023 Essay Contest.”

All mailed entry forms must be sent to:

Earth Science Week 2023 Essay Contest American Geosciences Institute 4220 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302-1502

IMPORTANT: Whether you use mail or e-mail, you must still submit a completed and signed entry form. You may mail the form separately to the address above, or scan the completed form and send it electronically along with your essay. If you mail the entry form separately, please indicate WHEN you sent your essay electronically.

If you have any problems submitting your essay, please e-mail the Earth Science Week staff at [email protected] .

When is the deadline?

All submissions must be received electronically by 5 p.m. ET, Friday, October 13, 2023.

Entry forms may be submitted electronically or by mail. The deadline for emailing your entry form is 5 p.m. ET, Friday, October 13, 2023. Mailed entry forms must be postmarked no later than October 13, 2023.

How will the essays be judged?

The essays will be judged by a panel of geoscientists on grammar, content, presentation, creativity, and, most importantly, relevance to and incorporation of the topic.

What are the prizes?

The selected entry will win $300 and a copy of an AGI publication. The winner's and finalists' names and entries will be posted on the Earth Science Week website. No cash substitution for prizes will be permitted, and prizes are nontransferable.

Additional Rules: By submitting an entry, an entrant represents that the essay is an original work, and the entrant is the sole owner of all rights to the essay. An entrant also agrees to allow the American Geosciences Institute to use his or her name to post on the AGI web site, without compensation unless prohibited.  Each entrant retains his or her rights to their essay but grants to AGI a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works of the essay, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any AGI purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion. AGI will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses. The American Geosciences Institute, its agents and contractor, are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, or postage-due entries. Contest void where prohibited or restricted by law. AGI reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at its discretion. Decisions of AGI are final and binding.

Contest Winners from past years

2022 |  2021 |  2020 |  2019 |  2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

The Oxford Scientist

The University of Oxford's independent science magazine

Schools Competition

* Updates *: the winners of The Oxford Scientist Schools’ Science Writing Competition 2023 have been announced here

Details of the next competition (2024) will be announced soon. Please check this page for updates for information on this term’s essay questions and how to submit your entry.

Examples of winning essays from previous competitions can be found here . If you have any questions about the competition, please email [email protected] .

Previous examples of competition essay questions are:

“How has Covid-19 changed public perception of Science?”

“Climate change: Science and Solutions”

Our Sponsors

This competition is proudly sponsored by UK Schooling is an education company based in Brighton and Hove, UK, which specialises in UK University preparation, subject tuition and Summer Exchange courses. UK Schooling runs many courses to help students to push beyond the curriculum and get ahead of the curve in their subject and classes for top school and university admissions in the UK. ukschooling.co.uk

We are also sponsored by Examable , a UK based educational firm that specialises in creating revision and learning resources for students applying to Top Independent Schools and for Leading UK Universities. Checked and approved by a team of Oxford University students, designers and GCSE & A level examiners. examable.co.uk

Click here to start your application. Find out more

• The Essay Competition is offered by Northeastern University London, based at Devon House 58 St Katharine’s Way, London, E1W 1LP
• The Competition is open to students who are currently in their penultimate year of secondary education (the equivalent of Y12 in England or Grade 11 in India).
• Entries should answer one of the specified questions.
• Entrants must register here to participate in the competition. We cannot accept submissions if the student has not first registered.
• Essays must be of approximately 1,500 words typed and in double line spacing, with the student’s full name at the bottom or top of each page, and be submitted in Word document or PDF format. We will allow +/- 10% range of 1,500. Titles, references and footnotes are not included in the word count.
• Essays should be submitted via the online form provided in the registration confirmation email.
• When registering for the competition and submitting your essay/report please use the same name throughout and title your file: [Student First Name].[Student Last Name].[Essay subject] e.g ‘Alice.Smith.History’
• When submitting your essay, you must state the name and email address that you used when registering for the competition, using a different name or email may result in disqualification.
• We will only accept essays in the following formats .doc/.docx and .PDF
• The essay must be the sole creation and original work of the entrant. The essay/report must not have been submitted to this or any other essay competition in previous years.
• Any form of plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.
• Essays/Reports generated with the use of AI or chatbot systems such as ChatGPT or alike will result in automatic disqualification.
• An essay may be a reworked piece of the entrant’s coursework or an extract of their dissertation, provided that it was originally the sole creation of the entrant.
• Shortlisted entries will be approved to warrant that the entrant is eligible for the competition. This will be undertaken by the judges once they have a short list of the best essays.
• No person may submit more than one essay for each annual competition.
• The award winners grant the University the right to publish or reproduce at any time all or part of the award-winning entries.
• The prizes on offer are stated  here . Entrants cannot win more than one prize in any one year. The award of all or any of the prizes lies solely within the discretion of the judges. The judges’ decision will be final.
• The deadline for the receipt of entries is 1pm GMT Sunday 31st December 2023. Please note that late entries cannot be accepted under any circumstances.
• All entries will be acknowledged by email. Entrants who unsubscribe from the University’s emails will not receive acknowledgement of their entry nor will they receive email communications about their performance in the competition. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to provide feedback on unsuccessful entries.
• Winners are entitled to refer to the achievement on their CV and university application personal statement.
• It is anticipated that the prize-winners will be announced in March 2024.
• The decision of the Director of Admissions, Recruitment & Marketing on interpretation of these Rules will be final.

Essay  COMPETITION

2023 global essay competition.

T he John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton. The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories, and a junior category for under 15s, and then select an overall 'best essay' across the seven subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

Q1. A team of scientists wants to discover how many genders there are. How should they proceed?

Q2. In what sense are you the same person today that you were when you were ten?

Q3. Is tax theft? 

Q1. Do the results of elections express the will of the people?

Q2. If China becomes the leading superpower, what would that mean for the people who live there? What would it mean for everyone else?

Q3. What might account for the different levels of political corruption in your own country and your country's nearest neighbour?

Q1. A government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. Suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank? What would be the advantages and/or disadvantages?   

Q2. In his thought experiment, the Iowa Car Crop, David Friedman tries to show that growing wheat is, in an important sense, just another 'technology' we can use for manufacturing cars, and in some circumstances a much more efficient one.

If international trade is thus a way of using less valuable inputs to produce more valuable outputs, why would governments impose trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas, thereby forcing producers to be more wasteful and less efficient?

Q3. What would happen if we banned billionaires?

Q1. How much richer or poorer are the British today than they would have been without the effects of British colonialism? 

Q2. Which has a bigger effect on history: the plans of the powerful or their mistakes?

Q3. Which characteristics distinguish successful movements for social change from unsuccessful ones?

Q1. Can happiness be measured?

Q2. In surveys conducted in the United States, significantly more than half the respondents reported that they believed themselves to be more attractive than the median person in their country. How might we account for this?

Q3. Are beliefs voluntary?

Q1. What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?

Q2. If you cannot persuade your intelligent, sympathetic friends to embrace your religious belief system, do you have enough reason to believe what you believe? 

Q3. What was God doing before He created the cosmos?

Q1. Would justice be better served in the United States if more Supreme Court judges were women? 

Q2. Suppose that you were contemplating, in violation of the rules of this competition, submitting an essay written for you by artificial intelligence. What would be the difference between such an act and ordinary attempted theft?

Q3. Are there too many laws?

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Is safety more important than fun?

Q2.  If you had $10 billion to spend on making the world better, how would you spend it?

Q3. What, if anything, do your parents owe you?

Q4. What is something important, about which nearly everybody is wrong?

Q5. Why is John Locke sometimes called the father of liberalism?

NEW ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Our entry requirements and submission system have changed substantially.

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2023 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of 31 May 2023 may enter this year's competition.

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Friday, 30 June 2023 .  Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email this referee to verify that the submitted essay is indeed the original work of the candidate.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of th e deadline to avoid any last-minute complications and to ensure that you can submit your essay for free.

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference for essay competition finalists, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.  

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on 10 July 2023.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on 31 July . They will also be invited to Oxford for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to Oxford.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that specify their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to Oxford for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in Oxford, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome, subject to capacity constraints.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or gap year courses.

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2023.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2023. ( Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2023.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2023. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2023.

Academic conference & awards dinners: 16 September, 2023.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, questions whose answers can be found on our website will be ignored.

If you would like to receive, from time to time, content from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or updates about the 2023 essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

"I hope you will find this year's questions thought-provoking, and that you will be one of the thousands of contestants from over a hundred different countries to submit an essay to what has become the world's largest competition of its kind. Not only will the experience of researching and writing the essay be a valuable learning experience, but the shortlisted candidates will be invited to Oxford to join with other talented young people who have thought carefully about the same question, for a unique series of precepts under the experienced leadership of an academic expert."

Martin Cox, Director of the John Locke Institute

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay this year. 

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. However, you may not use footnotes: please use endnotes instead. 

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Should citations be footnotes or in-text citations? ​

A. We do not allow footnotes. Please use in-text citations or endnotes

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? ​

A. You  may not  include footnotes, but you may include endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.​

Q. I submitted my essay before the rule about footnotes was changed. I've used footnotes so my essay does not comply with the prohibition of their use. What should I do?

A. Nothing. You will not be penalized in any way. As long as you followed the rules as they were when you submitted your essay, your essay has been accepted and is being considered like any other.  

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2023 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2023 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?  

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for  any  purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. 

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. 

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. 

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to Oxford. But if we invite you to Oxford it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in Oxford will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to Oxford, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?  

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. ​ ​

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US.

Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem.

Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update.

If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so.

If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible.

We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters.

Study with us | Schools liaison | What we do | Events and prizes | Rex Nettleford Prize for Year 12 Students

Rex Nettleford Prize for Year-12 Students: Essays on Colonialism and its Legacies

The Rex Nettleford Prize is an essay competition open to UK students who are currently in Year 12. The winner of the competition is awarded a prize of £250.

The purpose of the Prize is:

• To promote awareness amongst students in Year 12 of issues relating to colonialism and its legacies.
• To encourage students in Year 12 to develop their abilities for independent research and thought.
• To support teachers of able pupils by providing interesting and challenging further work and by bringing such students into contact with Higher Education.
• To encourage able students to consider applying to study subjects in the Humanities and Social Sciences, either at Oxford or at another university, by giving them experience of the type of work involved.
• To recognise the effort and achievement of the most successful submissions by a prize and commendations.

Note: the judges will not able to provide feedback on submissions.

Assessment Criteria

• Entrants should be based in the UK and be in Year 12 (or equivalent) at their school or college.
• Students must address a topic that is not directly related to their A level course.
• The judges will look for a clear grasp of issues addressed, clarity in structuring and presentation of the argument, a critical approach to primary and secondary source materials, and originality of thought.

How to Enter

Rex Nettleford Prize is now closed for entries.

Prizes will be awarded at Oriel College on the occasion of the Rex Nettleford Lecture during Trinity Term 2023.

Questions for the 2023 Competition

Candidates must answer ONE of the following questions. Candidates should feel free to focus their answer in terms of its historical period, geographical centre and cultural range.

• What role do the arts play in the creation or challenging of racialized hierarchies?
• Pick an object that you think illuminates the legacies of colonialism, and explain why and how.
• How long do the legacies of colonialism last?
• “The truth is one and same, everywhere in the universe. Therefore, proposals to de-colonise academic curricula are wrong-headed.” Discuss.

2022 Competition Result

The previous winners were Alisha Mafaas and Panod Pongpattanapun.

Alisha Mafaas’s essay had an historical focus and explored the colonisation of Sri Lanka by the Portuguese from 1505 to 1658, looking at how language was an essential tool in the assertion of colonial domination, and how linguistic influences continue long after colonies have been relinquished.

Panod Pongpattanapun’s essay also explored the topic of language as a tool of colonial domination, making use of linguistic theory to discuss the effects of languages in colonial policies in South Africa during the period of British colonial domination from the early 1800s.

Special commendations were also awarded to the following students for their entries:

Lamisa Ahad, Taslima Begum, Ronan Dhadra, James Hunter, Cameron McNaughton-Smith, and Samuel Richardson.

Discover the 2022 prize winners

Discover the 2022 rex nettleford prize winners, further information, schools liaison and outreach, lloyd davies philosophy prize, about the rex nettleford prizes.

🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot →

The Best Science Writing Writing Contests of 2023

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

• Children's
• Flash Fiction
• Non-fiction
• Science Fiction
• Science Writing
• Script Writing
• Short Story
• Young Adult

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Showing 29 contests

Elegant literature's award for new writers.

Elegant Literature

One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers, and the only one closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, putting over $100k into the hands of emerging talent around the globe. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. October's guest judge is multi-award nominated author Shiv Ramdas.

Additional prizes

Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator | Now Novel Package

Entry requirements

Deadline: October 31, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Flash Fiction, Science Writing

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

Publication

Deadline: December 15, 2023

Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

2nd: writing coach package

Deadline: November 30, 2023

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, Travel

The Letter Review Prize for Books

The Letter Review

The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

$1000 USD shared by 3 winners

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

The Independent Author Network presents the 2024 IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest open to all authors with 55 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners are eligible to receive a share of cash prizes of $6,000 USD. Open to all English language print and eBooks available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors.

$6,000.00 USD in total cash prizes

Deadline: August 15, 2023 (Expired)

Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult

Dissolution

Bergen International Literary Festival

Write your story about the climate crisis in a poem or a personal essay.

Deadline: October 15, 2023 (Expired)

Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, Young Adult

Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts

Letter Review

The Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction) is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Three Winners are awarded and have extracts published. 20 entries are Longlisted. Winners receive letter of recommendation for publishers.

$1000 (shared by 3 winners)

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Inception 2023

Sunspot Lit

Beginnings have the power to spark passion or curiosity. They might immediately connect a specific place and time with an emotional tone. The best openings offer a feeling, atmosphere, action, or image that is gripping, and hints at more to come. For Sunspot Lit’s Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes. Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry.

Publication in digital and print editions

Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

AIIRA Writing Contest

AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture

AIIRA is seeking essays speculating on how AI will change careers within the next decade, as well as fiction stories depicting a day in the life of a job transformed by AI technology. Submissions should address how AI will help future professionals perform their jobs more efficiently as well as what job duties will become redundant due to AI.

2nd: $400 (x2) | 3rd: $250

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)

Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Science Writing, Short Story

Green Stories Writing Competition

University of Southampton

Theme: Microbes to the Rescue! This short story competition is sponsored by the Environmental Biotechnology Network. It may appeal to writers with a scientific bent as it aims to use fiction to raise awareness of Environmental Biotechnology and what microbial systems can do for us. Eligibility: Open to all – we encourage international writers. All submissions must be in English and unpublished. Length: We ask for a short story of between 1000 and 3000 words.

2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100

Deadline: September 21, 2023 (Expired)

Fiction, Novel, Short Story, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller

Public Roads Student Writing Competition

Federal Highway Administration/Public Roads Magazine

Public Roads is proud to announce its first Student Writing Competition, designed to encourage high school and college students interested in or actively pursuing STEM majors to demonstrate their knowledge by writing an article that relates to the transportation industry.

Published in Winter 2023 Issue of Public Roads Magazine

Deadline: July 21, 2023 (Expired)

Essay, Non-fiction, Science Writing

Quill and Keyboard Teen International Writing Competition

Quills and Keyboard

We are made of students hosting a contest for teen & YA authors. There are 15 categories, from journalism to a section for novelists’ favorite chapters. Qualified judges will send feedback on each piece. We partnered with many writing organizations such as Teen Author Boot Camp and Newpages and recognized by non-profits such as Polyphony Lit.

Publication in Under the Madness and Skipping Stones

Deadline: May 20, 2023 (Expired)

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Reader Views Literary Awards

Reader Views

The Reader Views Literary Awards program helps level the playing field for self-published authors, recognizing the most creative and exciting new books in the industry. Our awards program is recognized industry-wide as one of the top literary awards programs for independent authors.

Several marketing prizes (e.g. book review)

Deadline: December 31, 2023

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

High School Academic Research Competition

Columbia Undergraduate science journal

The SARC is an exciting opportunity for students, aged 13-18 years old, who are looking for ways to exercise their research skills and have their works published in preparation for college. In SARC 2023, you will conduct research and write a 2-page essay on ANY topic of your choice -whether it be the sciences, a social issue in your community, or anything! The competition takes place across May through June 2023 and is 100% virtual, removing geographical barriers!

Deadline: May 27, 2023 (Expired)

Essay, Science Writing

Abstraction & Reasoning in AI

The ARC Essay Challenge is a competition that desires the evolution of human-level abstraction and reasoning in AI agents. We are looking for interdisciplinary ideas in your essays that draw inspiration from fields such as biology, mathematics, philosophy, neuroscience, or any other to contribute to understanding and improving the adaptability of AI in new and unknown situations.

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500 | Publication

Deadline: May 07, 2023 (Expired)

3nd Annual WCWF Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival

Fire up those pens and get those unpublished stories and poems submitted to WCWF 3nd Annual Writing Contest. Three winners in each category (fiction/nonfiction/poetry), publication in Anthology, and your own copy. Entries: $15 or two for $25.

2nd Place: $75 | 3rd Place: $50

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Evening Standard Stories Competition

Evening Standard

We’re searching for fresh new voices who can take the idea of ‘belonging’ in a surprising direction, or tackle it in a way that stops us in our tracks. This competition is not limited to a ‘short story’. Submissions can be a piece of spoken word or performance, perhaps it’s a monologue, a script or a self-contained episode of a narrative podcast. Entries can be submitted as written, audio, or film.

Mentorship with top industry contacts

Publication in Evening Standard media

Deadline: April 12, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Eco Friendly Writing Contest

Howard's New Beginnings

The aim of the contest is to share eco-friendly ideas. Tell us something you think helps make the planet become more eco-friendly such as an eco-friendly product or packaging, a recipe for a natural product, or a waste-management tip. Up to 500 words. Any writer from anywhere can submit an entry. Contest deadline is April 22 2023, Earth Day.

Deadline: April 22, 2023 (Expired)

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

Deadline: February 15, 2023 (Expired)

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, Short Story

The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition

Chicken House Books

We're looking for original ideas, a fresh voice, a diverse range of entries and stories that children will love! To enter, you must have written a full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged between 7 and 18 years. We suggest a minimum of 30,000 words and ask that manuscripts do not exceed 80,000 words. The IET 150 Award will be awarded to a manuscript that celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House & royalty advance of £10,000

An offer of representation from a top literary agent

Deadline: June 01, 2023 (Expired)

Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Young Adult

Science Fiction Writing Contest

FanStory.com Inc

Share a Science Fiction themed story to enter this writing contest with a cash prizes. Let your imagination fly and enjoy sharing your writing.

Winning entries will be features on the FanStory.com welcome page.

Fiction, Science Writing, Science Fiction

Edit Your Source Code

Effective Altruism at Berkeley

With a $1800 prize pool, Effective Altruism at Berkeley is hosting a scifi creative writing contest. In this contest, writers can explore the ways that becoming a supercapable human affects their lives and changes the world. In the Edit Your Source Code Contest, you’re asked to: Imagine what change(s) you would make to your own source code. Then, explore the possible consequences of your edits. What is it like living in the world as an altered, potentially superpowerful person? We encourage you to explore a range of possible outcomes, including what would happen if your edits create outcomes that are misaligned with your goals.

2nd: $350 | 5x runner-up: $100

Deadline: October 23, 2022 (Expired)

Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story

Writing Contest 2023

We look for an original and captivating work of fiction or nonfiction. The genre is not important - the story is. We're looking forward to reading your amazing books!

$200 USD Fiction | $100 USD Nonfiction

Deadline: January 31, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult

ScienceQuest NextGen Science Literary Writing Competition

Zoomcatchers

Established to recognize and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication, this science literary competition is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Writing samples submitted must be from the genres of: Science fiction, Dystopian, Futuristic, Fantasy, Paranormal ​​ We accept essay, short story, and novel submissions up to 15 pages in length, double-spaced.

Consultation with literary agent Leticia Gomez

Deadline: September 05, 2022 (Expired)

Essay, Fantasy, Novel, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Young Adult

Editor's Prize - Work Anthology

Unleash Press

Writers are invited to submit creative interpretations on Work for an upcoming anthology and the chance of winning the editors' prize. Essays, fiction, drama, and poetry interpretations of the theme will be accepted. Submissions should have a total word count of no more than 5,000 words. All authors chosen for the anthology will receive a paperback copy of the book. Only one editor’s prize will be selected.

Publication in anthology

Deadline: December 30, 2022 (Expired)

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller

Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest

Tallahassee Writers Association

The Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest (collectively, “the Contest”) is sponsored annually by the Tallahassee Writers Association. The contest is open to English-language entries from around the world. For the first time, we are open to published entries as well as unpublished entries.

Published in the Seven Hills Review

Deadline: September 30, 2022 (Expired)

Children's, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

MacQ-15 Ekphrastic Writing Challenge: "The Question of Questions"

MacQueen's Quinterly

For our tenth themed writing challenge, MacQueen’s Quinterly is calling for literary works in multiple genres: flash and micro-fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose poetry, and poetic hybrids. Each piece entered must include one “q” word and must address the theme described in our contest guidelines and publisher's commentary.

Publication in Issue 15 of MacQueen's Quinterly online

Deadline: August 21, 2022 (Expired)

Essay, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing

Science me a Story

Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK)

This competition was created with the aim of promoting scientific outreach in a fun and engaging way, appropriate for primary school children. The ultimate goal of the contest is to promote scientific spirit and inspire the generations that will build our future. We hope to achieve this through the communication of scientific achievements, findings, methods, and anecdotes in the form of short stories.

£150 and £100 runner ups

Deadline: April 24, 2022 (Expired)

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story

Olive Woolley Burt Awards For Creative Writing

League of Utah Writers

The Olive Woolley Burt Awards are open to the general public for previously unpublished work. Discounts for entry given to members of the League of Utah Writers.

Deadline: May 13, 2022 (Expired)

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

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Watch our Explainer Video

How Our Essay Competition Works

Submit your entry.

Research and write your essay and then submit it, along with your references, via our short form below.

*Deadline extended* Entries close at 9pm UK time on 15th October 2023 !

We’ll be in touch within two weeks of your entry to let you know whether you’ve been shortlisted. The first 1,000 shortlisted entrants are invited to attend one of our Conferences , free of charge.

Awards Ceremony

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our Awards Ceremony on 28th October 2023 , where the winners will be announced.

Over £100,000 Worth of Academic Prizes

Free Conference place

The first thousand students who are successfully shortlisted will be awarded a free place at one of our OxBright Conferences this autumn (worth £95).

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our online Awards Ceremony on Saturday 28th October 2023, where the winners will be announced.

• Updates directly from our programmes. See what past and present participants have been up to with Immerse.
• Free literature and study guide downloads, including our recommended reading lists for university applications.
• Unparalleled academic experiences in inspirational locations. Enrol Now
• Embark on an online journey of academic discovery. Enrol Now

Immerse Essay Competition: Win a 100% scholarship for our transformative programmes

4th January 2024 Submission Deadline

What is the Immerse Education Essay Competition?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a question of their choice relating to a subject of interest. There are over twenty questions to choose from which can be found in our full Essay Competition Guide. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship to study with us at a world-leading university of their choosing. Outstanding runners-up also receive partial scholarships .

Essay competition timeline

• 7th September 2023 Competition opens
• 4th January 2024 Competition closes
• 6th February 2024 Results announced
• January, July & August 2024 Programme dates

Who can apply?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to students worldwide of all nationalities. You must be aged between 13-18 during your chosen programme.

List of Essay Topics

• Programme Overview
• Programme Prizes
• Reviews and Winners

10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship

Take a look at previous essay competition winners.

Runners Up will be awarded partial scholarships of up to 50% to study their chosen subject with Immerse. The number of runners-up will be determined by the number of entries received, and the quality of the work submitted. Usually, around 7% of entrants receive scholarship funding to attend an Immerse programme.

Which programmes can the scholarship be redeemed against?

London Summer School

Our industry-focused experience taught by professionals, based in the heart of London - one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Cambridge Summer School

Our most popular summer school location - choose from over 20 different subjects taught by expert academics from world-leading universities.

Oxford Summer School

The city of dreaming spires plays host to a number of Academic Insights programmes. Choose from subjects such as medicine, international relations, business and more.

• Online Insights

Taking the highlights of our award-winning "Academic Insights" programme online. Receive expert teaching from Oxbridge academics in a choice of university-level subjects.

Online Research Programmes

Receive 1:1 tutorials from academics at Oxford and Cambridge University or Ivy League Universities. The aim of these programmes is to develop a university-style academic research project in a topic of your choice - developing key skills such as academic writing, independent study and research.

Sydney Summer School

Experience our Academic Insights Programme from the University of Sydney, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Engage in a unique collegiate educational experience, and choose a course from a range including Business Management, Engineering, Medicine and more.

New York Summer School

Our New York summer programmes, tailored for middle and high school students aged between 15-18 develop the young leaders of tomorrow through innovative industry-focused programmes.

San Francisco Summer School

Experience our Career Insights programmes a doorstep away from the epicenter of entrepreneurship and forward-thinking businesses and startups.

Toronto Summer School

Win a scholarship to participate on our award-winning Academic Insights programme at a leading university in Toronto.

Read about the experience of past winners below

Immerse Alumni, 100% Scholarship Winner

"I applied to the essay competition online after an email from my school. Coming up to the essay competition deadline, I was sort of aware that I wanted to write something and submit it, but I was still unsure about subjects and things because I had lots of subjects that I'm doing in school and that I'm interested in pursuing and definitely looking through the essay prompts helped. The creative writing one, 'which key attributes make protagonists likeable' was such a general, but also a really interesting question. I think it just inspired me to start research on it immediately."

Immerse alumni, and scholarship winner

"Immerse was very fun as well as useful. You were able to experience what it would be like if you studied here for university. The most beneficial part of the course was being able to see what International Relations is like, and it helped me decide what I want to study in the future."

100% Scholarship Winner

I really wanted to go to summer school this year, and so I literally was searching for summer school opportunities and Immerse is one that came up. Through this, I found out about the competition and I decided to submit an answer. Immerse was very helpful whilst I was writing my essay, especially with things like the referencing guide. When I got the scholarship email, I definitely thought it wasn't real. I was in shock, but I was also really, really happy because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"I loved the little conversations we had when a question about the topic turned into explanations of the ethical, personal and economic issues that surround medicine. Overall, I found my lessons very beneficial. I know so much more about medicine and its different subsets, but also about what a career in medicine really looks like."

“Throughout the academic sessions I gained lots of valuable knowledge and helped form foundations for my A-level studies. I also received many slideshows and resources used by my tutor so that I could review them in my own time and reinforce the content. Overall, I strongly believe that the academic sessions were the most beneficial aspect of the programme."

"I enrolled because I wanted to expand my knowledge of physics and meet other people with the same interests as myself. Both of which I was successful in doing! My favourite aspect of the programme was the small class sizes - this helped both the tutor and students with learning and understanding the subject."

I could see that the essay competition was an incredible opportunity for international students to win a scholarship purely based on merit. More importantly, after doing some more research, I realised that the process for choosing winners was incredibly fair, that everyone would get an equal chance regardless of their socio-economic background, race, nationality, gender, etc.

There is no downside to entering the competition. If you win, it is awesome. If you don’t win, you gained an experience. Entering the competition and working as hard as I did for it was one of the most gratifying experiences. From this competition you really get what you put into it, if you put in a lot of effort, you will be rewarded.

My school invited everyone to participate, and the further I read about Immerse Education, the more motivated I was to enter the competition. Not only did I have the chance to study a subject I love, I would also be able to expand on my essay skills since writing has always been a passion of mine.

Hear from a previous 100% winner

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can enter the immerse essay competition.

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to entries from young people aged 13-18 interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies. If participants are successful, they should be aged 13 and above before the start of their programme.

What resources do you provide to support with essay writing?

Immerse provides a full essay-writing guide which is sent to your E-mail address once you register your interest in the competition. This guide includes a full list of essay questions, our essay specification, top tips for writing an academic essay, referencing guidance, our terms and conditions and guidance on plagiarism! To support further you can register for our webinars , which offer top tips and guidance with essay writing from our experts. You are also welcome to explore our creative writing resources .

Why should I enter the Immerse Education Essay Competition?

If i win a scholarship, which location can i use it for.

If you win a scholarship via the Essay Competition you can use it toward any residential course in any of our locations. Use your scholarship to enrol on one of our renowned online programmes or enriching in-person/residential summer school programmes in cultural melting pots such as Cambridge, Oxford, London or Sydney and more.

Do I need to pay or enrol onto a programme to be able to enter the competition?

No, there is no entry fee and you do not need to have already enrolled onto any of our programmes to take part in the essay competition.

When is the deadline for the Essay Competition?

The deadline for all essay entries for this round of the competition is 4th January 2024.

Register to receive free Essay Competition guidance

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. Join our waiting list to get tips and insight on how to prepare for the competition, essay writing advice and keep track of the deadline as it approaches.

2024 Essay Competition Guidance Materials Will Include

• A Full List of Essay Questions
• Essay Specification
• Top Tips For Writing an Academic Essay
• Referencing Guidance
• Essay Competition Terms & Conditions
• Plagiarism Guidance
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india-art blog

Blog on projects and initiatives of indiaart, khula aasmaan and art india foundation in the areas of art, craft, science, education, creativity and innovation..

Khula Aasmaan - a platform for creative expression , Science , Science essay contest

Prize winning essays from Science Day essay contest

prize winning essays from science essay competition to celebrate science day

Science essay competition prizes for Science Day essay contest

The science essay contest for children and student essay competition was held by Science Park and Khula Aasmaan to celebrate Science Day 2019.

The student essay competition was organised in two groups – for age groups 11 to 13 years in addition to the group of 14 to 16 years. Children and young adults from Pune were invited to Science Park for writing their essays. However, those from out of Pune were asked to submit their entries online through the Khula Aasmaan contest form.

Topics for science essay competition

Revolutionary wheel ¦¦ क्रांतिकारी चाक

Experiments is language of science ¦¦ प्रयोग : विज्ञानाची भाषा

If I were on Mars ¦¦ मी जर मंगळावर असतो / असते तर

Kitchen science ¦¦ स्वयंपाकघरातील विज्ञान

Prize winning essays from science essay competition

Group a (11 to 13 years).

(1) Aarohi Gaikwad, Amrita Vidyalayam, Pune, Maharashtra

Read Aarohi Gaikwad’s essay on “Kitchen Science”

(2) Devangi Chaudhuri, Delhi Public School, Panipat, Haryana

Read Devangi Chaudhuri’s essay on “If I were on Mars”

(3) Shivam Jha, Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh

Read Shivam Jha’s essay on “Kitchen Science”

(4) Vaibhavi Shelar, Bapusaheb Pawar Kanyashala, Pune, Maharashtra

Read Vaibhavi Shelar’s essay on “If I were on Mars” – in Marathi

Group B (14 to 16 years)

(1) Aishani Choudhary, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal

Read Aishani Choudhary’s essay on “Experiments is the language of science”

(2) Devika Nair, Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh

Read Devika Nair’s essay on “Experiments is the language of science”

(3) Purva Kharche, Prerana Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Pune, Maharashtra

Read Purva Kharche’s essay on “Kitchen Science” – in Marathi

(4) Shruti Mehrotra, Tagore Public School, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

Read Shruti Mehrotra’s essay on “If I were on Mars”

Shortlisted science essays

This is the list of children and young students, whose science essays were shortlisted. Each of them will get a dedicated web page in Khula Aasmaan science.

List of shortlisted essays

In addition, see blog posts related to student essays to celebrate National Science Day 2019

Science Day 2019 – student essay contest, painting competition

Science essay competition for children on National Science Day 2019

In conclusion, we could say that Khula Aasmaan Science has arrived. Furthermore, it is all set to see a spectacular growth. For instance, the number of themes for submission of science essays to the contest has grown dramatically.

See the full list of Khula Aasmaan science contest themes 

Participate in the current Khula Aasmaan science contest

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Cambridge Essay Competitions

Essay competitions are brilliant for a number of reasons!

You can use them to:

The essay competitions usually become open for submissions after the winter holidays. Be sure to check any eligibility criteria, requirements and deadlines. This page will be updated when new competitions are announced, and when deadlines are passed, so check back regularly! All essay competitions and events at Cambridge (both online and in-person) can be found here 🔗 🌟.

Magdalene College Arts and Humanities Essay Competition 2024 🔗 🌟 Any student in their penultimate year at a state school can enter this competition, which will open in early 2024. Last year, there were 12 questions covering a variety of topics within the arms and humanities - you can read the winning entries here 🔗. To register your interest in this competition for 2024, fill in this form 🔗.

Fitzwilliam College Essay Competitions: various subjects 🔗 🌟 Fitzwilliam College runs a variety of competitions in Ancient World and Classics, Archaeology, History, Land Economy, Medieval World, Architecture, and Economics (this last one is for state-school UK students only). All competitions are open to Year 12 students and are designed to encourage students to pursue their interests in subjects they might not be able to study in depth at school. Last year, the deadline for all competition entries was the 1st of March, so make sure to check back in early 2024 for updates.

Newnham College Woolf Essay Prize 🔗 🌟 The Woolf Essay Competition is focussed on women in literature, history, society and culture. There are also competitions for other subjects - more information these will be coming soon. Webinars to help support your entry can be found here 🔗 . The deadline for the Woolf Prize last year was the 14th of July.

Girton College Humanities Writing Competition 🔗 An opportunity for students interested in pursuing any humanities subject to write creatively! Year 12 students may enter with an essay or piece of creative writing using an object from Girton College’s small antiquities museum, the Lawrence Room, as their prompt.

Robinson College Essay Prize: various subjects 🔗 Year 12 students may submit an essay of up to 2,000 words in response to one of the set questions, which cover a wide variety of academic subjects. The prize did not run in 2023, but may in 2024.

Trinity College Essay Prizes 🔗 These competitions give entrants the opportunity to write an essay of up to 2,000 words in response to the set question/(s). Last year there were competitions for English Literature, Launguages, Linguistics, Philosophy, Politics, Law, and History.

Did you spot a typo or formatting issue? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] .

Academic competitions for schools and colleges

Several colleges and departments of the University of Oxford run competitions which are open to students from schools and colleges.

Preparing an entry for one of these competitions is a valuable experience for academically motivated students, so please do encourage your students to enter. There are also some exciting prizes to be won.

Competitions with up-coming deadlines:

More competitions will be published here throughout the year.

Follow us on social media

Follow us on social media to get the most up-to-date application information throughout the year, and to hear from our students.

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A middle-schooler just won $25,000 for inventing a fire-detection device that works faster than the average smoke detector

• 12-year-old Shanya Gill won a national science competition for her fire detection device.
• The device works quicker than the average smoke detector by using a thermal camera.
• Gill said she hopes to use the $25,000 prize to take her device to market.

Last year, sixth grader Shanya Gill and her family were shocked to hear a restaurant behind their house had burned to the ground.

"That was really moving for my family because it was something that we had never really experienced before," Gill told Insider.

It inspired her to create a fire-detection device that could identify fires faster than an average smoke detector and send a text to users to alert them of a fire.

Now, she's hoping to take the device to market after judges at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge awarded her the top prize out of 65,000 middle schoolers.

Gill's fire detector uses thermal imaging, rather than smoke detection

Gill's device uses two key components: a thermal camera and a Raspberry Pi, which is a small single-board computer.

"I coded the Raspberry Pi with Python and the thermal camera gives images to the Raspberry Pi to analyze," Gill said. "The whole purpose of the device is to detect an unattended fire and send a text message to you."

The computer differentiates between thermal readings moving horizontally — such as a person or an animal — and thermal readings traveling vertically, such as smoke rising.

"She's got a really interesting device. I mean, it detects fires earlier than smoke detectors," said Maya Ajmera, president & CEO of the Society for Science, an organizing partner of the competition.

Gill said she plans to use the money to take her detector to market — and any leftover funds will go to charities that help people affected by fires.

"I definitely want to put some in some charities that help people that may have gotten their homes destroyed by fires, because that's really just my whole purpose of this project: For this invention to reach as many people as possible and to also save as many people as possible and rebuild the things that people need," Gill said.

Competition officials say Gill stood out for her innovative project, collaborative spirit, and leadership skills

65,000 middle schoolers initially entered the competition and competed regionally. Of those students, roughly. Some 6,000 were nominated to move to the national competition, and about 2,000 typically go through with applying to compete, according to Ajmera.

After several rounds of judging, the pools shrinks to 30 top finalists who go on to attend the national science fair .

That means Gill and her fellow finalists were in the top .04% of students who competed.

Ajmera told Insider the 30 finalists were judged on two factors: the projects themselves and a series of surprise challenges they completed in pre-assigned teams.

"During the challenges and throughout the competition, what we understand is she exhibited leadership, collaboration, she exhibited grace, and critical thinking skills," Ajmera told Insider.

Expert practitioners judged the students in the STEM field, Ajmera said.

"She not only had a brilliant project but just carried those leadership and collaboration skills and her challenges and stood out," Ajmera said. "We can't wait to see what her journey looks like over the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years."

Watch: These 3 inventions make it possible for firefighters to extinguish fires without getting close to the flames

JOINT FORCE QUARTERLY 111

4 th  Quarter, October 2023

ESSAY COMPETITIONS

SPECIAL FEATURE

BOOK REVIEWS

Winners of the 2023 Essay Competitions

By NDU Press Joint Force Quarterly 111

Download PDF

NDU Press and the NDU Foundation Congratulate the Winners of the 2023 Essay Competitions

N DU Press hosted the final round of judging on May 11–12, 2023, during which 29 faculty judges from 17 participating professional military education (PME) institutions selected the best entries in each category. There were 95 submissions in this year’s three categories. First Place winners in each of the three categories appear in the following pages.

Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition

The 17 th annual competition was intended to stimulate new approaches to coordinated civilian and military action from a broad spectrum of civilian and military students. Essays address U.S. Government structure, policies, capabilities, resources, and/or practices and to provide creative, feasible ideas on how best to orchestrate the core competencies of our national security institution.

1 st Place Lieutenant Colonel Karl Scheuerman, ANG Eisenhower School “Weaponizing Wheat: How Strategic Competition with Russia Could Threaten American Food Security”

2 nd Place Lieutenant Colonel Bryony Slaughter, USSF National War College “Patrolling the Celestial Narrows: How the United States and Japan Can Shape and Enforce Space Governance”

3 rd Place Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Wong, USMCR Eisenhower School “Alexa, Write My OPORD: Promise and Pitfalls of Machine Learning for Commanders in Combat”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Strategic Essay Competitions

These annual competitions, in their 42 nd year in 2023, challenge students at the Nation’s joint PME institutions to write research papers (5,000 words) or articles (1,500 words) about significant aspects of national security strategy to stimulate strategic thinking, promote well-written research, and contribute to a broader security debate among professionals.

Strategic Research Paper

1 st Place (TIE) Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin P. Donham, USA U.S. Army War College “It’s Not Just About the Algorithm: Development of a Joint Medical Artificial Intelligence Capability”

1 st Place (TIE) Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel A. Peace, USSF Air War College “Space Denial: A Deterrence Strategy”

2 nd Place Lieutenant Colonel Adam Dykstra, ANG Air War College “A World Without Truth: How AI and Social Media Are Shaping Disinformation”

3 rd Place Lieutenant Colonel Tony G. Lawrence, USAF National War College “Frozen Ambitions: Building U.S. Influence for Greater Arctic Security”

Strategy Article

1 st Place Colonel Robert A. Rodrigues, USA U.S. Army War College “Promoting Accountability in Military Sexual Assault Prosecutions”

2 nd Place Lieutenant Colonel Jason R. Wayne, USA U.S. Army War College “Urban Wars: The Convergence of Tactics and Strategy”

3 rd Place Major Chad Everett, USAF Air Command and Staff College “Quantum Technology”

Joint Force Quarterly Maerz Awards

In its 8 th year, the JFQ Maerz Awards, chosen by NDU Press staff, recognize the most influential articles from the previous year’s four issues. Six outstanding articles were chosen for the Maerz Awards, named in honor of Mr. George C. Maerz, former NDU Press managing editor.

FORUM James Kwoun “Design Thinking at the Enterprise Level: Integrating Defense All-Source Analysis” JFQ 104 (1 st Quarter 2022)

JPME TODAY Zachary Zwald, Jeffrey Berejikian, Samantha Jane Daly, and Jeffrey Hannon “Challenges to Creative Thinking: Identifying Officer Background Beliefs in Limited Information Environments” JFQ 104 (1 st Quarter 2022)

COMMENTARY J. Bryan Mullins “Insights on Theater Command and Control from the Creation of Allied Force Headquarters” JFQ 106 (3 rd Quarter 2022)

FEATURES Scott C. Apling, Martin Jeffery Bryant, James A. Garrison, and Oyunchimeg Young “Pivoting the Joint Force: National Security Implications of Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing” JFQ 107 (4 th Quarter 2022)

RECALL Nathan A. Jennings “Improvised Partnerships: U.S. Joint Operations in the Mexican-American War” JFQ 105 (2 nd Quarter 2022)

JOINT DOCTRINE Christopher Sims “The Integrated ‘Nonwar’ in Vietnam” JFQ 106 (3 rd Quarter 2022)

Distinguished Judges

Twenty-nine senior faculty members from 17 participating PME institutions took time out of their busy schedules to serve as judges. Their personal dedication and professional excellence ensured a strong and credible competition.

Left to right: Dr. John J. Church, NDU Press; Ms. Joanna E. Seich, NDU Press; Dr. John G. Terino, Air Command and Staff College; Dr. David P. Hadley, College of International Security Affairs; Dr. James R. Van de Velde, Eisenhower School; Dr. Brandy Lyn Brown, Marine Corps War College; Dr. Jeffrey A. Turner, Joint Forces Staff College–Joint Advanced Warfighting School; Ms. Kathleen Gallaher, Marine Corps War College; Dr. Donald Stoker, Eisenhower School; Dr. Richard P. Samuels, Air War College; Dr. Mark A. Bucknam, National War College; Dr. Richard DiNardo, Marine Corps Staff College; Dr. Richard D. Killian, Command and General Staff College; Lieutenant Colonel Keith Caldwell, USA, College of Information and Cyberspace; Dr. William T. Eliason, NDU Press; Dr. Amy R. Baxter, Air University Global College of PME; Dr. Jim Chen, College of Information and Cyberspace; Dr. Anna Cairney, U.S. Army War College; Ms. Leigh Caraher, U.S. Army War College; Dr. Andrea Hamlen-Ridgely, Marine Corps War College–Expeditionary Warfare School; Dr. Kevin M. Generous, Joint Forces Staff College–Joint and Combined Warfare School; Dr. Paul J. Springer, Air Command and Staff College; Dr. Dylan Craig, National War College; Dr. Naunihal Singh, U.S. Naval War College; Dr. Charles Chadbourn, U.S. Naval War College; Ms. Caroline V. Schweiter, NDU Press.

Not shown: Dr. Nicholas M. Anthony, Jr., Joint Forces Staff College–Joint Combined Warfighting School; Dr. Donald W. Chisholm, U.S. Naval War College; Captain Alex J. Lega, USAF, Air University Global College of PME; Dr. Matthew Millard, Air University Global College of PME; Dr. Nicholas E. Sarantakes, U.S. Naval War College; Dr. Jeffrey D. Smotherman, NDU Press; Dr. Elizabeth D. Woodward, Air War College.

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2023-24 REEESNe Essay Competitions

REEESNe is pleased to announce its 2023-24 Essay Competitions, which will be open during May 2024 to students at Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies Northeast  network institutions . Prizes of up to $1,000 will be awarded for the top English-language essays in three categories: Master’s-level long-form scholarly essays, Undergraduate-level long-form scholarly essays, and Open-level short-form essays (scholarship or public-facing pieces). See below for information on how to submit between May 1st and 31st, 2024.

The competitions:

The Marina Ledkovsky Prize: For short-form writing on REEES topics of at least 1,000 words but fewer than 3,000 words (including all appendices, but NOT including bibliographical materials or footnotes/endnotes, which may be counted separately). The competition is open to both undergraduate- and Master’s-level writing, as well as to essays written for scholarly as well as public audiences.

The Carlos Pascual Prize and the James Billington Prize: For long-form, scholarly writing on REEES topics of at least 3,000 words but fewer than 9,000 words (including all appendices, but NOT including bibliographical materials or footnotes/endnotes, which may be counted separately). These are two separate competitions for MA- and undergraduate-level writing; in each case, the essay should be aimed at an academic audience.

Student eligibility:  Entrants must be current students at REEESNe  member institutions  OR must have been enrolled at one in the 24 months prior to the competition deadline of May 31st, 2024. Students who have graduated within the past two years and have not moved on to a higher level of education during that time (i.e. who have not enrolled in a Master’s program in the case of Associate/Bachelor’s graduates, or in a doctoral program in the case of Master’s graduates) may submit to the competitions that match their most recent studies. Students who have advanced to doctoral candidacy are not eligible for these competitions. We encourage speakers from the REEESNe Student Conference to submit their revised papers, but participation there is not a prerequisite for the competition.

Essays requirements:  Each entry must be the REEES-related work (in English) of a single student author and must be submitted by that author. REEES-related work from any discipline is eligible. There is no restriction on when the essay was written, but students may not submit work currently or previously considered for another REEESNe competition. For long-form essays, students’ writing will be evaluated in the competition for which they are eligible based on their current level of study. Students may only enter one essay in each competition but may, in the same year, enter separate essays in the long-form competition for which they are eligible and in the single short-form competition.

How to enter the competition: Please do not submit your work before May 1st, 2024. We also ask you, to the extent possible, to stick to the May 31st submission deadline, but we also recognize that students might have institutionally dictated deadlines for producing new writing (e.g. a departmental deadline for a thesis or a newspaper deadline for a cover story) close to the due date for the REEESNe competition, and you may email Ian MacMillen before May 31st to petition for a slightly later submission date (this is to accommodate sickness or institutionally determined schedules for new writing; it is not intended to allow more time for revising previously written essays). Between May 1st and 31st, please submit your essay in PDF format along with a cover letter detailing:

·      Your name and essay title

·      Your institution, level of study (undergraduate or Master’s), and, if you are a recent graduate, when you graduated

·      A short description of the essay’s topic and the circumstances under which you wrote and (if applicable) published the essay – this could include a course for which you wrote it, a newspaper and/or website on which you released it, etc.