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Best Science Writing Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 16 contests that match your search.

Summer Nanofiction Battle

Writing Battle

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

The Summer Nanofiction Battle is a peer-powered short story competition where writers compete using prompts, receive feedback, and are judged by industry professionals.

Additional prizes:

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 Feedback by industry professionals

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

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

The contest is aimed at unpublished works including novels, novellas, poetry collections, and nonfiction books. It is judged blind and winners can choose to publish an extract. The prize is awarded every three months with a total prize pool of $4,000 USD.

Optional publication of excerpt + letter of recommendation

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

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

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.

Publishing and marketing package

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

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Elegant Literature's Monthly Award For New Writers

Elegant Literature

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

One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers and closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, putting over $150k into the hands of emerging talent around the globe so far. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. June's theme is Secret Societies.

10x Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

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

The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors, featuring 75 categories across fiction and non-fiction. Winners receive cash prizes and recognition.

Prizes for runners-up include cash awards of $1,000 for first place in each category, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Winners receive various awards, including digital seals and membership upgrades.

💰 Entry fee: $49

📅 Deadline: August 16, 2026

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

The WIP Contest supports writers by allowing submissions of work that is in progress. It emphasizes on creative development and offers a platform for emerging voices.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: December 01, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction is an award for nonfiction submissions up to 5000 words. It seeks to recognize and publish quality writing and offers a total prize pool of $1000 USD.

2-4 winners are announced who share in the prize money. Publication by The Letter Review

The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition

Chicken House Books

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

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

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2024 (Expired)

Natural Disaster Threat Contest

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Natural Disaster Threat Contest received submissions globally, focusing on creativity and research. Winning stories will aid in developing simulation games for future threat preparedness.

2nd: $2,500 | 3rd: $1,000 | Publication on CAPTRS website. Runners up and honorable mentions were recognized.

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

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

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Competition

Future Scholar Foundation

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

A monthly short story competition for elementary and middle school students, with prompts and a maximum word count of 350. Winners have their work published and receive gift cards.

1st place: $25 Amazon gift card 2nd place: $15 Amazon gift card 3rd place: $5 Amazon gift card All winners are published in the Hall of Fame.

📅 Deadline: September 28, 2024

Storytrade Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards celebrate literary excellence in small and independent publishing, featuring over 70 categories for fiction and nonfiction. The awards spotlight outstanding books and provide industry recognition for authors.

$1,000 for each Book of the Year (Fiction & Nonfiction). Medals, book stickers, and digital seals for Winners and Finalists

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

Science Fiction Writing Contest

FanStory.com Inc

Genres: Fiction, Science Writing, and Science Fiction

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.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: April 12, 2023 (Expired)

Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction

Not Quite Write

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult

A quarterly flash fiction competition challenging writers to create an original piece based on two prompts and one anti-prompt. The entries are judged blindly, and winners are announced on the podcast.

2nd place: AU$500 3rd place: AU$200 Honorable mentions are awarded AU$50 each, and two wildcard prizes of AU$50 each.

📅 Deadline: July 21, 2024 (Expired)

Reader Views Literary Awards

Reader Views

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

The Reader Views Literary Awards program aims to honor independent authors and their self-published works. The awards are recognized industry-wide as a significant platform for independent authors.

Gold: $750 Silver: $350 Bronze: $150 sponsored awards including include marketing packages, interviews, and ads.

💰 Entry fee: $89

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2024

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

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

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.

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

• "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
• "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
• "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
• "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
• "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
• "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )

On Editing:

• "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
• "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
• "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
• "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
• "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
• "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
• "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )

Bonus resources

• 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
• 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
• Story Title Generator ( Click here )
• Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
• Character Name Generator ( Click here )

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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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: 16 May 2024.

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 .

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)

UKBC Intermediate Biology Olympiad

Age: Students in first year of 16+ education

Registration opens: now open

Competition dates: 5–12 June 2024

This international, annual competition is open to students in the first year of post-16 education in the UK. The competition consists of a one-hour multiple choice paper that is taken online under formal exam conditions. Questions cover topics students will be familiar with alongside some new concepts to test their problem-solving skills and understanding of core principals.

Practice papers are available to print to help students prepare. The competition is free to enter for UK schools and participants receive an e-certificate that recognises their level of achievement.

Find more information, including registering your school to take part, on the  UKBC website .

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 essay that teachers submit; ages 15–18; deadline 10 July 2024; prize includes being published in the magazine and feedback).
• Newnham College, Camb ridge (2000-word academic essay; age 16–18 women at state school only; deadline 8 July 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.

IET Faraday Challenge

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.

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.

EMBL Art and Science Project

Age: 14–18 Participation deadline: 31 August 2024

Discover the world of proteins with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and create an artwork inspired by what you’ve learned. Cash prizes of up to €100.

Visit the website to find out more. 

Deadlines passed:

Stockholm uk junior water prize.

Submissions open: 29 Feb 2024

Submission deadline: 13 May 2024

This prize challenges young people in STEM to develop innovative yet practical solutions to the global water crisis. Entrants decide on a topic or problem that they want to investigate and undertake background research and experimental work before submitting a full written report.

Students whose reports are shortlisted get to present their work virtually to the judges. The winning UK entry receives £1,000 cash prize and a fully funded trip to represent the UK and their school at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Sweden in August and be in with a chance to win the international grand prize of US$15,000!

Learn more on the  website .

UKBC Biology Challenge

Competition dates: 1–17 May 2024

The Biology Challenge is a fun, annual competition open to students aged 13–15 in the UK. The challenge compromises of two, 25-minute, multiple-choice papers, and students need to complete both papers to be considered for an award category.

The questions set cover the school curriculum, but also caters to budding biologists whose knowledge has been enhanced by reading books and magazines, watching natural history programmes and taking a keen interest in all things biology.

Practice papers are available to help students prepare. The competition is free to enter for UK schools and participants receive an e-certificate that recognises their category of achievement.

Find more information and register your school to take part on the  Biology Challenge website .

BIEA Youth STEAM Competition

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 .

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

Registration opens:  1 March 2024

Closes: 26 April 2024

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. This year’s theme is Hidden depth.

Students can answer one of the questions in either written or video form of up to 1000 words or three minutes, 30 seconds, respectively. Winners receive cash prizes, plus there are non-cash prizes for the runners up.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the grand final on 21 June 2024 at the Royal Institution, where they will deliver a short presentation. Find more information about taking part on the  challenge website .

Unsung Heroes of Science video competition

Close s: 30 April 2024

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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 .

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 .

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 .

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.

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 .

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• Curriculum enhancement and enrichment

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The Scientific Teen

Stem by the youth, for the youth.

Win a microscope, cash prizes and more!

The scientific teen is an organization dedicated to stem education and opportunity, and we are delighted to continue this mission with our  inaugural stem essay contest.

We are proudly sponsored by Crimson Education, Evident, GT Vision, StickerGiant  and   Taskade

Open for entries: 1 4th March  2023

Submission deadline: 1st May 2023

Winners announced:  Start of June  at our prize-w inning event!

Technology category

Microsco pe sponsored by GT Vision

$150 sponsored by Crimson Education

Lifetime Taskade Unlimited sponsored by Taskade

Scientific Teen merch sponsored by StickerGiant

2ND PRIZE: 

$100 sponsored by Crimson Education

Lifetime Taskade Unlimited sponsored by Taskade 

3RD PRIZE: 

$50 sponsored by Crimson Education

Science category

Microsc ope sponsored by Evident

All entrants will be offered 5-year upgrades to Taskade Unlimited on Taskade!

Essay questions

Technology category :

Which piece of technology will have the greatest impact in the near future and why?

Science category :

Describe a recent scientific breakthrough you consider important.

Rules and guidelines  

Essays must be between 750 and 1000 words

References must be in the APA referencing style.

Include a bibliography (the bibliography will not be included in the word count)

Essays must be written in English

You must be between the ages of 13 and 18 on the date of submission (14th March 2023)

Students may submit only one entry per subj ect category, but may enter both categories

Submit essays as a PDF, Microsoft Word document or a Google Doc

Essays must be submitted by 5pm EST on May 1st

Any submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be  discounted 

We will judge entries based on the following criteria:

Clar ity : how well the essay explains the chosen topic: any reader should be able to understand the scientific research.

Research : whether the essay has used valid and relevant sources; whether an appropriate bibliography has been created.

Analysis : whether the essay addresses why the topic matters in the wider context of the world and justifies the research as it relates to the question.

Language : how engaging the essay is; whether it uses an appropriate style and tone;  whether it uses correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Judging Criteria

If you do not have a  gmail account, please email your submission as a pdf and all your details to [email protected], no data will be  shared with third parties  .

The Scientific Teen STEM Essay contest  is proudly sponsored by Crimson Education.

Crimson Education is the world's leading US/UK university admissions consultancy. They have a personalised data-driven approach that has helped thousands of students gain admission into the Ivy League, Oxbridge, and other top universities. 

Crimson was founded in 2013 with a vision to equalise the university admissions playing field, serving as the launching pad that equips students across the globe to overcome barriers of geography and legacy to compete on the world stage. It was founded by three students, including CEO Jamie Beaton who had just been accepted to 25 of the world's best universities including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and Cambridge.

Crimson now has 28 offices around the world, with over 2,400 mentors supporting students on their journey to their dream university.  

StickerGiant is a maker of custom stickers and labels based in Longmont, CO. Every sticker has a story, and they want to help everyone tell their stories with expression through custom stickers labels. They are makers and quality matters to them, and they take pride in delivering high-quality stickers and labels.

You can find them with the handle “@StickerGiant” on social media sites.

At Evident, we are guided by the scientific spirit—innovation and exploration are at the heart of what we do. Committed to making people’s lives healthier, safer, and more fulfilling, we support our customers with solutions that solve their challenges and advance their work; whether it’s researching medical breakthroughs, inspecting infrastructure, or exposing hidden toxins in consumer products.

Evident Life Science empowers scientists and researchers through collaboration and cutting edge life science solutions. Dedicated to meeting the challenges and supporting the evolving needs of its customers, Evident Life Science advances a comprehensive range of microscopes for pathology, hematology, IVF, and other clinical applications as well as for research and education. 

For more information, visit  EvidentScientific.com

GT Vision Ltd. is an independent microscope supplier founded in the UK by microscopy enthusiasts in 2003.  Our friendly team offer expert, unbiased advice about which microscopes best match your requirements and jointly have 50+ years of experience in working with educational sectors. We supply multiple brands including Leica, Olympus, Meiji, Motic, Euromex, Dino-Lite and our own brand GX Microscopes, plus many more.

We are thrilled to have been invited by The Scientific Teen to contribute a prize for the STEM Essay Writing Competition and in doing so, helping to raise scientific awareness and education for our next generation.

Find GT Vision at:

Twitter:  @gtvisionUK

Facebook:  @GTVisionUK

Ins tagram:  @gtvision.microscopy

Website: www.gtvision.co.uk

 Taskade makes remote collaboration exceptionally powerful, yet blissfully simple, in one unified workspace. In a world where teams need to communicate and coordinate remotely, across time zones, the complexities compound with each new tool hired to do the job. Taskade believes the future of work is remote, asynchronous, and real-time. It helps teams stay competitive in the modern workplace by cutting down the unnecessary friction in planning, organizing, and decision-making to help your team get work done together, faster, and smarter.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Essay Competition – High School Grades: 9 – 12

Description – grades: 9 – 12.

The Essay Competition allows SECME coordinators to reinforce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills through writing. Students will choose between a non-fiction or science-fiction topic to write an original essay.

Students will write an original essay and provide a Works Cited page.

>>>>>> Essay Guideline for High School in PDF Format <<<<<<<

  >>>>>> Essay Grades 9-12 Scoresheet in PDF Format <<<<<<<  

• Non-Fiction
• Science-Fiction

Process Map

Submission requirements and scoring, non-fiction topics.

• What is digital citizenship? How do you practice good digital citizenship? Write about three rules that you and your classmates should follow when you are online. Provide personal examples of how good digital citizenship has impacted your online interactions.
• Advanced AI technology is everywhere, requiring many resources like electricity and water. Write about the advantages and disadvantages of using this technology. How can you be a good steward of the environment when utilizing this advanced technology?
• Who do you consider to be your STEM role model? It could be an inventor, an engineer, an architect, an artist, or anyone who has succeeded in the STEM industry. Why do you admire this individual? How did their story impact or inspire you on your journey in STEM?

TOP  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Science-Fiction Topics

• Imagine new technologies that could be used to solve global or environmental issues. For example, they could imagine a new type of solar panel that is more efficient and affordable or a new type of desalination plant that can turn seawater into drinking water.
• Imagine what it would be like to travel through time and how this could impact STEM fields. For example, imagine going back to prevent a disaster or going forward in time to see how your work has impacted the world.
• Imagine what it would be like to travel to a parallel universe and how this could impact STEM fields. For example, imagine finding that a parallel universe has developed a new type of physics that could revolutionize our understanding of the universe or a parallel universe where humans have already solved environmental problems.

*Click on the image to see the enlarged version.

• Choose a topic from either the non-fiction or science-fiction list.
• Research the topic. 
• Draft the essay, read and review
• Ask your SECME Coordinator, ELA teacher, and/or parent/guardian for feedback.
• Revise based on the feedback, and if necessary, repeat, go back to step 3 and repeat with changes.
• Finalize your essay.
• Create a Works Cited page and list all the sources you used (and cited) in your essay.
• Submit your cover page, finalized essay, and Works Cited page.

Submit a  PDF file that includes the cover page, finalized essay, and Works Cited page with the file name “ SECME_Essay_High_Your School Name. ‘”

For detailed scoring, please download the  scoresheet .

• Works Cited Page (MLA format)
• Grammar, Spelling, and Formatting
• Adherence to Topic
• Originality and Coherence
• Analysis and Use of Evidence
• Word Count (500 – 750 words)

Essay Prizes for Science

Peterhouse college, cambridge, kelvin science prize.

Open to all students in year 12 or equivalent, regardless of nationality or school country. Essays must be between 2,000 and 4,000 words including footnotes and appendices.

THE OXFORD SCIENTIST WRITING COMPETITION

Designed for budding Science writers in the UK about to enter into year 11, year 12 or year 13, this prize entails writing a 700 word article on a stated theme. Winners have their work published in The Oxford Science magazine along with other prizes.

ST HILDA’S SCIENCE POETRY PRIZE

Open to students aged between 11 and 18 years, entrants are asked to write a poem on a subject using their scientific knowledge. The winning poem will be performed at St Hilda's College, Oxford University.

THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION

The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under, to consider how they can work to use cultural, technological and environmental connections for positive change across the Commonwealth. 

THE NEWNHAM ENGINEERING PRIZE (GIRLS ONLY)

Open to all girls currently in Year 12 (Lower Sixth) at a UK school. Submissions should be 2,000 – 2,500 words, including footnotes and captions, but not bibliography. All sources must be appropriately acknowledged and cited, and the bibliography should include websites consulted. Up to five entries may be submitted per school.

THE WESTON-SMITH PHYSICAL SCIENCES PRIZE (GIRLS ONLY)

Open to all girls currently in Year 12 (Lower Sixth) at a UK school. Submissions should comply with the following: 4-6 A4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography, with a maxium of 2500 words.

THE NEWNHAM BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES PRIZE (GIRLS ONLY)

Open to all girls currently in Year 12 (Lower Sixth) at a UK school. Submissions should comply with the following: 4-6 A4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography, with a maxium of 2500 words. 

TechFest’s STEM Next - essay competition

Open to all students currently aged 16-18 years at a UK school. Submissions minimum of 1000 and a maximum of 3000 words and can be used as part of a CREST Award . Students are required to pick a question from one of six categories.

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

Open to all students if you're an Imperial student or if you are in the last four years of secondary school (or the international equivalent). Students can enter as an individual or a team to answer one of the questions in either written or video form of up to 1000 words or four minutes respectively.

ABSW’s Young Science Writer of the Year

Open to all students aged 14-16 years, to submit an 800-word essay on any subject in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics. The award winner receives £1000, mentorship and one year’s membership of ABSW.

MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge

Open to all students aged 14-16 years(England and Wales only), to work in teams of three to five, participants have 14 hours to solve an open-ended math-modelling problem focused on a real issue during the challenge weekend. Scholarships totaling $100,000 (>£75,000) are awarded annually.

Unsung Heroes of Science video competition

Open to all students aged 16-18 years, to submit a two-minute video sharing the story of a scientist whose contributions were overlooked.

Top of the Bench

Open to all students aged 14-16 years, to put their teamwork and practical skills into action. Teams must consist of four students: two from year 9/S2; one from year 10/S3; one from year 11/S4. Run from October to January, regional heats are organised and funded by Local Sections . The winning team from each heat will progress to a national final.

British Science Week poster competition

Open to all students aged 3-14 years (4 age categories), to submit an original one page of A4 or A3 poster. Entrants can be teams or individuals and each school can submit up to five entries. Members of the British Science Association will shortlist entries, and a panel of judges will select a winner in each category.

Clean Tech Competition

Open to all students aged 15-18 years, 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. Each team should be made up of one to three students.

Why science writing competitions matter (and how to boost your chances of winning)

What’s the one thing you can do to transform your prospects of becoming a science writer? Enter science writing competitions. Surprisingly, you don’t even have to win. Many professional science writers and science journalists only made the shortlists, but have nonetheless gone on to forge highly successful careers (and win journalism prizes). It’s a tried and tested way to get started in science writing.

Read on for our top tips on how to maximise your chances of success, and for our list of science writing competitions from around the world.

There are two reasons why entering science writing competitions is a good idea. One: it forces you to write, and write to a deadline. Two: winning, or getting shortlisted will make you stand out in a crowded market of wannabe science writers. There is no way to guarantee a win, but there are several things you can do to boost your chances:

1. Read. This is something you need to do, and need to do widely, if you want to develop as a writer. So read popular science magazines and science articles in newspapers. Find writers whose work you admire and study it carefully. How do they bring prose alive? What analogies and metaphors do they use to make the science accessible and engaging for the reader?

2. Review past winning entries for the competition you want to enter. Can you see what sorts of things are the judges looking for?

3. Check the competition guidelines. Aside from the obvious things like knowing when the deadline is, make sure you REALLY understand what is expected of you. What subject areas can you cover? What’s the word count? Most importantly, who is the audience?

4. Plan ahead. Typing frantically just before the competition deadline is no good. Effective writing needs careful planning and thinking, as well as a good dose of inspiration. So be sure to start in plenty of time.

5. Don’t give up. Even if you don’t win your first competition, the fact that you have written and submitted your entry is an achievement in itself (and a lot more than may others manage). So keep going!

One thing I would emphasise, however, is this: be  very  wary of competitions that ask you to pay a fee to enter, especially if they are demanding a lot of money. Some of them may be legitimate, others may well be scams. Check them out very carefully before handing over any money. A lot of science writing competitions are free to enter, so if in doubt, stick with those.

Below is a list of current or recent science writing competitions. Maintaining a comprehensive list is tricky, as competitions tend to come and go, often only running for a few years at a stretch (and can even be one-offs), so do have a good look on Google to see what you can find.

What follows is not an exhaustive list, but it does cover the major awards. Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, blog and newsletter for upcoming deadlines. Bear in mind that many science competitions are open to global entrants, so don’t write off a competition because it is based in another country: check the eligibility criteria.

Need more help? Check out our science writing courses by clicking on the button below.

Science writing competitions

International.

Science Communication Competition | IFST

Environmental Physics Group annual essay competition

Science Communication Prize – Biochemical Society

Science Writing Prize | British Society for Cell Biology

MRC Max Perutz Science Writing Award – UKRI  

Science Writing Competition | Study | Imperial College London

Science Writing Competition – The Antibody Society

2021 Science Writing Competition Results | Bio-Rad

2022 Awards | Association of British Science Writers (Dr Katharine Giles Award, for already published articles)

SRF Stewart Rhind Science Writing Prize | Society for Reproduction and Fertility

RES Student Award – Royal Entomological Society

Prizes for Students | The Royal Society of Medicine

Scotland PhD Student Competition

Science Book Prizes & Awards | Royal Society   (books)

ESA – ECSL Essay Competition

Science Writing Competition

Our 3rd Annual STEM Writing Contest – The New York Times

Essay Contest | Department of Chemistry

NSIS Student Initiative

Literary Awards FAQ – PEN America (books)

Australia/New Zealand

Bragg Prize | Science – UNSW Sydney

NZIC Scientific Writing Competition 2021

CSIR/Nature India Science Writing Competition

GITAM Science Essay Competition

For regular updates on science communication news, please sign up for our newsletter, SciCom for Scientists, which is published monthly.

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Dedicated to the advancement of research in all branches of cell biology.

Science Writing Prize

Communicating science in words that are engaging and understandable is vital at many levels. The BSCB Science Writing Prize was launched in 2009 to encourage and reward high quality writing on topics of key relevance to cell biology. Entrants have either communicated their own research projects or science stories in the literature, in a clear and concise way aimed at a non-specialist audience, or written essays that were not be limited to research  per se,  but tackled a bioethical or science policy issue. The BSCB Science Writing Prize aims to encourage writing skill development in young researchers rather than seasoned veterans ( see rules below ).

The competition entry deadline is usually in February/March and will be posted in our news section on the homepage of the website and communicated to members by email.

The deadline for entries this year (2024) is March 31st.  Prize winners will be announced at the joint BSCB/Biochemical Society Cell Migration meeting in April 2024.

The winner of the 2023 competition is Aleksandra Pluta from University of Oxford

You can read the winning entry here.

General Rules: The winner receives  a prize of £500  and has their winning entry  published in the BSCB magazine and online  (both on the BSCB website and subject to editorial acceptance on the excellent  www.lablit.com  website). Normally the prize is presented before one of the main plenary talks at the annual BSCB Spring Conference.

Each year shortlisted entries are judged by an external expert. In previous years we have enlisted the kind help of Tim Radford (Writer and former Science Editor at The Guardian), Viv Parry (Science Writer and Columnist), Tania Hershman (Science writer, former science journalist and writer-in-residence at Bristol University), Dr. Jenny Rohn (a cell biologist at UCL, who is also a science writer, novelist, blogger, broadcaster, the editor of  LabLit.com  and the founder and chair of Science is Vital) and Barbara Melville (science writer, former writer-in-residence at the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine and board member with the Association of British Science Writers).

Remember: You must be a BSCB member to enter. The full rules and how to enter can be found  here.

Previous Winners

Bscb science writing prize 2020.

One for all, all for one, or – what does it take to be multicellular? When people think of biology, ‘big’ often comes to mind: elephants, whales, redwoods. A closer look, though, reveals that the vast majority of organisms are in fact unicellular: think bacteria, archaea, and countless algae and fungi. But what does it […]

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• BSCB Science Writing Prize 2018
• BSCB Writing Prize 2017
• BSCB Science Writing Prize 2016
• BSCB Science Writing Prize 2015
• Science Writing Prize 2015
• Science Writing Prize 2014
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• BSCB Science Writing Prize 2012

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Star Polymers, Space Origami and Singing Finches: The Winners of Our 2nd Annual STEM Writing Contest

From snake venom and egg shells to Alzheimer’s and Covid-19, students explain concepts from the world of science, technology, engineering and math.

By The Learning Network

Where do scientists — and science writers — get their ideas? They pay close attention to the world around them and ask questions, then look for answers to the ones that fascinate them most.

That, at least, is how many of the top 11 winners of our Second Annual STEM Writing Contest describe their process. Like last year , we and our partner, Science News , challenged teenagers around the world to choose any STEM-related question, concept or issue that interested them and, in 500 words or fewer, explain it to a general audience in a clear and engaging way. And, like last year, we added an optional field to our submission form that invited participants to also tell us how they chose that topic.

Here are a few excerpts. Read them, then scan the titles of the winning essays below and see if you can guess which might go with which. (Answers are at the bottom of the post.)

A. “Last year, my dad cut his knee badly when he fell doing home repairs. Although the wound was soon sewn up with a neat row of stitches, it showed signs of an infection a few days later.” B. “I happen to have two canaries. At first, the second one didn’t have a song …” C. “ As an aspiring mechanical engineer, I always tend to look at systems and products and think, ‘How can I make that better?’” D. “I’ve always loved dogs, and over quarantine I’ve become even closer with my dog Ringo. I began to question …”

We hope you’ll do more than just scan, though. Click the links to read even a few of these fascinating essays in full and you’ll see how impressively our winners managed to translate complex scientific ideas — about finches and fin whales, desalination and dementia, polymers and peacock mantis shrimp — into something not just informative and understandable, but also enjoyable to read.

In 2020, the first year of this contest, 1,618 students sent in submissions. This year participation more than doubled, to 3,741 entries. We’re already planning to offer this contest for a third year, and if you’re interested in joining us, you can do no better than to study the work of these winners as mentor texts — for how to follow your curiosity; find reliable sources for research; craft engaging opening paragraphs; use analogies and metaphors to help a layperson understand a difficult concept; and experiment with voice and style to make your essay sing.

Congratulations to the 11 winners, 15 runners-up and 36 honorable mentions , and thank you to all the teachers and students who sent work in, and to the many judges with a STEM background who volunteered to help us choose.

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Oxford and Cambridge Essay Competitions

We have gathered together some of the key essay competitions to enter, hosted by colleges at oxford and cambridge university..

If you are applying for Oxbridge or a top UK or Russell Group university that interviews its applicants, it is worth noting that many of the competition questions are very similar to interview-style questions. Submitting an essay to one of these essay competitions is a great way to increase your super-curricular knowledge for personal statement or interview and many will provide feedback from top academics in their field. You may only have time to enter one competition, but check out similar ones relating to your course of application, and practise brainstorming/verbalising an answer to the question.

Could you be interested in having an Oxbridge-educated mentor support your writing process? Minds Underground™ is the brainchild of the wider educational company, U2 , with offerings curated by a team of 700+ Oxbridge-educated mentors , who would be able to support both your essay competition entry and wider Oxbridge application (sessions from £75/h).

Do also check out online Oxbridge Summer Schools , hosted by our team of Oxbridge graduates, with 12 different subject categories!

Course-wide Oxbridge Essay Competitions:

Robinson college, cambridge’s essay prize.

This essay competition is designed to give students the opportunity to develop and showcase their independent study and writing skills. Unfortunately, for external reasons, the essay won’t be running in 2023, but may well be running in 2024 so do keep an eye out so you don’t miss it!

Sample Essay Questions from 2020

Discuss, with reference to any academic discipline, any area of interest raised by one of the following quotations/ questions:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” (Benjamin Franklin) Do you agree?

Does the theory of evolution by natural selection tell us anything interesting about how we should live?

Watch the following TED talk by novelist Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story.  TED Global . (2009) Available online via:  https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story . What are novels for? Answer in light of the TED talk and any one or two text(s) you have read recently

“A true war story is never moral. […] If a story seems moral, do not believe it. If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude whatsoever.” (Tim O’Brien,  The Things They Carried , 1990). Write about any piece of war literature or art about war in light of O’Brien’s claim

There is no such thing as ‘untranslatable’. Discuss

Sample Essay Questions from 2022

'Law and morality should never collide'. Discuss.

A character in a novel written by an African American woman in 1892 makes the following claim:"Miss Leroy, out of the race must come its own thinkers and writers. Authors belonging to the white race have written good books, for which I am deeply grateful, but it seems to be almost impossible for a white man to put himself completely in our place. No man can feel the iron which enters another man's soul." (From Iola Leroy by Francis Harper)Black feminist writer Patricia Hill Collins describes the above as a "belief in a special vision of those who have experienced oppression". Discuss this belief with reference to at least one book, play, or poem written by an author of colour.

Can science tell us how we should live?

In the twenty-first century, what is monarchy for?

"A good translation is like a pane of glass. It should never call attention to itself." (Norman R. Shapiro). Discuss.

Girton College, Cambridge’s Humanities Writing Competition

Aimed at giving Humanities applicants an insight into research at university level - candidates expected to produce extensively researched, clearly written and well-referenced essays ranging well beyond the set curriculum. This essay is a great way to extend your knowledge and research across a wide range of different humanities based subjects so useful if you are looking to apply for something like Human, Social, Political Sciences (HSPS).

Newnham College, Cambridge’s Woolf Essay Prize

This year, the Woolf Essay Prize invites participation from all female students in Year 12 (or equivalent), irrespective of their school or nationality. The submission deadline is 12pm GMT on Friday, July 14th, 2023.

While this award might particularly interest those pursuing English Literature, History, Politics, Philosophy, or Sociology, the college encourages entries from curious students studying a diverse range of subjects.

Archaeology

Fitzwiliam college, cambridge’s archaeology essay competition.

Past questions: What are the challenges in reconstructing cultural identities from the archaeological record?// How does reconstructing diet help us understand past societies?

The college also runs writing Webinars in the months leading up to these essay competitions that would be really useful in getting yourself Cambridge and Oxford

Architecture

Fitzwilliam college, cambridge’s architectural design competition.

This is an exciting opportunity for secondary school students to analytically approach a design problem and creatively develop architectural design solutions. Students will design and communicate their design solutions through drawings and a design narrative

Oriel College, Oxford’s Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

2019 questions included: Is anything special about the present moment?// Can one be mistaken about one's own state of mind?// Which is more important in determining the wrongness of a person's action: the person's intentions or the action's effects?

The Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize is open to students in Year 12 (or equivalent). The first prize is £250, and there may also be a second prize of £150.

Trinity College, Cambridge’s Philosophy Essay Prize

2020 Question 1: If you learn that humanity will be extinct in twenty years, what difference should it make to what you value?

Question 2: Could you be friends with a robot?

The competition carries a First Prize of £600 and a Second Prize of £400, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college; the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens.

St. Hugh’s College, Oxford’s The Julia Wood Prize

St Hugh’s College, Oxford offers a prize worth up to £500, for the best historical essay submitted by a pupil who, at the closing date, has been in the Sixth Form of any school or college for a period of not more than two years.

Entries should be 2,000 – 4,000 words in length, and should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document, together with the Julia Wood Prize cover sheet .

Trinity College, Cambridge’s Robson History Prize

2020 Questions : E.g. Can one write a history of women in Ancient Greece? Is it meaningful to speak of a ‘renaissance’ in intellectual life in twelfth-century Europe? What can historians learn from coins?

The competition carries a First Prize of £600, and second prize of £400 both to be shared equally between the successful essayist and their school or college.

St. Hugh’s College, Oxford’s The Mary Renault Prize

At least one prize will be awarded a pupil who is not studying either Latin or Greek to A-level standard

Prize worth up to £300

“Essays can be from any discipline and should be on a topic relating to the reception of classical antiquity – including Greek and Roman literature, history, political thought, philosophy, and material remains – in any period to the present; essays on reception within classical antiquity (for instance, receptions of literary or artistic works or of mythical or historical figures) are permitted.”

Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge’s Ancient World/ Classics Essay Competition

Trinity college, cambridge’s gould prize for essays in english literature.

“This Essay Prize has the following aims. First, to encourage talented students with an interest in English Literature to explore their reading interests further in response to general questions about the subject.”

Like the other Trinity essay competitions, the competition carries a First Prize of £600, and second prize of £400 both to be shared equally between the successful essayist and their school or college.

Queen’s College, Cambridge’s The Estelle Prize for English

Example question from 2019 competition: The following two poems, (a) 'To Autumn' by John Keats, and (b) 'Halcyon Days' by Walt Whitman, might be said to create for their readers an experience as well as an understanding of time. Making reference to the distinctive temporality of one or both poems, write about the experience of time in any other poem or poems you like.

The winner will receive a £500 prize; depending on the strength of the field of submissions, honourable mentions may also be made.

Linguistics

Trinity college, cambridge’s linguistics essay prize.

It may be of interest to students taking A-Levels in Modern Languages, English Language or Classics, but also to students taking Psychology or Mathematics

Land Economy

Fitzwilliam college, cambridge’s land economy competition.

Past questions: ‘Governments should be accountable to their citizens for loss caused by climate change’. Discuss.// Critically analyse the costs and benefits of a large-scale infrastructure project of your choice. In making this assessment, consider in particular any regional disparities and how they are affected by such projects

Trinity College, Cambridge’s R.A. Butler Politics Prize

Aims to encourage students with an interest in modern politics and world affairs to think about undertaking university studies in Politics, International Studies or a related discipline; it is not limited to those already studying these subjects or indeed other social sciences

Trinity College, Cambridge’s Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law

Aims to encourage students with an interest in Law to explore that interest by researching, considering and developing an argument about a legal topic of importance to modern society.

2020 Question': ‘Should legal disputes be determined by artificial, rather than human, means?’

Peterhouse College, Cambridge’s Kelvin Science Prize

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 equivalent) who are educated in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Please find attached the questions for this years competition. 

Are you applying to Oxbridge? Join our Summer “ Beyond the Syllabus ” Classes for Oxbridge Preparation

Oxford and Cambridge offer environments where individuals are enriched through constant interaction and discussion with the world’s leading academics in intimate tutorial sessions of 1-3 students. At interview, prospective applicants are expected to demonstrate how they would perform in a tutorial session – they must exhibit high performance capability in their specific academic field as well as creative or abstract thinking. This means your preparation must go beyond school learning and activities. Excelling in an academic field or skill to the level required by Oxbridge, whether that be in the Social Sciences, Humanities or STEM subjects, requires exploring new material and ideas outside the standard curriculum, verging on 1st year university level learning.

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Science News , Science News Explores , Science News Learning

The New York Times and Science News are accepting submissions for the 2023 STEM Writing Contest!

By Kevin Easterly

Calling all young and aspiring science writers! The deadline for the 4 th Annual STEM Writing Contest , hosted by the New York Times Learning Network and Science News , is approaching soon, on Wednesday, February 15 th .  If you are one of the top winners, your submission will be published by The New York Times. Check out some of the essays from last year here !

Here’s how it works: The contest is open to middle school and high school students who are between the ages of 13 and 19. You can choose any topic within the fields of science, technology, engineering, math or health. Please note that all essays must be previously unpublished. All the winners will be announced two months after the contest closes.   

All essay submissions must be under 500 words, so we recommend choosing your topic carefully—you don’t want to pick a subject so expansive that you can’t complete your analysis in the space allotted. Sometimes writing concisely and within a limited amount of space can be more of a challenge than when there is a higher word count.

The most important thing, though, is to pick a topic that you’re genuinely interested in. It might be something that you have a lot of first-hand experience with, like a scientific curiosity that you’ve witnessed in your community or your own backyard. Or maybe there’s a question you’ve always had about the world—researching and writing about it can be a great way to gain a deeper understanding, and then share that understanding with others.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can read some of last year’s winning essays , on subjects ranging from cutting edge laser technology , to the science of color , to how immortal jellyfish stay forever young . Or take some notes from the pros by exploring the latest articles in Science News and Science News Explores .

Think you have a great idea? We can’t wait to read it! Remember to submit your 500-word masterpiece by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, February 15 th . You can find the complete set of guidelines and judging rubric, along with the instructions for submitting essays here on The New York Times website .

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permitted to team with another architecture student. , but graduate before the awards are scheduled to be given. This year you are asked to include TWO digital photographs that you have copied from any of this year's posted topic Reources or similarr resources that has influenced your Proposal. One of the photographs should help support the argument you make in your Proposal as to an issue you believe needs to addressed in providing housing for the disadvantaged. The other photograph should help support the argument you make for the proposed response. A brief caption - 50 words maximum - should accompany the photograph telling us what the photo represents and the source of the photograph.  Please post the photograph at a minimum 500 pixels wide, and in .jpg format. No more than two photographs will be accepted. NOTE: The Readers are instructed not to add or detract points from their evaluation because of the quality of the photograph itself, nor whether it is the students' work or an archival photograph. The Readers, however, will evaluate how the photographs help support the argument you have made in your Proposal. Judging for the essay competition is on a numeric system. The members of the BERKELEY PRIZE Committee are asked to evaluate each essay in terms of the following criteria: Each criterion is given a score of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). The approximately 25-28 top-scoring Proposals become Semifinalists, who will be offered the opportunity to write a 2500-word Essay based on the Proposal.. There is a total prize of 35,000USD, minimum 8,500USD first prize.  The remaining purse is to be allocated at the discretion of the Jury. Launch of 2022 Essay Competition. (Stage One) 500-word essay proposal due. Essay Semifinalists announced. (Stage Two) Essay Semifinalists' 2,500-word essays due. Launch of Community Service Fellowship Competition for Essay Semifinalists. Essay Finalists announced. Community Service Fellowship proposals due. Essay winners and Community Service Fellowship winners announced. By submitting your essay, you give the Berkeley Prize the nonexclusive, perpetual right to reproduce the essay or any part of the essay, in any and all media at the Berkeley Prize’s discretion.  A “nonexclusive” right means you are not restricted from publishing your paper elsewhere if you use the following attribution that must appear in that new placement: “First submitted to and/or published by the international Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence ( www.BerkeleyPrize.org ) in competition year 20(--) (and if applicable) and winner of that year’s (First, Second, Third…) Essay prize.” Finally, you warrant the essay does not violate any intellectual property rights of others and indemnify the BERKELEY PRIZE against any costs, loss, or expense arising out of a violation of this warranty. Registration and Submission You (and your teammate if you have one) will be asked to complete a short registration form which will not be seen by members of the Berkeley Prize Committee or Jury. REGISTER HERE. Additional Help and Information ) project. "Sleep on ( ) Photo credit: Michael Stirnemann project. "The two built-in platforms contain numerous storage compartments for personal belongings." ( ) project. "The Kitchen"  ( ) ) Photo credit: ©Bruce Damonte.from DBArchitect.com. ) Photo credit: ©Bruce Damonte from DBArchitect.com. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )   (Photo by Alp Galip for Designboom.com) ) ) ) ) ) Photo credit: Chris Luker from DBArchitect.com. ) Photo credit: Chris Luker from DBArchitect.com. ) ) The UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing Submissions for the unsw press bragg student prize for science writing 2024 are now closed.. $500 UNSW Bookshop voucher first prize | Publication in Double Helix magazine, CareerswithSTEM.com and unsw.press | An invitation to the launch of The Best Australian Science Writing in Sydney | 2 x $250 UNSW Bookshop voucher runner up prizes | A one-year subscription to Australian Book Review for the winner and runners up The annual UNSW Bragg Prize is a science essay writing competition open to all Australian high school students in years 7 to 10. This prize is designed to encourage and celebrate the next generation of science writers, researchers and leaders. For an aspiring university Dean of Science or Walkley Award-winning journalist, this could be the first entry in their CV. The UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing extends the successful UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing for adults. It offers English, Maths, Design, Social studies, IT and Science students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and interest in writing and experimentation. The 2024 essay topic is: People power: working together to protect our environment. Biodiversity, community and conservation Entries closed at 5pm on Friday 23 August 2024. Find out more information here. Elsie Paton, Two paths to AI: The choice of humanity , Kambala School, NSW, Year 9 Daniel Kim, The Science of AI , The Scots College, NSW, Year 10 Zavier Argent, AI in Sports Science , Leeming Senior HIgh School, WA, Year 8 Olivia Campbell, Viral Science , Presbyterian Ladies’ College, VIC, Year 9 Kaya Kimla, The Two-Way Science , Kirrawee High School, NSW, Year 7 Jasmin Wu, On Certainty , St George Girls High School, NSW, Year 10 Emilia Danne, The Dark Side of Blue Light, St John Bosco College, NSW, Year 8 Elora Guirguis, Ultrasound: Seeing with sound, Mater Dei Catholic College, NSW, Year 10  Stephanie Chew, How Does the Violin Saw Its Tooth? , Presbyterian Ladies’ College, NSW, Year 8 Elena Canty, Cultured Meat: The future of food?, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, VIC, Year 9 Philippe Mouawad, Stem Cells: Little cells, big possibilities , Georges River Grammar School, NSW, Year 7  Jeremy Simonetto, iPS Cells – the stem of the future , St Patrick’s College, NSW, Year 8  Arwyn Stone, Not-so-smart technology: The science (or lack thereof) behind period and fertility trackers, Abbotsleigh, NSW, Year 9 William Flintoft, errare humanum est , School: Melbourne Grammar School, VIC, Year 10 Phoebe Adam, Driverless Cars: Not So Smart Technology , Presbyterian Ladies College, NSW, Year 8 Preethika Mathan, I-Care, Santa Sabina College, NSW Coco Dwyer and Ruby Mumford, Technology is not only all around us, it’s inside us, Star of the Sea College, VIC Sienna Ters, Celebrating 40 years of MRI technology, and why we need it more than ever, Santa Sabina College, NSW Sam Jones, It’s what’s on the inside that counts, Kedron State High School, QLD Carol Ge, The fate of the Great Barrier Reef, Radford College, ACT Ebony Wallin, The Very Hungry Caterpillars, Dalyellup College, WA Chelsy Teng, An innovative instrument: the scanning helium microscope, James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW Gemma Macaulay-Black, Can you hear me?, Frensham, NSW Marissa Petrakis, From here to the stars: discovering the supernovae, Meriden School, NSW Jessica Kitchen, A pendulum conundrum, Central Coast Grammar School, NSW Holly Reid, Lighting up the universe: what a flame test reveals, Canterbury Girls Secondary College, VIC Priya Soni, X-rays – superpowers brought to life , Central Coast Grammar School, NSW The Oxford Scientist The University of Oxford's independent science magazine Schools Competition Take part in The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition 2024! The 2024 competition is now closed. Thank you to all the students and teachers who have sent submissions to the competition. We will update the winners and notify the winners of the competition by 15th September 2024. We are excited to announce the details of the 2024 edition of The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition. Please read each section below and the FAQ carefully as there are new rules and procedures for 2024. Update for 2024: In response to an ever-evolving landscape with generative AI tools, such as Chat GPT, we have reworked our marking procedures to maintain fairness and rigour. Please note that as of 2024, the essay must be submitted by your UK school teacher. Link to join Teacher Mailing list to be notified upon future competitions. Please get in touch ahead of deadline if there are issues with the form. Students may choose from ONE of the following themes: “Evolution: anything and everything from Survival to Free Will” “Data and humans in the digital age” Guidelines for Submissions Eligibility: Open to students in Year 10 to Year 13 (or equivalent*) attending a UK school, college, or sixth form (School must be physically addressed in the UK) Officially UK Homeschooled students are also eligible in those year groups. Titles: Students should select one of the themes and then research and choose a specific area or topic to discuss in their essay. Essay Requirements: Essays must be the student’s original work, independently written without any form of plagiarism, including the use of pre-written texts or artificial intelligence-generated content. Articles should be relevant to the chosen theme and demonstrate originality, quality of analysis, and engagement with the topic. Word Limit: Maximum of 700 words. No bibliography is required. Submission Process: Please coordinate with your school teacher to submit your essay. Teachers can find the submission portal here . Deadline: Submissions must be received by Midnight, Wednesday 10th July, 2024. Click here for Teacher Submission Portal . All essays must be submitted by teachers on behalf of their students at school. If you have alternative schooling or mitigating circumstances please see the FAQ or email [email protected] . Please email us for the UK Homeschooled students form. Additional Information: Both themes will be marked equally and students are encouraged to have the freedom to explore any relevant ideas ranging from present-day ideas and developments, computation and AI to historic ideas, and philosophical concepts. We are really interested to hear your original ideas , but please make sure that they are relevant to the theme! Articles will be judged by our panel of experts. Please take note that your submissions will be assessed on  relevance to the question, quality of scientific analysis, originality, writing style and grammar, interest to a general audience, and factual accuracy.  You should try to write at a level that would be simple enough for someone who has an interest in science but isn’t an expert on the topic you are writing about. Awards & Opportunities Publication: Winning articles will be featured in the Oxford Scientist magazine and on our website, showcasing your work to a broad audience. Feedback Session with Competition Officials: Winners and runners-up will be invited to an exclusive feedback session with competition organizers. This is a unique chance to gain insights and improve your scientific communication skills. Supercurricular: This competition offers a fantastic opportunity to explore scientific topics beyond your school curriculum, and it’s a standout addition to university applications. We encourage entries from all students, regardless of previous experience in science writing. Opportunities for Finalists: Articles from competitors who reach the final round may also be considered for publication by our affiliated partners, giving even non-winners a platform to share their innovative ideas. Winner Trophy and Certificates. School Leaderboard Recognition : Schools that submit the highest number of entries will be featured on our website, recognizing them as top schools for engaging in supercurricular activities. This competition is rigorously marked by the Oxford Scientist and by senior judges. Recently, in the 2023 Competition judged by a distinguished panel of senior judges, including Nobel Prize-winning physician scientist Sir Peter Ratcliffe, Environmental Researcher Dr Anna Murgatroyd, Senior Researcher in Translational Proteomics Dr Darragh O’Brien and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Hannah Jones. The competition is run by the Oxford Scientist team and led by Franziska Guenther and Gavin Man. Examples of winning essays from previous competitions can be found here . We strongly recommend that you read our  FAQs  before you start writing your article. If you have any further questions about the competition, please email [email protected] . *(Year 14, 13, 12, 11 in Northern Ireland and S3, S4, S5, S6 in Scotland) Click here for Teacher Submission Portal Join our Teacher Mailing List to be notified for future competition releases! 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 328 IMAGES Essay Writing Competition National Essay Writing Competition Undergraduate Science Journal Sponsors Essay Competition Winners in Science Essay Writing Competition 4 th August 2023, Science Essay writing Competition 4 th August 2023, Science Essay writing Competition VIDEO 10 Lines On Science Essay Writing Competition on My Preparedness for Heat Wave Best essay on science is a good servant but bad master| short#science_is_good_servent_but_bad_master "Essay Writing Competition" Organized by IIC held on 24/07/2024 My essay writing competition// Like subscribe comment share 🤗🧿🧿💕 Wonder of science।। essay writing for wonder of science।। COMMENTS Best Science Writing Writing Contests in 2024 Additional prizes: Winning entries will be features on the FanStory.com welcome page. 💰 Entry fee: $9. 📅 Deadline: April 12, 2023 (Expired) Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Science competitions your students can enter in 2023 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 essay that teachers submit; ages 15-18; deadline 10 July 2024; prize includes being published in the magazine and feedback). Our 4th Annual STEM Writing Contest We invite students to choose an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health, then write an engaging 500-word explanation. Contest Dates: Jan. 18 - Feb. 15, 2023. STEM Essay Contest Sponsors. The Scientific Teen STEM Essay contest is proudly sponsored by Crimson Education. Crimson Education is the world's leading US/UK university admissions consultancy. They have a personalised data-driven approach that has helped thousands of students gain admission into the Ivy League, Oxbridge, and other top universities. A.I., Bioprinting and Glass Frogs: The Winners of Our 4th Annual STEM This personal revelation by 18-year-old Siwen Cui turned into "What the Nose Knows: The Underappreciated Olfactory Sense," one of the winning essays of our fourth annual STEM Writing Contest. Science News and The New York Times announce 10 winners of the 4th One of the winning essays, "I Spy With My Little Muon: Peering Inside Pyramids With Cosmic Rays," cited the Science News article "Muons spill secrets about Earth's hidden structures" as a mentor text. ... Together Science News and The New York Times Learning Network are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 STEM Writing Contest ... The New York Times and Science News are accepting submissions for the The New York Times is currently accepting submissions for its 3 rd Annual STEM Writing Contest. As part of the Learning Network, the contest is a collaboration between The New York Times and Society for Science to challenge young writers to hone their scientific communications skills—and curate a platform to highlight their emerging talents. Our 2nd Annual STEM Writing Contest We invite students to choose an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health, then write an engaging 500-word explanation. Contest Dates: Jan. 19-March 2, 2021. Essay Competition The Essay Competition allows SECME coordinators to reinforce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills through writing. Students will choose between a non-fiction or science-fiction topic to write an original essay. Students will write an original essay and provide a Works Cited page. >>>>>> Essay Guideline for High School ... Schools Science Writing Competition 2023 The competition was proudly organised by the Oxford Scientist team and led by the Competition Leads Franziska Guenther and Gavin Man. We are delighted to announce the winners and runners-up for the 2023 Schools Science Writing Competition. The overall winner of the competition is 'The wheels on the bus… return of the flywheel' by Joseph ... Science Essay Prizes THE OXFORD SCIENTIST WRITING COMPETITION. Designed for budding Science writers in the UK about to enter into year 11, year 12 or year 13, this prize entails writing a 700 word article on a stated theme. ... Open to all students aged 14-16 years, to submit an 800-word essay on any subject in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics ... Why science writing competitions matter (and how to boost ... Top tips. There are two reasons why entering science writing competitions is a good idea. One: it forces you to write, and write to a deadline. Two: winning, or getting shortlisted will make you stand out in a crowded market of wannabe science writers. There is no way to guarantee a win, but there are several things you can do to boost your ... Science News and The New York Times Announce ... Essays about Star Polymers, Space Origami and Singing Finches Take Home Top Prizes. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. and WASHINGTON, D.C. - Together Science News and The New York Times Learning Network are excited to announce the winners of the 2021 STEM Writing Contest.Eleven talented young science communicators are named winners based on their keen ability to shed light on scientific topics ranging ... The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition 2024 The Oxford Scientist May 5, 2024 01 mins. We are excited to announce the details of the 2024 edition of The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition. The deadline for schools to submit student essays is 10th July, 2024. You can find more information here. Tagged: schools competition. Science Writing Prize The BSCB Science Writing Prize was launched in 2009 to encourage and reward high quality writing on topics of key relevance to cell biology. Entrants have either communicated their own research projects or science stories in the literature, in a clear and concise way aimed at a non-specialist audience, or written essays that were not be limited ... Star Polymers, Space Origami and Singing Finches: The Winners of Our Click the links to read even a few of these fascinating essays in full and you'll see how impressively our winners managed to translate complex scientific ideas — about finches and fin whales ... Maths and Science Essay Competitions The Minds Underground™ STEM Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though we welcome younger applicants). We have split the Sciences into numerous scientific fields and will select a winner from each: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science.The competition provides students with an opportunity to attempt university-level research, hone their scientific writing ... Oxford and Cambridge Essay Competitions This essay competition is designed to give students the opportunity to develop and showcase their independent study and writing skills. Unfortunately, for external reasons, the essay won't be running in 2023, but may well be running in 2024 so do keep an eye out so you don't miss it! Sample Essay Questions from 2020. Science News and The New York Times Announce 10 Winners of the 4th Recognizing Exceptional Essays on AI, Pyramids, Bioprinting and Glass Frogs. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. and WASHINGTON, D.C. - Together Science News and The New York Times Learning Network are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 STEM Writing Contest.Ten talented young science communicators have been named winners for their ability to explain complex scientific topics such as Artificial ... The New York Times and Science News are accepting submissions for the The deadline for the 4 th Annual STEM Writing Contest, hosted by the New York Times Learning Network and Science News, is approaching soon, on Wednesday, February 15 th. If you are one of the top winners, your submission will be published by The New York Times. Check out some of the essays from last year here! Berkeley Prize Essay Competition Mid-December, 2021. Essay Semifinalists announced. February 1, 2022. (Stage Two) Essay Semifinalists' 2,500-word essays due. February 8, 2022. Launch of Community Service Fellowship Competition for Essay Semifinalists. Early-March, 2022. Essay Finalists announced. March 12, 2022. The UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing The annual UNSW Bragg Prize is a science essay writing competition open to all Australian high school students in years 7 to 10. This prize is designed to encourage and celebrate the next generation of science writers, researchers and leaders. For an aspiring university Dean of Science or Walkley Award-winning journalist, this could be the ... Schools Competition Take part in The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition 2024! The 2024 competition is now closed. Thank you to all the students and teachers who have sent submissions to the competition. We will update the winners and notify the winners of the competition by 15th September 2024. We are excited to announce the details of the 2024 edition of The ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis