science essay writing competition 2022

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Best Science Writing Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 16 contests that match your search.

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 Independent Author Network presents the 10th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest open to all authors with 55 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners are eligible to receive a share of cash prizes of $6,000 USD. Open to all English language print and eBooks available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors.

Additional prizes:

$6,000.00 USD in total cash prizes

💰 Entry fee: $49

📅 Deadline: August 16, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Books

The Letter Review

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

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 Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: October 31, 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

The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction challenges writers to create an original piece of flash fiction based on two typical writing prompts plus one ""anti-prompt"". An anti-prompt is a challenge to break a specific “rule” of writing while telling a great story. Participants compete for AU$2,000 in cash prizes, including AU$1,000 for the winner, cash prizes for the entire shortlist and two bonus ‘wildcard’ prizes. Winners are read aloud on the Not Quite Write podcast, where the judges share in-depth analysis about the entries and offer free writing advice. The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction is hosted in Australia and open to all writers of any age and level of ability around the world.

Publication on the Not Quite Write website and podcast

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: April 21, 2024

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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)

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 recognizes excellence in small and independent publishing. Open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses, our annual awards program spotlights outstanding books in a number of fiction and nonfiction categories.

Medal, Book Stickers, Digital Seal

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

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 $100k 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. March guest judge is Somto Ihezue.

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

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

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

2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking Nonfiction 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.

Publication by The Letter Review

💰 Entry fee: $2

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024

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

Several marketing prizes (e.g. book review)

💰 Entry fee: $89

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2024

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)

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.

2nd: writing coach package

💰 Entry fee: $15

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

Two days to write a 250 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

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

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024

Universe of Threats Natural Disaster Writing Contest

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

CAPTRS is building a catalog of threats, called the “Universe of Threats,” which will be used to prepare decision makers for future threats. We invite you to submit a 2,500 word or less story describing a threat scenario related to natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, hurricanes or another natural disaster of your choosing.

2nd: $2,500 | 3rd: $1,000 | Publication on CAPTRS website

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

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

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

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

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

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.

An offer of representation from a top literary agent

📅 Deadline: June 01, 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

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

How to Write a Novel in 15 Steps

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

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Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

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Story Title Generator

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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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Science News , Science News for Students

The New York Times and Science News are accepting submissions for the 2022 STEM Writing Contest!

By Kevin Easterly

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a science journalist? To explore some of the natural world’s most fascinating phenomena and ponderous mysteries, and share your findings with learners and lectiophiles near and far?

Now is your chance! 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.

To submit an essay, you must be a middle or high school student between the ages of 11 and 19. The contest is open to young writers anywhere in the world. Every submission will be reviewed by science journalists Learning Network staff and STEM educators from across the United States. They will then select some of the best essays to be published on the New York Times .

Essays should be about a topic you are genuinely interested in and curious about, something that you are excited to share with other people. This can be anything from the fields of science, technology, engineering, math or health. It can be something you first learned about in school, or maybe something you have encountered in your everyday life. The best essay topics are often personal, drawn from something that you have a special reason to care about.

All essays must be under 500 words, so choose your topic carefully—you don’t want to pick a subject so expansive that you can’t complete your analysis in the space allotted. Please note, too, that all essays must be previously unpublished.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can read some of last year’s winning essays , on subjects ranging from Stradivarius violins to the 17-year slumber of Brood X cicadas . Or take some notes from the pros by exploring the latest articles in Science News and Science News for Students .

Ready to write? Then fire up that word processor because the deadline to submit essays is approaching fast: all submissions are due by tomorrow, Wednesday, March 9 , at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

You can find the complete set of guidelines and judging rubric, along with the instructions for submitting essays on the New York Times website .

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$10K for your STEM papers: our scientific-writing competition expands to all major disciplines

What is spectra, why are we doing this, how do i participate in the competition.

• Previously published content will not be eligible
• Original research requiring peer review will not be eligible for the contest
• Social sharing
• Guest judging by experts in the field
• $5,000 for first place
• $3,000 for second place
• $2,000 for third place

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The science competitions your students can enter this year

By Emma Molloy

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

Source: © Shutterstock

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

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

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

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

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

UK Chemistry Olympiad 

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

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

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

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

Top of the Bench

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

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

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

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

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

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

Slingshot Challenge

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

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

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

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

For full details see the Slingshot Challenge website .

Schools’ Analyst

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

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

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

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

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

Science meets art

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

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

MathWorks Math Modeling challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition

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

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

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

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

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

TeenTech Awards 

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

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

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

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

Science writing competitions

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

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

British Science Week poster competition

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

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

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

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

Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition

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

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

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

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

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

BIEA Youth STEAM Competition

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

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

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

Local to Newcastle?

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

Unsung Heroes of Science video competition

Age: 16–18 Close s: April 2024 TBC

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

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

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge

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

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

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

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

IET Faraday Challenge

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

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

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

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

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

Deadlines passed:

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 .

Quantum on the Clock

Age: 16–18 Closed: 8 July 2022

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

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

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

Clean Tech Competition

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

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

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

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

Find out more and register on the  competition website.

Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) Science Challenge

Age: 14–18 Closed: 11 February 2022

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

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

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

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

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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]

RESEARCH ESSAY COMPETITIONS

The scientist award essay competition aims to: .

inspiring students to produce an original piece of work in scientific and technological research and academic writing

championing students' efforts and achievements through awards

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

Power to Explore 2022-23 Student Writing Contest

April 25, 2023: NASA Announces Student Winners of the Power to Explore Challenge

NASA selected three winners out of nine finalists in the second annual Power to Explore Challenge , a national competition for elementary through high school students featuring the power of radioisotopes for space exploration.

The competition asked students to learn about Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS), a type of “nuclear battery” that NASA uses to explore some of the most extreme destinations in our solar system and beyond. Inspired by the Planetary Science Decadal Survey , a report from the science community that prioritizes science mission concepts for NASA to consider, students envisioned a mission using this space power system. They wrote about their own power to achieve their mission goals in 200 words or less.

“Exploring the secrets of our universe is at the heart of what we do at NASA, and we can always use more help brainstorming innovative ways to reach the most extreme environments in our solar system,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “It is my honor to congratulate the winners of this year’s Power to Explore Challenge for their exceptional radioisotope-generated mission ideas.”

Entries were split into three categories based on grade level, and a winner was chosen in each category. The three winners, along with a guardian, are invited to NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, for a VIP tour of its research facilities.

The winners are:

• Luca Pollack , Carlsbad, California, kindergarten through fourth grade.
• Rainelle Yasa , Los Angeles, fifth through eighth grade.
• Audrielle Paige Esma , Wildwood, Florida, ninth through 12th grade.

The Power to Explore Challenge offered students the opportunity to learn about space power, celebrate their own strengths, and interact with NASA’s diverse workforce. This year’s contest received nearly 1,600 submitted entries from 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Armed Forces.

Every student who submitted an entry received a digital certificate. Fifteen national semi-finalists in each grade category (45 total) will receive a NASA RPS prize pack, and three finalists in each category (nine total) were invited to discuss their mission concepts with a NASA scientist or engineer during an exclusive virtual event.

The challenge is funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s RPS Program Office and administered by Future Engineers under the NASA Open Innovation Services 2 contract. This contract is managed by the NASA Tournament Lab, a part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

For more information on the radioisotope power systems visit: https://rps.nasa.gov/

Karen Fox / Alana Johnson Headquarters, Washington 301-286-6284 / 202-358-1501 [email protected] / [email protected]

Kristin Jansen Glenn Research Center, Cleveland 216-296-2203 [email protected]

Semi-finalists have been announced! Read the list of semifinalists here.

It takes a special kind of power to explore the extremes of our solar system, and NASA wants to hear how it would energize your space exploration dreams! If you could plan a mission in our solar system or beyond, where would you go, and what would you explore?

If you are a K-12 student in the United States, your challenge is to research Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) and dream up a new RPS-powered space mission. RPS is a type of nuclear "battery" that has been used for over 60 years, enabling many spacecraft to explore some of the harshest, darkest environments, and the farthest reaches of our solar system.

Watch the Challenge Intro Video:

Eligibility/Timeline:

The Power to Explore Student Writing Challenge was open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade in U.S. public, private, and homeschools. Entries (maximum 200 words) were accepted between October 12, 2022 and January 17, 2023. Entries were judged in three grade-level categories: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Winners were announced on April 25, 2023.

Student Resources

Contest deadline: january 17, 2023 (the contest is now closed to new entries).

Prizes: The contest will have 45 semi-finalists, who will win prize packs, 9 finalists, who will win a chance to participate in a videoconference with NASA experts, and 3 winners, who were awarded a two-day trip for two to NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

NASA RPS Power to Explore Challenge

The challenge is funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s RPS Program Office and managed and administered by Future Engineers under the direction of the NASA Tournament Lab, a part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

This 200-word writing challenge inspires learning about how Radioisotope Power Systems help us explore the extremes of our solar system and to celebrate students' own unique power. Click on the "Enter Challenge" button to see the contest rules and enter the contest.

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Enquiries: [email protected]

Dundee: 01382 221 221

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

Science Writing Prize Winner 2022

In Search of the Holy Grail

Would you choose to live forever? And, more importantly, can you? The quest to slow ageing is possibly the oldest pursuit in medical research, with ancient societies trialling remedies such as alchemy, curative waters and drinking gold (which was of course toxic). For good reason, the question of whether we can create an elixir of life has been a controversial one in the scientific community. Anti-ageing medications have been brought to market without evidence that they work in humans 1 , and other treatments have caused lab animals to grow ‘teratomas’ (terrifying cancers which can contain teeth, hair and bone; google if you feel brave…). While many medical organisations still do not recognise anti-ageing medicine, a growing number of scientists (and billionaires) believe we may be mere years away from the development of a pill to treat ageing.

But what does ‘anti-ageing’ actually mean?

Without a doubt, advances in medicine and public heath have radically improved life expectancy. However, this quality of life is poor, with 74% of people globally dying from diseases of ageing, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia 2 . Thus, the focus of anti-ageing research is not to increase lifespan, but instead ‘healthspan’. The ‘geroscience hypothesis’ proposes that by treating the physiological signs of ageing we will consequently cure related diseases. Simultaneously, we may also curb cosmetic features associated with getting older, which is a nice little bonus.

Various mechanisms in cell biology contribute to the ‘hallmarks of ageing’ 3 . Firstly, throughout our lives our cells are constantly dividing. While this keeps us alive, replicating cells accumulate mutations in their DNA; the longer we live, the more our cells must divide and the more genetic mutations we accrue. These mutations disrupt the normal functioning of our cells and are best known for their cancerous properties.

While our genes serve as the instructions for how our cells behave, our epigenetics dictate which genes are ‘read’. It’s this phenomenon which allows all the cells in our body to have the same genetic sequence but to look and act completely differently. As we get older, we develop ‘epigenetic drift’, which leads to aberrant cell behaviour.

The vulnerable ends of our genome are protected by extra pieces of DNA called telomeres. As our cells divide telomeres get shorter, eventually triggering cell death by ‘senescence’. Senescent cells release damaging chemicals and immune senescence leads to chronic inflammation, both of which promote ageing. Furthermore, older tissues become depleted of stem cells, which are required to replace dying cells, causing both senescent cells and DNA damage to amass.

One of the best evidenced longevity boosters is dietary restriction (Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey fasts for 22 hours a day). Unsurprising then, that deregulated nutrient sensing is a hallmark of ageing. Nutrient level is detected by specific proteins in our cells, which in response mediate changes in cell growth, immune function and metabolism. The nutrient-sensors, and many other systems in our body, participate in cell-to-cell communication. As we get older, these networks malfunction, contributing to development of diseases like type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. Another trait of ageing is central to the development brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. This ‘failure of proteostasis’ is characterised by protein misfolding and an imbalance in protein abundance.

Finally, mitochondria, the energy-producing centres of the cell, produce ‘reactive oxygen species’ (ROS), which were initially thought to drive ageing. However, this has since been contested, and ROS may in fact promote longevity. However, dysfunctional mitochondria still contribute to ageing through regulation of cell death and inflammation.

All sounds pretty inevitable…

Indeed, our chance of dying doubles every eight years, making many scientists predict a maximum age of around 120 years 4 . However, some animals are luckier. When the Galapagos tortoise and species of BOFFFF (big, old, fat, fertile, female fish, not joking), reach a certain age they enter ‘negligible senescence’ and their chance of dying plateaus 5 . Which means they could live forever, right?

So, if them, why not us?

At this point, you might have guessed one anti-ageing strategy is to target senescence. Indeed, senolytics (which remove senescent cells) and senostatics (which quell the effects of senescent cells) are the focus of many startups, but have not yet shown efficacy in clinical trials 6 . Partial cellular reprogramming is another approached favoured by Silicon Valley moguls such as Jeff Bezos. The discovery of Yamanaka factors and their ability to restore a cell to its younger epigenetic state won Shinya Yamanaka the 2012 Nobel Prize. However, this approach is tricky; exposing cells to these factors for too long can lead to the development of those nasty teratomas. It’s likely that other genes involved in cell reprogramming will need to be found, with Google’s Calico Labs admitting that research on Yamanaka factors is “not something where we’re thinking clinically” 7 .

One of the more gruesome methods to slow ageing is a transfusion of babies’ blood. The startup Ambrosia sold adolescent blood transfusions for $8000 a litre (or grab yourself a bargain with $12000 for two) until it was shut down by the FDA in 2019 8 . However, parabiosis has been shown to reduce age-associated inflammation, increase stem cell capacity and even improve neurological function. Faecal transplants may similarly benefit older patients; transfer of the gut microbiome can improve nutrient sensing and weight regulation. Existing drugs metformin, a diabetes medication, and rapamycin, an anticancer compound, could be repurposed to treat ageing, again through targeting our nutrient sensing systems. Rapamycin has already shown some promise in the 2020 Dog Ageing Project (possibly the cutest ageing trial so far) 9 .

The above examples represent just a trickle of the many avenues being explored in the race to cure ageing. With a treatment potentially around the corner, is it time to rethink our views on the inevitability of getting older? And which therapy has your backing? Or maybe we should just take the advice of the oldest human in history, 122-year-old Jeanne Calment: she attributed her longevity to cigarettes and chocolate.

• Callaway, E. GlaxoSmithKline strikes back over anti-ageing pills. Nature (2010). doi:10.1038/news.2010.412
• World health statistics 2021: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals . (2021).
• López-Otín, C., Blasco, M. A., Partridge, L., Serrano, M. & Kroemer, G. The Hallmarks of Aging. Cell 153 , 1194–1217 (2013).
• Finch, C. E. & Pike, M. C. Maximum Life Span Predictions From the Gompertz Mortality Model. Journals Gerontol. Ser. A 51A , B183–B194 (1996).
• Finch, C. E. Variations in Senescence and Longevity Include the Possibility of Negligible Senescence. Journals Gerontol. Ser. A 53A , B235–B239 (1998).
• Dolgin, E. Send in the senolytics. Nat. Biotechnol. 38 , 1371–1377 (2020).
• Eisenstein, M. Rejuvenation by controlled reprogramming is the latest gambit in anti-aging. Nat. Biotechnol. 40 , 144–146 (2022).
• Corbyn, Z. Could ‘young’ blood stop us getting old? The Observer (2020).
• Partridge, L., Fuentealba, M. & Kennedy, B. K. The quest to slow ageing through drug discovery. Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 19 , 513–532 (2020).

About the author: Amy Stainthorp is a post-doctoral researcher using 3D cell systems to study Barrett’s oesophagus at the University of Leeds. She work in Professor John Ladbury’s group and as part of the Leeds Centre for Disease Models. She recently completed her PhD investigating the regulation of microRNA expression at the University of Leeds.

The Antibody Society

the official website of the antibody society

An international non-profit supporting antibody-related research and development.

2022 Science Writing Competition winners announced!

May 15, 2022 by Janice Reichert

Congratulations to our winners!

To make science accessible, clear, concise communication is essential. The Antibody Society thus offers our student and post-doctoral fellow members a chance to grow this skill through a Science Writing Competition . Entrants submitted essays of 1200 – 1500 words on a topic related to antibody research that were evaluated by our panel of judges.

Our post-doc and student winners are:

Dr. Finn Wolfreys, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

Essay title: Antibody Discovery’s Diversity Problem

Alexander Brown, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

Essay title: Immunity in a Deck of Cards

The winning essays can be accessed via the links above.

View all winning essays from the Science Writing Competitions here

The  next science writing competition opens in feb. 2023., thanks to everyone who participated, share this post.

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The Oxford Scientist

The University of Oxford's independent science magazine

Schools Science Writing Competition 2023

The 2023 Oxford Scientist Competition, which was more competitive and rewarding than ever, featured 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 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 Lailey, Sandringham School.

Year 12-13 winner is ‘ bacteria: taking a bite out of climate change ‘ by isabel hubbard, abbey school, reading., year 10-11 winner is ‘ has scientific visibility come with greater skepticism or support ‘ by mariam elalfy, wolverhampton girls high school., overall winner, joseph lailey.

Sandringham School.

The wheels on the bus… return of the flywheel

Year 12-13 winner

Isabel hubbard.

Abbey School, Reading.

Bacteria: Taking a bite out of climate change

Year 10-11 winner

Mariam elalfy.

Wolverhampton Girls High School.

Has scientific visibility come with greater skepticism or support?

‘How has Covid-19 changed public perception of Science? ‘ by Abira Prasad, The Tiffin Girls’ School.

‘ Geoengineering: The Ethical Dilemma of Climate Science ‘ by Aoife Oliver, St James’ Catholic High School.

‘ Has COVID-19 changed public perception of Science? ‘ by Leonardo Mercado, Radley College.

‘ Climate change denial: cause for concern? ‘ by Milly Kanagasabay, Guildford High School.

‘The path to save the world is a bleak one’ by Michael Coleman, St Augustine’s Catholic Sixth Form.

‘ Climate Change: Complicated Science, Complex Solutions?’ by Matt Fitchie, RGS Guildford.

Dr Sir Peter Ratcliffe

Peter J. Ratcliffe , M.D. is a physician scientist who trained as a nephrologist, before founding the hypoxia biology laboratory at Oxford. His laboratory elucidated mechanisms by which human and animal cells sense oxygen levels and transduce these signals to direct adaptive changes in gene expression. For this work he shared the  Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2019 .

He holds appointments as Director of Clinical Research at the Francis Crick Institute, London, and is a Distinguished Scholar of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Oxford.

But it’s not all hard work: this year he took part in an episode of Master Chef and attended the King’s Coronation.

Dr Anna Murgatroyd

Dr Anna Murgatroyd is a research associate at the Environmental Change Institute in the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on making sure we have access to safe and reliable water, both now and in the future. She has experience modelling water systems, examining the vulnerability of water supplies to climate change and changing demand. She also investigates potential new water supply infrastructure, demand management schemes, operating policies and regulatory rules, working closely with the Environment Agency and OFWAT.

Dr Darragh O’Brien

Dr Darragh O’Brien is a senior researcher in Translational Proteomics at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, where he utilizes biological mass spectrometry approaches to characterize and decipher mechanisms of human disease. His interests lie in how protein structural disorder and modifications such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination relate to protein function and disease, with a specific focus on neurodegeneration. He obtained his PhD in Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, which was supervised by Professor Sir Simon Lovestone, where he developed quantitative proteomic strategies for the discovery and validation of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease. In addition, Dr O’Brien has held research positions at Institut Pasteur in Paris and University College London. In his spare time, Darragh is an avid reader, and enjoys supporting his native Ireland in rugby.

Dr Hannah Jones

Dr Hannah Jones studied her PhD at the University of Bath in biophysics, on the thermodynamics of enzyme catalysis. Since 2019 she has worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Oxford, within the Nuffield Department of Medicine. There, she applies mass spectrometry based proteomics to investigate a potential drug target for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

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Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Students      >      Essay Contests      >     Atlas Shrugged

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June 14, 2024

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We’ll email you more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter. In the meantime, please let us know at [email protected] if you have any questions. We’re happy to help.

What is Atlas Shrugged?

The astounding story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did.

Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged is unlike any other book you have ever read. It is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit.

How It Works

Every three months there is a new seasonal entry round, with its own unique essay prompt. You may compete in any or all of these entry rounds.

The top three essays from each season will be awarded a cash prize. The first-place essay from each season will advance to compete for the annual grand prize.

The first-place essay from each season will be eligible to contend for the annual first-place title, with the opportunity to secure a grand prize of $25,000.

Challenging Essay Topics

Each entry round features a unique topic designed to provoke a deeper understanding of the book’s central themes and characters.

Essays must be written in English only and be between 800 and 1,600 words in length.

Questions? Write to us at [email protected] .

• Summer Prompt
• Fall Prompt
• Winter Prompt

The essay prompt for our fall entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

The essay prompt for our winter entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

Grand Prize

Master our grading standards.

Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. 

Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized.  Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel. 

Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Organization

Understanding, contest timeline, discover the power of atlas shrugged.

Atlas Shrugged  is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

And what you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

Learn more and request a free digital copy of the book today.

Learn from Past Winners

Curious to know what makes for a winning essay in the Atlas Shrugged   contest? Check out some of the essays written by our most recent grand-prize winners. 

To varying degrees, they all display an excellent grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Click here to see the full list of 2022 contest winners.

Jacob Fisher

Graduate Student

Stanford University

Stanford, California

United States

Mariah Williams

Regis University

Denver, Colorado

Nathaniel Shippee

University of Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Samuel Weaver

St. John’s College

Annapolis, Maryland

Patrick Mayles

Graduate student

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Christina Jeong

College Student

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Improve Your Writing Skills

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback for essays submitted to its contests. However, we do recommend the following resources as ways to improve the content of your essays.

The Atlas Project

Writing: a mini-course.

Sign Up for Contest Updates!

Want to stay up-to-date on any new developments to the contest? Sign up to our email list below.

We’ll send you periodic reminders about the contest deadlines, as well as helpful resources to ensure you get the most out of your experience reading and writing about Ayn Rand’s  Atlas Shrugged .

Great! Let's get you a copy of the book.

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

What you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

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Please enter your password below, either to create a new account or to sign in to your existing account for the contest. Once you're logged in to your account, you'll be able to save your entry progress and return later to complete it.

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Now that you've logged in to your account, let's get you started on your entry for the contest. It's OK if you haven't finished reading the book or writing your essay yet. We'll save your progress for you to continue later.

Then, when you're ready to submit your essay, just return to our platform. Your saved entry will be right where you left off. So, why wait? Take the first step, and start your entry today.

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Student ‘How To’ Contest Winner

How to Host Unexpected Guests

A winning essay by Sofia Fontenot, age 18.

By The Learning Network

This essay, by Sofia Fontenot, 18, from Houston, is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s new “How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers .

We are publishing the work of all the winners over the next several days, and you can find them here as they post.

“It’s a little delight, a little bonbon of a thing,” says Miah Arnold, the 51-year-old co-founder of Grackle & Grackle, a business hosting creative writing classes out of Arnold’s backhouse in Houston. Visitors drop in often at the dual business/residence; sometimes guests walk directly into Arnold’s living room by mistake. From childhood, Arnold’s home has always been a public space. She grew up behind a bar in small-town Myton, Utah, where her father owned a saloon, and she learned how to listen to — and ask for — the stories of unexpected guests.

First, don’t let your house be too clean. Don’t let it be filthy, either. “Having that in-between state of a house puts people at ease,” Arnold says. “Your house is in a certain state of the world. And that helps you decide the stories that you’re going to tell.” You want your guest to have a place to sit, but you also want enough tchotchkes and knickknacks strewn on side tables and hung on the walls that there’s always something to talk about. Offer your guest tea, snacks, leftovers, water at the minimum. “Go in and find whatever crackers you have,” advises Arnold. “Then ask them what stories they have.”

Be open to letting guests into your home at a moment’s notice. You may not always have the dishes cleaned or your schedule cleared, but saying “Yes, and,” to these social situations opens the door to once-in-a-lifetime relationships and experiences. “You have to let yourself be thrown off course,” says Arnold. “The guests can feel you make that decision and that makes them happier.”

In today’s world, when productivity and “the grind” are so highly prioritized, it can be difficult to dedicate a half-hour or hour of your schedule to building a new relationship, but it brings casual connection and a change in routine that we’ve been missing since the pandemic started. “When someone new comes, it turns everything off balance in a way that it needs to be,” Arnold says.

To post-guests and potential guests, remind them that they are always welcome. “You have to let people know that you enjoy it when they stop by,” says Arnold. “Just reiterating it. Just to remind each other that you live in a world together.”