research writing competition

Summer 2024 Admissions for 1-on-1 Research Mentorship is OPEN. Watch information session recording here (featuring former and current Admission Officers at Havard and UPenn).

Discourse, debate, and analysis

Cambridge re:think essay competition 2024.

This year, CCIR saw over 4,200 submissions from more than 50 countries. Of these 4,200 essays, our jury panel, consists of scholars across the Atlantic, selected approximately 350 Honourable Mention students, and 33 award winners.

The mission of the Re:think essay competition has always been to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The hope is to create a discourse capable of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s submissions more than exceeded our expectations in terms of their depth and their critical engagement with the proposed topics. The decision process was, accordingly, difficult. After four rigorous rounds of blind review by scholars from Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, MIT and several Ivy League universities, we have arrived at the following list of award recipients:

Competition Opens: 15th January, 2024

Essay Submission Deadline: 10th May, 2024 Result Announcement: 20th June, 2024 Award Ceremony and Dinner at the University of Cambridge: 30th July, 2024

We welcome talented high school students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Entry to the competition is free.

About the Competition

The spirit of the Re:think essay competition is to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The competition covers a diverse array of subjects, from historical and present issues to speculative future scenarios. Participants are invited to engage deeply with these topics, critically analysing their various facets and implications. It promotes intellectual exploration and encourages participants to challenge established norms and beliefs, presenting opportunities to envision alternative futures, consider the consequences of new technologies, and reevaluate longstanding traditions.

Ultimately, our aim is to create a platform for students and scholars to share their perspectives on pressing issues of the past and future, with the hope of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s competition aims to underscore the importance of discourse, debate, and critical analysis in addressing complex societal issues in nine areas, including:

Religion and Politics

Political science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, biotechonology.

Artificial Intelligence

Neuroengineering

2024 essay prompts.

This year, the essay prompts are contributed by distinguished professors from Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT.

Essay Guidelines and Judging Criteria

Review general guidelines, format guidelines, eligibility, judging criteria.

Awards and Award Ceremony

Award winners will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony and Dinner hosted at the King’s College, University of Cambridge. The Dinner is free of charge for select award recipients.

Registration and Submission

Advisory Committee and Judging Panel

The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition is guided by an esteemed Advisory Committee comprising distinguished academics and experts from elite universities worldwide. These committee members, drawn from prestigious institutions, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT, bring diverse expertise in various disciplines.

They play a pivotal role in shaping the competition, contributing their insights to curate the themes and framework. Their collective knowledge and scholarly guidance ensure the competition’s relevance, academic rigour, and intellectual depth, setting the stage for aspiring minds to engage with thought-provoking topics and ideas.

We are honoured to invite the following distinguished professors to contribute to this year’s competition.

The judging panel of the competition comprises leading researchers and professors from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, engaging in a strictly double blind review process.

Keynote Speeches by 10 Nobel Laureates

We are beyond excited to announce that multiple Nobel laureates have confirmed to attend and speak at this year’s ceremony on 30th July, 2024 .

They will each be delivering a keynote speech to the attendees. Some of them distinguished speakers will speak virtually, while others will attend and present in person and attend the Reception at Cambridge.

The Official List of Re:Think 2024 Winners

Gold Recipients

Ishan Amirthalingam, Anglo Chinese School (Independent), Singapore, Singapore
Arnav Aphale, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Anchen Che, Shanghai Pinghe School, Shanghai China
Chloe Huang, Westminster School, London, United Kingdom
Rose Kim, MPW Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Jingyuan Li, St. Mark’s School, Southborough, United States
Michael Noh, Korea International School, Pangyo Campus, Seoul, Korea
Aarav Rastogi, Oberoi International School JVLR Campus, Mumbai, India
Yuseon Song, Hickory Christian Academy, Hickory, United States
Aiqi Yan, Basis International School Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China

Silver Recipients

John Liu, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, United States
Sophie Reason, The Cheltenham Ladies College, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Peida Han, Nanjing Foreign Language School, Nanjing, China
Thura Linn Htet, Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar School, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Steven Wang, Radley College, Headington, United Kingdom
Rainier Liu, Knox Grammar School, Sydney, Australia
Anupriya Nayak, Amity International School, Saket, New Delhi, India
Ming Min Yang, The Beacon School, New York City, United States
Anna Zhou, Shanghai YK Pao School, Shanghai, China
Yuyang Cui, The Williston Northampton School, Easthampton,United States

Bronze Recipients

Giulia Marinari, Churchdown School Academy, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Christina Wang, International School of Beijing, Beijing, China
Chuhao Guo, Shenzhen Middle School, Shenzhen, China
Isla Clayton, King’s College School Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom
Hanqiao Li, The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
He Hua Yip, Raffles Institution, Singapore, Singapore
Wang Chon Chan, Macau Puiching Middle School, Macau, Macau, China
Evan Hou, Rancho Cucamonga High School, Rancho Cucamonga, United States
Carson Park, Seoul International School, Seongnam-si, Korea
Sophie Eastham, King George V Sixth Form College, Liverpool, United Kingdom

The Logos Prize for Best Argument

Ellisha Yao, German Swiss International School Hong Kong, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, China

The Pathos Prize for Best Writing

Isabelle Cox-Garleanu, Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, Frontenac, United States

The Ethos Prize for Best Research

Garrick Tan, Harrow School, Harrow on the Hill, United Kingdom

Ccir Essay Competition Prompt Contributed By Dr Harald Wydra

Gene therapy is a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem. Is gene therapy better than traditional medicines? What are the pros and cons of using gene therapy as a medicine? Is gene therapy justifiable?

Especially after Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, gene therapy is getting more and more interesting approach to cure. That’s why that could be interesting to think about. I believe that students will enjoy and learn a lot while they are investigating this topic.

Ccir Essay Competition Prompt Contributed By Dr Mamiko Yajima

The Hall at King’s College, Cambridge

The Hall was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s and is considered one of the most magnificent halls of its era. The first High Table dinner in the Hall was held in February 1828, and ever since then, the splendid Hall has been where members of the college eat and where formal dinners have been held for centuries.

The Award Ceremony and Dinner will be held in the Hall in the evening of 30th July, 2024.

Stretching out down to the River Cam, the Back Lawn has one of the most iconic backdrop of King’s College Chapel.

The early evening reception will be hosted on the Back Lawn with the iconic Chapel in the background (weather permitting).

King’s College Chapel

With construction started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build, King’s College Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture.

Attendees are also granted complimentary access to the King’s College Chapel before and during the event.

Confirmed Nobel Laureates

Dr Thomas R. Cech

The nobel prize in chemistry 1989 , for the discovery of catalytic properties of rna.

Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. Cech discovered that RNA could itself cut strands of RNA, suggesting that life might have started as RNA. He found that RNA can not only transmit instructions, but also that it can speed up the necessary reactions.

He also studied telomeres, and his lab discovered an enzyme, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), which is part of the process of restoring telomeres after they are shortened during cell division.

As president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he promoted science education, and he teaches an undergraduate chemistry course at the University of Colorado

Sir Richard J. Roberts

The nobel prize in medicine 1993 .

F or the discovery of split genes

During 1969–1972, Sir Richard J. Roberts did postdoctoral research at Harvard University before moving to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he was hired by James Dewey Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and a fellow Nobel laureate. In this period he also visited the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the first time, working alongside Fred Sanger. In 1977, he published his discovery of RNA splicing. In 1992, he moved to New England Biolabs. The following year, he shared a Nobel Prize with his former colleague at Cold Spring Harbor Phillip Allen Sharp.

His discovery of the alternative splicing of genes, in particular, has had a profound impact on the study and applications of molecular biology. The realisation that individual genes could exist as separate, disconnected segments within longer strands of DNA first arose in his 1977 study of adenovirus, one of the viruses responsible for causing the common cold. Robert’s research in this field resulted in a fundamental shift in our understanding of genetics, and has led to the discovery of split genes in higher organisms, including human beings.

Dr Aaron Ciechanover

The nobel prize in chemistry 2004 .

F or the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation

Aaron Ciechanover is one of Israel’s first Nobel Laureates in science, earning his Nobel Prize in 2004 for his work in ubiquitination. He is honored for playing a central role in the history of Israel and in the history of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Dr Ciechanover is currently a Technion Distinguished Research Professor in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute at the Technion. He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Russian Academy of Sciences and is a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 2008, he was a visiting Distinguished Chair Professor at NCKU, Taiwan. As part of Shenzhen’s 13th Five-Year Plan funding research in emerging technologies and opening “Nobel laureate research labs”, in 2018 he opened the Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen campus.

Dr Robert Lefkowitz

The nobel prize in chemistry 2012 .

F or the discovery of G protein-coupled receptors

Robert Joseph Lefkowitz is an American physician (internist and cardiologist) and biochemist. He is best known for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family G protein-coupled receptors, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Brian Kobilka. He is currently an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as well as a James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Duke University.

Dr Lefkowitz made a remarkable contribution in the mid-1980s when he and his colleagues cloned the gene first for the β-adrenergic receptor, and then rapidly thereafter, for a total of 8 adrenergic receptors (receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline). This led to the seminal discovery that all GPCRs (which include the β-adrenergic receptor) have a very similar molecular structure. The structure is defined by an amino acid sequence which weaves its way back and forth across the plasma membrane seven times. Today we know that about 1,000 receptors in the human body belong to this same family. The importance of this is that all of these receptors use the same basic mechanisms so that pharmaceutical researchers now understand how to effectively target the largest receptor family in the human body. Today, as many as 30 to 50 percent of all prescription drugs are designed to “fit” like keys into the similarly structured locks of Dr Lefkowitz’ receptors—everything from anti-histamines to ulcer drugs to beta blockers that help relieve hypertension, angina and coronary disease.

Dr Lefkowitz is among the most highly cited researchers in the fields of biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical medicine according to Thomson-ISI.

Dr Joachim Frank

The nobel prize in chemistry 2017 .

F or developing cryo-electron microscopy

Joachim Frank is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson. He also made significant contributions to structure and function of the ribosome from bacteria and eukaryotes.

In 1975, Dr Frank was offered a position of senior research scientist in the Division of Laboratories and Research (now Wadsworth Center), New York State Department of Health,where he started working on single-particle approaches in electron microscopy. In 1985 he was appointed associate and then (1986) full professor at the newly formed Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University at Albany, State University of New York. In 1987 and 1994, he went on sabbaticals in Europe, one to work with Richard Henderson, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Medical Research Council in Cambridge and the other as a Humboldt Research Award winner with Kenneth C. Holmes, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. In 1998, Dr Frank was appointed investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Since 2003 he was also lecturer at Columbia University, and he joined Columbia University in 2008 as professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of biological sciences.

Dr Barry C. Barish

The nobel prize in physics 2017 .

For the decisive contributions to the detection of gravitational waves

Dr Barry Clark Barish is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves.

In 2017, Barish was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”. He said, “I didn’t know if I would succeed. I was afraid I would fail, but because I tried, I had a breakthrough.”

In 2018, he joined the faculty at University of California, Riverside, becoming the university’s second Nobel Prize winner on the faculty.

In the fall of 2023, he joined Stony Brook University as the inaugural President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics.

In 2023, Dr Barish was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Biden in a White House ceremony.

Dr Harvey J. Alter

The nobel prize in medicine 2020 .

For the discovery of Hepatitis C virus

Dr Harvey J. Alter is an American medical researcher, virologist, physician and Nobel Prize laureate, who is best known for his work that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Alter is the former chief of the infectious disease section and the associate director for research of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. In the mid-1970s, Alter and his research team demonstrated that most post-transfusion hepatitis cases were not due to hepatitis A or hepatitis B viruses. Working independently, Alter and Edward Tabor, a scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, proved through transmission studies in chimpanzees that a new form of hepatitis, initially called “non-A, non-B hepatitis” caused the infections, and that the causative agent was probably a virus. This work eventually led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus in 1988, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020 along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice.

Dr Alter has received recognition for the research leading to the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferred to civilians in United States government public health service, and the 2000 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research.

Dr Ardem Patapoutian

The nobel prize in medicine 2021 .

For discovering how pressure is translated into nerve impulses

Dr Ardem Patapoutian is an Lebanese-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate of Armenian descent. He is known for his work in characterising the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Dr Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with David Julius.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate in the Re:think essay competition?

The Re:think Essay competition is meant to serve as fertile ground for honing writing skills, fostering critical thinking, and refining communication abilities. Winning or participating in reputable contests can lead to recognition, awards, scholarships, or even publication opportunities, elevating your academic profile for college applications and future endeavours. Moreover, these competitions facilitate intellectual growth by encouraging exploration of diverse topics, while also providing networking opportunities and exposure to peers, educators, and professionals. Beyond accolades, they instil confidence, prepare for higher education demands, and often allow you to contribute meaningfully to societal conversations or causes, making an impact with your ideas.

Who is eligible to enter the Re:think essay competition?

As long as you’re currently attending high school, regardless of your location or background, you’re eligible to participate. We welcome students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition.

Is there any entry fee for the competition?

There is no entry fee for the competition. Waiving the entry fee for our essay competition demonstrates CCIR’s dedication to equity. CCIR believes everyone should have an equal chance to participate and showcase their talents, regardless of financial circumstances. Removing this barrier ensures a diverse pool of participants and emphasises merit and creativity over economic capacity, fostering a fair and inclusive environment for all contributors.

Subscribe for Competition Updates

If you are interested to receive latest information and updates of this year’s competition, please sign up here.

HIR Academic Writing Contest

The Harvard International Review is a quarterly magazine offering insight on international affairs from the perspectives of scholars, leaders, and policymakers. Since our founding in 1979, we've set out to bridge the worlds of academia and policy through outstanding writing and editorial selection.

The quality of our content is unparalleled. Each issue of the Harvard International Review includes exclusive interviews and editorials by leading international figures along with expert staff analysis of critical international issues. We have featured commentary by 43 Presidents and Prime Ministers, 4 Secretaries-General, 4 Nobel Economics Prize laureates, and 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The Contest

Inspired by our growing high school readership around the world, we have run the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest since 2020 to encourage and highlight outstanding high school writing on topics related to international affairs.

Contest Format

Participants in the contest submit a short-form article on a topic in international affairs. Each submission will be read and scored by the Harvard International Review .

A number of contestants will be selected as finalists, who are invited to participate in a virtual HIR Defense Day. At the Defense Day, students will have the opportunity to give a 15-minute presentation and oral defense to Harvard International Review judges.

Submission Guidelines

All submissions must adhere to the following requirements, as outlined in the Submission Guide below.

For the upcoming Spring 2024 contest, participants will have a choice of two different themes and must note which prompt they have chosen at the top of their submissions.

Theme A: Inequalities in a VUCA World

Theme B: Global Challenges and Collective Actions

Contestants may choose either topic above when writing the article.

Content: Articles should address a topic related to international affairs today. Potential categories include (but are not limited to): Agriculture, Business, Cybersecurity, Defense, Education, Employment & Immigration, Energy & Environment, Finance & Economy, Public Health, Science & Technology, Space, Trade, and Transportation. Articles should examine the theme from a global perspective rather than focusing on the United States.

Length: Articles should be at least 800 words but not exceed 1,200 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, or authorship declaration).

Writing Style: Submissions should present an analytically backed perspective on an under-appreciated global topic.

AI Policy : The usage of ChatGPT is prohibited. Judges will be running all articles through multiple AI checkers, and articles that receive high AI generation scores across multiple checkers will be disqualified.

Excellent contest submissions will aim to present a topic holistically from a balanced perspective. Evidence and nuance are critical. Submissions should be well-researched, well-informed, and formal in style and prose.

The HIR does not accept op-eds , otherwise known as editorials or opinion pieces for its competition. Articles are expected to have a thesis but should not have an agenda. Submissions should also not be merely a collection of facts.

As a journalist organization, we ask that submissions follow AP Style's newest edition . We also ask that submissions are culturally sensitive, fact-checked, and respectful.

Examples of pieces that would be considered excellent submissions are below.

Citation and Sources : All factual claims must be backed by a citation from a reliable source. All ideas that are not your own must be properly attributed. Citations should be made via hyperlinks. Non-digital sources are welcome but must be cited properly as per AP Style . See the examples above for examples of using hyperlinks for citations.

Click Here: Submission Guide

Contest dates.

There are three distinct submission cycles for the 2024 Contest.

Please note that contestants are requested to register and pay before becoming eligible to submit their articles prior to the submission deadline.

Admissions are done on a rolling basis! Capacity is limited.

Spring 2024

Article Submission Deadline: May 31, 2024

HIR Defense Day: June 29, 2024

Summer 2024

Article Submission Deadline: August 31, 2024

HIR Defense Day: October 5, 2024

Fall 2024 / Winter 2024

Article Submission Deadline: January 2, 2025

HIR Defense Day: February 5, 2025

Contest Prizes

All submissions will receive a score from the Harvard International Review based on the Evaluation Rubric described in the Submission Guide. Contestants that receive a passing score without qualifying for a HIR Defense Day will receive individual prizes. Finalists will be eligible for the following Gold/Silver/Bronze medals based on their scores and performance in the HIR Defense Day.

Commendation Prize: HIR Certificate

Outstanding Writing Content / Style Prize : HIR Certificate

High Commendation Prize : HIR Certificate

Bronze Medal : HIR Certificate and name listed on website (global top 20 percent)

Silver Medal: HIR Certificate and name listed on website (global top 10 percent)

Gold Medal: HIR Certificate and name listed on website (global top three percent)

All scoring and prize decisions are final. The contest will not be able to provide additional detail beyond the scores provided by HIR graders. All contestants who manage to submit their articles will receive a certificate of completion.

Contest Eligibility:

United States

Students are eligible if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

International

Students in countries outside of the United States (grades 9-12) are also welcome to submit. Submissions are expected to be written in English and with traditional American spelling. For more information on submissions in your country, please contact [email protected]

Register Here

Writing Competition

The Harvard Law Review is composed of second- and third-year law students who are selected via a six-day writing competition at the end of each academic year. The Review strongly encourages all students to participate in the writing competition, which consists of two parts:

Subcite: this portion, worth 50% of the competition score, requires students to perform a technical and substantive edit of an excerpt from an unpublished article
Case Comment : this portion, also worth 50%, requires students to describe and analyze a recent case

The competition uses a closed universe of materials provided to all competition-takers; no additional outside research of any kind is allowed or required. The use of any form of Artificial Intelligence during the competition is also strictly prohibited.

Based on the competition, fifty-four second-year students are invited to join the Review each year, including:

Twenty selected based solely on competition scores
Seven (one from each 1L section) selected based on an equally weighted combination of competition scores and first-year grades
Three (from any section) selected based on an equally weighted combination of competition scores and first-year grades
Twenty-four selected through an anonymous holistic review (see below for details)

The Review is committed to a diverse and inclusive membership and encourages all students to participate in the writing competition. Harvard Law School students who are interested in joining the Review must write the competition at the end of their first year, even if they plan to take time off during law school or are pursuing a joint degree and plan to spend time at another graduate school.

Timeline & Resources

The 2024 Competition will take place from Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18 . Writing competition tips and Q&A sessions will be held in early and mid-April.

Registration will open in April 2024. We expect to invite editors to join Volume 139 over the course of several days in late July. Orientation for new editors is scheduled for the week of July 22nd and will take place remotely. Volume 139 will resume a past practice of an in-person Orientation for half a day near the start of the Fall 2024 Semester. Editors are expected to be fully available during this time. In August, editors will have Law Review assignments, but these assignments can be completed simultaneously with other commitments (internships, events, travel, etc.).

For more information about the competition, the following resources are available:

The 2024 Application and Information Packet . The application information packet is designed to provide some specific guidance about approaching the case comment and subcite portions of the competition. Please note that the sample competition submissions included in the packet are merely representative and are by no means definitive examples.
Tips Session and Q&A. Video of our April 1, 2024 writing competition tips session and our April 11, 2024 subcite Q & A session is available on our YouTube channel. The. This questions and answers document summarizes the Q&A portion of the April 13, 2023 session.
Factsheet: This document responds to common questions and concerns we have heard.
Sample Schedules: This includes a variety of writing competition schedules used by current editors.
FAQ on Accommodations . See below for more information on disabilities and accommodations.

Competition & Membership Policies

Holistic consideration.

Applicants will have the opportunity to convey aspects of their identity which have led to the development of character qualities or unique abilities that can contribute to the Law Review , including but not limited to their racial or ethnic identity, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Applicants can do so by submitting an additional expository statement. Statements will be considered by the Selection Committee only after grading of the competition has been completed. Statements will remain anonymous and will not be evaluated for quality of writing or editing, nor will they be assigned a numerical score.

Applicants are welcome to draft their expository statements before the competition week begins, and the prompt for the 200-word statement is as follows:

“You are strongly encouraged to use the space below to submit a typed expository statement of no more than 200 words. This statement may identify and describe aspects of your identity which have impacted your development of certain character qualities or unique abilities that can serve as an asset to the Law Review and are not fully captured by the categories on the previous page, including, but not limited to, racial or ethnic identity, socioeconomic background, disability (physical, intellectual, cognitive/ neurological, psychiatric, sensory, developmental, or other), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, country of origin or international status, religious identity or expression, undergraduate institution(s), age, academic or career trajectory prior to law school, military status, cultural background, or parental/caretaker status. Additionally or alternatively, you may use this statement to identify and describe areas of academic or scholarly interest, career goals, or any other element of your identity that you would bring to your work on the Law Review .

Statements will be considered only after grading of the subcite and case comment sections of the competition has been completed. Statements will not be evaluated for quality of writing or editing, nor will they be assigned a numerical score. No applicant will be penalized in any way for not submitting an optional statement, and all optional statements are completely confidential.”

Deferral & Leave

Harvard Law Review will invite students to join Vol. 139 in mid-July. Students invited to join Vol. 138 who are taking a full-year leave of absence from HLS will be allowed to defer their membership in Law Review for the year. They may then join the Law Review as members of Vol. 140 in fall 2025 and serve as editors for two years. Editors typically serve for two full academic years to ensure ample time for training, acclimation to their roles on the Review , and opportunities to make collective decisions about our work.

Students invited to join Vol. 139 who are taking a fall-semester leave of absence from HLS are encouraged to still join as editors with Vol. 139. If joining with Vol. 139, editors will be expected to complete Law Review work during the fall, even though they are on leave from HLS. They will then serve as editors for two years. Alternatively, students taking a one-semester leave may wait to join until fall of the following year (fall 2025); in that case, they will have no Law Review obligations during the 2024-2025 academic year and will participate as Law Review editors for a single year.

Transfer Students

Prospective transfer students may take the competition at the same time as Harvard Law School 1Ls. Prospective transfer students are selected on the same anonymous grading basis as Harvard 1Ls and are eligible for 44 of the spots on the Review (in other words, all spots besides the 10 allotted to Harvard 1Ls for whom first-year grades play a role). Prospective transfer students may submit an anonymized, unofficial transcript when their 1L grades are released if they would like their grades to be considered in the Law Review ’s holistic review process. The Review ’s membership decisions do not affect the admissions decisions of Harvard Law School.

Recognizing that the competition schedule poses unique challenges to prospective transfer applicants, the Review also allows transfer students to take the competition at the end of their 2L year. Up to four spots are available for such students. However, no student may attempt the competition more than once, and this option is only available to transfer students who did not previously take the competition. Like prospective transfer students, rising third-year students may submit their grades, but they will not be eligible for the 10 slots that incorporate first-year grades.

Prospective 1L transfer students should email [email protected] for information about registering.

SJD Students

SJD students at Harvard Law School may serve as editors of the Law Review . To join, SJDs take the same writing competition as JD students and are eligible for 44 of the editorial positions (all spots besides those allotted to JD 1Ls for whom first-year grades play a role). SJDs should take the competition only if they are certain they have at least two years remaining in their program of study. Additionally, as with all candidates, SJDs are permitted to participate in the writing competition only once.

Disabilities & Accommodations

The Harvard Law Review is firmly committed to providing accommodations for students with disabilities and handles requests on a case-by-case basis. The Law Review is an independent entity and thus has its own accommodations system separate from Harvard Law School’s Dean of Students Office.

Accommodations requests can be submitted between Monday, March 11th and Friday, April 12th and will be processed on a rolling basis. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their accommodation requests as soon as possible even if they are not yet certain they will take the competition. Please see our answers to FAQ on accommodations to learn more about what documentation is needed.

The Law Review strives to keep information regarding disabilities and accommodations as confidential as possible. Nothing about your accommodations application or your receipt of accommodations will be part of the Competition entry that is considered in the selection process. All Competition grading is doubly anonymized. Jennifer Heath, a non-student HLR staff member manages the logistics related to our accommodations process, and accommodations recommendations to the Law Review are made by our testing consultant, Dr. Loring Brinckerhoff.

AccessLex Law School Writing Competitions Databank

AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank – Writing Competitions

A scholarship can make all the difference..

Search over 800 carefully curated and vetted scholarship opportunities and writing competitions — totaling more than $3 million in aid.

Writing Competitions

Award amount.

Up to $5,000 (79)
$5,001 to $10,000 (3)
$10,001 to $15,000 (1)
$15,001 + (0)

Application Deadline Month

January (6)
February (15)
September (6)
October (2)
November (3)
December (4)
No Location Required (72)
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Mental Disability (0)
Physical Disability (hearing, vision, mobility) (0)
Racial/Ethnic Minority Group (0)
Religious Affiliation (0)
Underrepresented (0)
Veteran (0)

Interest Area

Business Law (8)
Labor & Employment Law (6)
Diversity & Inclusion (4)
Civil Rights & Social Justice (3)
Criminal Law (3)
Entertainment & Sports Industries (3)
Environment, Energy & Resources (3)
Health Law (3)
Intellectual Property (3)
Professional Responsibility (3)
Antitrust Law (2)
Dispute Resolution (2)
Government & Political Law (2)
International Law (2)
Rule of Law (2)
Taxation (2)
Affordable Housing & Community Development Law (1)
Alcohol Law (1)
Artificial Intelligence (1)
California Legal History (1)
Constitutional Law (1)
Disability Rights (1)
Family Law (1)
Federalism (1)
Food and Drug Law (1)
Judicial Division (1)
Law Library (1)
Law Practice (1)
Liability and COVID-19 (1)
Litigation (1)
Public Contract Law (1)
Public Law (1)
Reproductive Rights (1)
Science & Technology Law (1)
Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice (0)
Air & Space Law (0)
Children & the Law (0)
Communications Law (0)
Community Service (0)
Construction Law (0)
Domestic & Sexual Violence (0)
Education Law (0)
Foreign Policy (0)
Immigration (0)
Infrastructure and Regulated Industries (0)
Juvenile Justice & Advocacy (0)
Land Use (0)
Law & Aging (0)
Leadership (0)
Native American Law & Tribal Governance (0)
Personal Injury (0)
Practice Management (0)
Pro Bono Work (0)
Public Interest Law (0)
Real Estate Law (0)
Real Property, Trust & Estate Law (0)
Social Justice (0)
Tort Trial & Insurance Practice (0)
Transportation (0)
Victim Advocacy (0)

Essay Requirements

Not Required (0)
Yes (length not specified) (3)
Yes - Less than 500 words (up to 1 page) (4)
Yes - 501-1000 words (1-2 pages) (1)
Yes - 1001-1500 words (2-3 pages) (1)
Yes - 1501-2000 words (3-4 pages) (0)
Yes - 2001 - 2500 words (4-5 pages) (2)
Yes - More than 2500 words (5+ pages) (72)

Merit Based

Transcript required, zimmerman law firm scholarship for law students.

Reflect on your "why". For this scholarship, you will reflect on why you committed to law school and what you plan on doing with your Juris Doctorate once you graduate.

Zimmerman Law Firm

Enrolled or accepted into an ABA-accredited law school in the United States.

May not be offered this year - verify status with the scholarship provider

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "Pursuit of Justice" Legal Writing Competition

The Bar Association recognizes the importance of excellence in legal writing and seeks to award a student enrolled in an ABA-approved Philadelphia-area law school for authoring a top-quality competition submission.

Philadelphia Bar Association

Current 2nd or 3rd year law student

Full-time and part-time

In good standing

Attend one of the following six institutions: Drexel University Thomas R. Kiline School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Rutgers Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and Widener University Delaware Law School

NYSBA Business Law Section Student Writing Competition - Fall Issue

The Business Law Section sponsors an annual Student Writing Competition, open to all students who are candidates for the JD or LLM degree at an accredited law school during the year in which the article is submitted.

New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Business Law Section

Current J.D. or LL.M. candidate

Attend accredited law school

Corporate Governance Writing Competition

Established by the Ohio State Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section to explore relevant and innovative scholarly work from Ohio’s law students in one specific area of corporate governance challenges.

Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) Corporate Counsel Section

All students at ABA-accredited law schools in Ohio

2024 Beckley Student Writing Competition

The purposes of the competition are to promote greater interest in and understanding of the fields of securities arbitration and securities law and to encourage excellent legal writing skills in law students.

Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA)

Current law student

Attend law school in U.S.

Full-time non-law students who write law-related papers as part of a course at an American law school

Law Student Writing Challenge

Students are asked to write a paper analyzing the tax-related issues in connection with a pre-selected question. The Taxation Section selects a questions in personal income taxation or ethical areas.

State Bar of Michigan (SBM) Taxation Section

Current law students

Full-time or part-time

Attend ABA-accredited law school that is located in the State of Michigan

2024 International Tax Student Writing Competition

The organization is sponsoring a writing competition on any topic relating to US taxation of income from international activities, including taxation under US tax treaties.

International Fiscal Association (USA Branch)

Graduate level student (J.D., LL.M., SJ.D., MST, MTA, MT or similar)

BPLA Writing Competition

Law school students are encouraged to submit papers relating to intellectual property law.

Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA)

Attend a law school (day or evening) within the jurisdiction of the First Federal Judiciary Circuit (Maine, Massachusetts, NH, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island) or prepared in connection with a course at a law school in the First Circuit

Public Contract Law Journal Writing Competition

Through our writing competition, the PCL Section introduces itself to the next generation of public contract lawyers.

American Bar Association (ABA) Public Contract Law (PCL) Section

Current J.D. students, who is 21 years old or over

Attend ABA-approved law school within the U.S. and its possessions

Current members in good standing of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Section of Public Contract Law

U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident

Judicature Writing Competition for Emerging Scholars—Judges, Judicial Administration, and Rule of Law Topics (Duke Law)

Judicature, the only scholarly publication focused on the judiciary, offers an annual award and publication opportunity for an outstanding article on judges, judging, judicial administration, or the rule of law. Judicature is published by Duke Law and goes out to all federal judges, all state high court judges, numerous state appellate and specialty courts, academics, and practitioners.

Please submit an article of no more than 6,000 words on the topic of judges, judging, judicial administration, or the rule of law. Email submissions to [email protected] with the subject line “Writing Contest Submission.” The essay with identifying information should include full name, phone number, email address, mailing address, law school, and graduation year.

Duke Law--Bolch Judicial Institute--Judicature

3Ls and recent graduates.

U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Only single-author works will be accepted, and only one entry will be accepted per person.

Sarah Weddington Writing Prize

The Sarah Weddington Writing Prize seeks student scholarship exploring reproductive rights and justice issues in the U.S.

If/When/How, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice

Current J.D. or LL.M. law students

Recent graduates

American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers (ACCFSL) Writing Competition

The competition seeks to recognize written contributions to the field of U.S. consumer financial services law.

American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers

Albert S. Pergam International Law Writing Competition

The competition is intended to encourage students of law to write on areas of public or private international law.

New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) International Law Section

J.D., LL.M., Ph.D. and SJ.D.

Dr. Emanuel Stein and Kenneth Stein Memorial Law Student Writing Competition

To recognize excellence among law school students writing in the area of labor and employment law; and to cultivate the relationship between the Section and future labor and employment practitioners.

New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Labor and Employment Law Section

American Journal of Mediation National Dispute Resolution Writing Competition

The purpose of this competition is to heighten interest in, and competence related to, student writing on the subject of Alternate Dispute Resolution.

American Academy of Civil Trial Mediators (ACCTM)

Current North American J.D. and LL.M. candidates

The Dukemineier Awards Student Writing Competition

The Dukeminier Awards Student Writing Competition annually recognizes the best law review note written by a student in the field of sexual orientation and gender identity law.

Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law

Enrolled in a law school within the U.S. or its territories

Insurance Law Section State Bar of Texas Law Student Writing Competition

This competition is designed to encourage law students at eligible Texas schools to write scholarly papers on topics of interest relevant to insurance law.

State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Section

Attending specific Texas law schools

Armstrong Lee & Baker Law School Contest

This scholarship requires that you reflect on your purpose for entering the field of law.

Armstrong Lee & Baker

Enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school.

If you have applied to a law school and have not been accepted yet, you may apply for the scholarship, however, the scholarship will be awarded to a student who has successfully enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school .

Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition

The Entertainment Law Initiative fosters future careers in entertainment law by seeking out the nation’s top law students and giving them invaluable networking and educational opportunities. The program includes a national legal writing competition.

The Recording Academy and Entertainment Law Initiative

Current J.D. and LL.M. candidates

U.S. law school

Phil Cowan - Judith Bresler Memorial Scholarship

The Phil Cowan - Judith Bresler Memorial Scholarship is named after two esteemed former EASL Chairs to recognize student who are committed to a practice concentrating in one or more areas of entertainment, art or sports law.

New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section

Attend accredited law school within New York State, Rutgers University Law School and Seton Hall Law School in New Jersey, and up to ten other accredited law schools throughout the country to be selected, at the committee's discretion, on a rotating basis.

Law Student Writing Competition

The scope of permissible topics include any aspect of workers' compensation law.

The College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers

Current student

Enrolled in accredited law school in U.S.

2023 graduates

Louis Jackson Memorial National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law

Judges will consider papers on any topic relating to the law governing the workplace, such as employment law, labor law, employee benefits, or employment discrimination.

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's Institute for Law and the Workplace (ILW) and Jackson Lewis LLP

Enrolled in an accredited law school

Must have completed or be currently taking course work in employment or labor law

Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition

Through this Writing Competition, AEF seeks to encourage legal scholarship on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American community.

Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (AEF)

Law school graduates within the last five years (i.e., 2019 or later)

In the U.S.

Litigation Section Writing Award

This annual law student scholarship program focuses on recognizing outstanding writing on a litigation-related topic. The program is intended to encourage students to pursue a career in litigation and to become active in the Ohio Bar.

Enrolled in an Ohio accredited law school.

A student member of the Ohio State Bar Association (membership is free).

Donald C. Alexander Tax Law Writing Competition

The Federal Bar Association Section on Taxation sponsors an annual writing competition and invites law students to participate.

Federal Bar Association (FBA) Taxation Section

Current J.D. or LL.M. students

Accredited law school

Full-time and Part-time

Rule Of Law Competition

The Beverly Hills Bar Association and Bar Foundation and have been closely tied to Rule of Law issues. This competition encourages law students to integrate Rule of Law concepts into their writings.

The Beverly Hills Bar Association and Bar Foundation

Current J.D. and LL.M. students

Enrolled at ABA or California state accredited law school

Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest

This essay contest is to encourage scholarship and innovative research and writing in the area of legal malpractice law, professional liability insurance, and loss prevention.

American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability and Long & Levit LLP

ABA Law Student Division member in good standing

ABA Young Lawyers Division member in good standing

National Essay Contest

This national academic event is intended to foster debate, analysis, and examination of state alcohol regulation in the 21st Century.

Center for Alcohol Policy

All persons over the age of 18 as of December 2023

Students, academics, practicing attorneys, policymakers, regulators, public health representatives, and any person with an interest in alcohol law and policy are encouraged to submit essays.

Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition

The American Constitution Society welcomes all papers furthering and promoting a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy. Entrants are encouraged to view this topic broadly, and we welcome submissions on a variety of substantive areas.

American Constitution Society (ACS) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School ACS Chapter

Dues paying member of ACS

Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law

This writing competition seeks to encourage and reward the qualities demonstrated by Judge Richard D. Cudahy in the fields of regulatory and administrative law, and an appreciation of the public impact of doctrinal and institutional choices, including the consequences for fundamental values such as fairness, participation, and transparency in the scholarship of others.

American Constitution Society (ACS)

Current Law Students

Enrolled in a J.D. or LL.M. program at a U.S. law school

Baxter Family Competition on Federalism

The overarching goal of this prestigious bi-annual competition, which is run by the Peter MacKell Chair in Federalism, is to advance research and foster informed debate on federalism.

McGill University Faculty of Law

Current undergraduate or graduate

Enrolled in program in law or political science

Graduates from these programs after 2/6/2023

Anywhere in the world

Mendes Hershman Writing Contest

The Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest is a highly regarded legal writing competition that encourages and rewards law students for their outstanding writing on business law topics.

American Bar Association (ABA) Business Law Section

Current J.D. student

Enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school

21 years old

Legal resident of U.S.

Consumer Protection Committee Law Student Essay Contest

This project provides an opportunity to expand the role of the ABA in the area of Consumer Protection among law students, professors and practitioners by inviting students to participate in a discussion on hot topics in consumer protection.

American Bar Association (ABA) Antitrust Section Consumer Protection Committee

2nd and 3rd year law students

At least 21 years of age

Legal resident of the U.S.

Harvard Law School Trans Rights Writing Competition

HLS Lambda, Harvard Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review, and the Harvard Journal of Law & Gender are seeking submissions that broadly address trans rights issues.

Harvard Law School Lambda, Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, and the Harvard Jounral of Law and Gender

Currently matriculated law students from any law school.

NYSBA Business Law Section Student Writing Competition - Spring Issue

Robert pitofsky law student writing competition.

The goal of the Competition is to encourage and reward law student writings on antitrust law and competition law subjects of general and current interest.

American Bar Association (ABA) Antitrust Section

Current law school student in good standing

Over the age of 21

Attending an ABA accredited law school within the United States and its possessions

Honorable William C. Conner Writing Competition

The Honorable William Conner Writing Competition was established to recognize exceptionally written papers that are submitted by law students.

New York Intellectual Property Law Association

Current J.D. or LL.M. student

Day or evening

Accredited law school in the U.S.

David S. Rosenbaum Writing Competition

A scholarship to encourage and reward students interested in the field of interactive entertainment law.

Video Game Bar Association (VGBA)

None currently listed at time of publication. Visit provider's website for possible updates.

American Indian Law Review Writing Competition

Papers will be accepted on any legal issue specifically concerning American Indians or other indigenous peoples.

American Indian Law Review (AILR)

Current J.D. or graduate law students

Accredited law schools in the U.S. and Canada

NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Law Student Research and Writing Competition

Research and write a scholarly article suitable for publication on one of two cutting edge Second Amendment issues - or you can write separately on both questions for two chances to win.

NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund

Currently enrolled in an ABA accredited law school.

Artificial Intelligence Writing Competition

The Center for Legal and Court Technology (CLCT) is pleased to announce its fourth annual writing competition dedicated to innovative legal issues likely to arise from Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and/or related technologies.

Center for Legal & Court Technology (CLCT)

Current J.D., LL.B., LL.M., S.J.D., J.S.D., Ph.D. student - full-time or part-time

Attend ABA-accredited law school within the U.S.

Foreign law school with equivalent accreditation

The Blanch Law Firm Scholarship Award

We are looking for an excellent writer to contribute an outstanding article to our online publication.

The Blanch Law Firm

Open to all students

Rolling deadline. Submissions due within 14 days of receipt of assignment.

Affordable Housing & Community Development Law Student Legal Writing Competition

The goal of the competition is to encourage law students to become involved in the Forum. It is also intended to attract students to the affordable housing, community development or pro bono practice fields, and to encourage scholarship in these fields.

American Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law

Attend ABA-accredited school

Member of the ABA and the Forum

At least 21 years old

The Roy Snell Health Care Regulatory & Compliance Writing Competition

The Roy Snell Health Care Regulatory & Compliance Writing Competition recognizes law students for innovative, strategic, and sound approaches to tackling complex contemporary health care regulatory and compliance issues.

Health Law Institute at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and the Health Care Compliance Association

Current J.D. Students who have completed 1L year

Full or part-time

Registration will occur approximately a month and a half prior to the deadline; review details on provider's website carefully.

Trandafir Writing Competition

Each year, Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, in conjunction with the University of Iowa College of Law International and Comparative Law Program, conducts an annual world affairs student writing competition.

Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems and the University of Iowa College of Law

Currently enrolled in law or graduate degree programs.

White River Environmental Law Writing Competition

The White River flows through the village of South Royalton and borders the campus of Vermont Law School. The idyllic waterway embodies the Journal’s view of the field of environmental law.

Vermont Journal of Environmental Law and Vermont Law School

Attend accredited law school in the U.S.

Prize in International Insolvency Studies

The III Prize is awarded for original legal research, commentary or analysis on topics of international insolvency and restructuring significance and on comparative international analysis of domestic insolvency and restructuring issues and developments.

International Insolvency Institute (III)

Undergraduate or Graduate students

Researchers or practitioners in practice for less than five years

Berkeley Technology Law Journal Writing Competition

We will accept submissions from graduate-level law students on a wide variety of topics at the intersection of law and technology, including but not limited to: technology and the public interest, privacy, internet law, intellectual property, antitrust, First Amendment issues, entertainment and news media, telecommunications, biotechnology, and cybercrime.

Berkeley Technology Law Journal University of California, Berkeley School of Law

Current J.D., LL.M. and J.S.D. students

Law students outside the U.S.

Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest

The purpose of the contest is to create greater interest in the field of family law among all law students, and particularly the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association.

American Bar Association (ABA) Family Law Section

J.D. students

ABA-approved law school

Second or third year full-time students or second through fourth-year part-time students

First-year students enrolled in schools where family law is part of the first-year curriculum

The Program on Church, State & Society Writing Competition

The purpose of this writing competition is to encourage scholarship related to the intersection of church, state & society, and in particular how the law structures and governs that intersection.

The Program on Church, State & Society at Notre Dame Law School

J.D., LL.B., LL.M., SJ.D., J.S.D., Ph.D.

Attend an ABA-accredited law school within the U.S.

The Annual International Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence 2022

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.

Additional Help and Information

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The CFGL International Research Competition 2022

CDFGL International Research Competition

About the Contest

The CFGL International Research Competition is an research essay competition in which students outside the USA receive the opportunity to showcase their analytical, research, and writing skills in the form of a multi-page, persuasive research paper.

Write a persuasive research paper falling within the categories of:

Social Psychology

Abnormal Behavior

Cognitive Science

Developmental Psychology

Pharmacology

Bioengineering

Chemical Engineering

Economics & Finance

Financial Market

Economic Policy

Economic Politics

Entrepreneurship

Other Subjects

Environmental Science

Computer Science

The essay will be judged based on:

The strength and clarity of the thesis statement;

The use of relevant examples and informations to support the paper’s claims;

The level of critical thinking and analysis regarding the supporting evidence;

Fluency and organization; and

The paper’s overall effectiveness

Rules & Guidelines

Length Essay submissions should be 2,000 to 3,000 words.

Citations Students should use in-text citations following MLA format, and an annotated bibliography should be submitted as the last page of the document. 3 sources minimum, Wikipedia is not allowed.

Format All pages are to be double-spaced, and the text should be in 12-point Times New Roman font. Margins should be 1-inch left, right, top, and bottom. Submissions may be submitted as either a .pdf or .doc file.

Submission Students must submit their entries via the online submission form .

Winners In each category (Humanities, STEM, Economics & Finance), submissions will be selected for recognition by region. In addition to the regional award recipients, three overall winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for the entirety of the competition.

Winners will be announced by September 30, 2022. Individual winners will be notified via email. Winning submissions may be published on cfgltoday.org and on our partner organizations' websites (e.g. eliteprep.com ).

The competition opens on June 7, 2022. Final submissions are due no later than August 31, 2022.

Who Is Eligible

Students from the following region in grades 9-12 as of the 2021-22 academic year.

Asia Pacific

North America excluding USA (Canada, Mexico)

CFGL Spirit of Service Contest

CFGL Young Leaders Essay Contest

CFGL Young Artists Contest

The Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History : Apply now and join us for Fall 2024 courses

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Student opportunities, david mccullough essay prizes.

David McCullough in front of a student-painted American flag at Trinity School..

David McCullough at Trinity School in Manhattan, October 15, 2019

The 2024 David McCullough Essay Prize Contest is now closed for submissions.

This contest is named in memory of David McCullough (1933–2022)—a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and Gilder Lehrman Life Trustee—and honors his career telling America’s stories and examining its histories. Learn more about his life and legacy here .

High school students attending schools in our Affiliate School Program are eligible and encouraged to participate. They are invited to submit an original essay, written independently or for a 2023–2024 class, that has been revised, expanded, and adapted to conform with the new McCullough Prize specifications. The two essay categories are as follows:

Research Essay: Students are invited to submit a research essay incorporating primary and secondary sources on a topic in American history from 1491 to 2001.

Interpretive Essay: Students are invited to submit an interpretive essay focusing on close reading and analysis of one primary source from American history, 1491 to 2001, in the Gilder Lehrman Collection of more than 86,000 historical documents.

More requirements for both essay categories can be found in these updated 2024 rubrics .

All participants will receive a certificate of participation suitable for framing. Prize winners in each of our two categories—research essays and a new interpretive essay category—will receive cash awards as follows:

1st Prize: $5,000 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
2nd Prize: $1,500 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
Five 3rd Prizes: $500 each

A panel of Gilder Lehrman master teachers will choose the pool of finalists, from which a jury of eminent historians will choose the winners. Essays will be evaluated for their historical rigor, the clarity and correctness of their style, their use of evidence, and their qualities of empathy and imagination.

Winners will be notified and announced no later than Friday, September 13, 2024.

General Requirements

Font and Page Style: Papers should be submitted in 12-point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides. Essays should be free of teacher commentary or other notes.

Organization: Top essays have an introduction, body, and conclusion and a clearly stated, well-developed thesis statement with supportive historical evidence.

Essay Topics: Essays can be on any topic related to American history from 1491 to 2001. Essays in the interpretative category must feature a primary source (letter, broadside, art, political cartoon, speech, etc.) from the Gilder Lehrman Collection .

Stay up to date, and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter.

Learn how the Institute impacts history education through our work guiding teachers, energizing students, and supporting research.

Essay Papers Writing Online

Engaging in competitive essay writing – how to excel in essay writing competitions.

Essay writing competitions can be a great opportunity to showcase your writing skills and win accolades for your creativity and thoughtfulness. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, competition can be fierce, so it’s vital to have a winning strategy in place.

In this article, we will discuss top tips and strategies that can help you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of winning essay writing competitions.

From identifying the right competition to crafting a compelling thesis statement and polishing your final draft, there are several key steps you can take to improve your chances of emerging victorious. Let’s dive into these tips and strategies to help you succeed in essay writing competitions!

Prepare Your Essay

1. Understand the topic: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you completely understand the topic. Research and gather relevant information to build a strong foundation for your argument.

2. Develop a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly convey the main point of your essay. It will serve as the guiding principle for the rest of your writing.

3. Create an outline: Organize your thoughts and arguments by creating an outline. This will help you structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner.

4. Write a compelling introduction: Start your essay with a compelling introduction that captures the reader’s attention and clearly presents your thesis statement.

5. Support your arguments with evidence: Back up your arguments with reliable evidence, examples, and research. This will strengthen your essay and make your points more convincing.

6. Craft a strong conclusion: End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis statement. Leave a lasting impression on the reader.

7. Edit and revise: Once you have completed your essay, take the time to edit and revise it. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, ensure your arguments flow smoothly, and make any necessary revisions to improve clarity and coherence.

Research Your Topic

One of the most important steps in preparing for an essay writing competition is to thoroughly research your topic. Ensure that you understand the key concepts, arguments, and perspectives related to the subject matter. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites to gather information and support your arguments.

Tip 1:	Utilize library resources to access scholarly articles and books that delve into your topic.
Tip 2:	Take notes and organize your research findings to structure your essay effectively.
Tip 3:	Consider different perspectives and sources to develop a well-rounded argument.

Understand the Competition Guidelines

One essential aspect of winning essay writing competitions is understanding the competition guidelines. Before you start writing your essay, carefully read and follow the rules and requirements provided by the competition organizers. Pay attention to the word count, topic restrictions, formatting guidelines, submission deadlines, and any other specific instructions.

By familiarizing yourself with the competition guidelines, you can ensure that your essay meets all the necessary criteria for consideration. Failure to adhere to the rules could result in disqualification, so it is crucial to read and understand the guidelines thoroughly before you begin your writing process.

Develop Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills is essential if you want to succeed in essay writing competitions. Here are some tips to help you develop your writing skills:

Read extensively: Reading a variety of books, articles, and essays can help you improve your writing style and vocabulary.
Practice writing regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to write and experiment with different writing techniques.
Seek feedback: Ask teachers, peers, or writing professionals to provide feedback on your writing. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement.
Study grammar and punctuation: Understanding the rules of grammar and punctuation is crucial for producing high-quality writing. Take the time to study these rules and apply them to your writing.
Learn from successful writers: Study the works of successful writers and analyze their writing techniques. Try to incorporate some of these techniques into your own writing.

Practice Regularly

One of the key ways to improve your essay writing skills and increase your chances of winning competitions is to practice regularly. Writing is a skill that improves with practice, so make time each day to write essays, articles, or even short stories. Set aside dedicated time to work on your writing, and challenge yourself to explore different topics and styles.

By practicing regularly, you’ll not only improve your writing technique but also build confidence in your abilities. This confidence will show in your competition entries and set you apart from other participants. Remember, practice makes perfect, so the more you write, the better you’ll become.

Seek Feedback and Editing

Getting feedback on your essay is crucial to improving it and making it stand out in competitions. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, peers, or writing tutors to review your work and provide constructive criticism.

Consider joining a writing group or workshop where you can share your essay and receive feedback from other writers. This can help you identify weak points in your argument or areas where you can improve your writing style.

After receiving feedback, be open to making edits and revisions. Polish your essay by fixing grammar and punctuation errors, tightening up your arguments, and ensuring your ideas flow logically and cohesively.

Remember, the more eyes you have on your essay, the better it will become. Don’t hesitate to seek feedback and editing to make your essay the best it can be.

Hook Your Readers

One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is grabbing the reader’s attention right from the start. Your introduction should be compelling and draw the reader in, making them want to continue reading. Here are some effective ways to hook your readers:

Start with a powerful quote: Using a thought-provoking quote at the beginning can set the tone for your essay and intrigue your readers.
Pose a question: Asking a question can engage your readers and make them curious to find out the answer, encouraging them to keep reading.
Provide a shocking statistic: Sharing a surprising statistic can capture your readers’ interest and make them want to learn more about the topic.
Share a personal anecdote: Connecting with your readers on a personal level by sharing a relevant anecdote can make your essay more relatable and engaging.
Use descriptive imagery: Painting a vivid picture with descriptive language can transport your readers into the world you’re describing, making them more invested in your essay.

By hooking your readers from the beginning, you set the stage for a captivating essay that will leave a lasting impression on the judges of the competition.

State Your Thesis Clearly

One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is to state your thesis clearly in the introductory paragraph. Your thesis is the main argument or point you will be making in your essay, and it serves as the foundation for your entire piece. Make sure your thesis is specific, debatable, and concise. Avoid vague statements and ensure that your thesis directly addresses the prompt provided for the competition.

Tip: Your thesis should be strong and compelling, drawing the reader in and establishing the purpose of your essay from the start. It should be clear enough that your reader can easily understand what you will be arguing throughout the rest of your essay.

How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, unlock success with a comprehensive business research paper example guide, unlock your writing potential with writers college – transform your passion into profession, “unlocking the secrets of academic success – navigating the world of research papers in college”, master the art of sociological expression – elevate your writing skills in sociology.

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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

A digital artwork showing an atom next to a trophy

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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Mastering Writing Competitions: Insider Tips from a Two-Time Winner

06 Apr, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

Man holding a notebook and pen, looking into the distance

V. Community and networking

Participating in writing competitions can allow students to connect with fellow writers, mentors and professionals in the literary community. Joining writing groups, workshops or clubs through competitions can provide you with opportunities to share ideas and receive support.

This not only provides the chance to learn from professionals, but can also help you to feel part of literary circles. Building relationships with experienced writers, editors and publishers fosters guidance and mentorship for you in your writing endeavours. These connections could also help you find and gain access to future opportunities.

Discover More

Thanks for signing up, 12 insider tips to ace a writing competition.

A pen and notebook lying flat on a dark background

1. Make a list of the requirements

This first one may sound obvious, but it’s easy to accidentally stray from the guidelines set by the competition. Some things to bear in mind include:

Minimum and/or maximum word count . This is very important as your entry could be disqualified if it fails to keep within this.
Form . Is it meant to be a poem, a short story, an essay, a script or something else?
Prompt material. A question, statement, title, quote or photograph, for example.
Suggested approaches . This might be a character perspective, line of argument, or particular image or theme.

By keeping a clear list of exactly what is asked of you, you can reference it as you work and ensure your writing meets the requirements. After all, you don’t want to finish your work only to realise that it needs to be partly or fully rewritten.

2. Plan out the timescale

While a competition may have a seemingly-distant deadline, you don’t want to fall into the trap of leaving it to the last minute and having to rush. Note down the deadline on your calendar or in your planner, then schedule in some time to work on your entry.

You might want to set a few personal goals based on how much needs to be done, and by when. For example, you could set a date for having completed a plan, and another date to have finished a first draft. Make sure you leave enough time to edit and proofread.

3. Seek inspiration

It’s best to give yourself some time to think about the different ways you could approach the topic/question/theme set by the writing competition. For example, you could consider any ideas you may have had in the past, such as storylines, poetic images, characters or arguments, and see if any of them can be adapted to fit the competition’s requirements.

Alternatively, you may need to seek out material you haven’t encountered before. This might involve reading books or news articles, visits to new or familiar places, or even something as simple as a walk. However, try not to put too much pressure on yourself, and go about your daily routine – it’s often while doing ordinary tasks that you’ll have a eureka moment.

4. Do your research

This is especially important for essay competitions, but applies to any kind of writing competition. For example, for both of my winning entries (a poem from the perspective of Queen Joanna I of Castile, and a short story inspired by a painting by Goya, a Spanish artist), I had to carefully research the historical context in which I was setting my narratives. This not only helped to inform what I was writing, but also provided great material to enrich my work and bring the stories and characters to life.

Sources might include books, websites, podcasts, articles, blogs, images and much more.

When essay-writing, backing up your ideas and arguments with evidence and research is essential to making your work convincing. When reading, it’s good to constantly ask yourself what you think about a particular line of thinking, whether you agree or disagree, or if you feel you could provide a more nuanced perspective. Including this in your essay will help make your work stand out to the judges.

Competitions often require referencing in your work, so make sure you use reliable sources and keep a note of where you’re finding each idea or piece of information. That way it’s easier for you to add any necessary footnotes, a list of sources or a bibliography to your entry.

Rows of books on shelves, with bust statues nearby

5. Collect and brainstorm ideas before structuring

Try not to worry too much about the structure of your entry at first, and start by collecting any ideas, themes, images and descriptions you come up with, and any information and arguments you’ve read about. Jotting all of this down in mind-maps, lists or posters for example (whichever works best for you), can help you visualise your work. This makes it easier to find the best way to structure your work later on.

6. Take some time to plan

While it might be tempting to dive straight into writing, and this can be helpful when you have the momentum to write a particular part of your entry, it’s still important to plan. This helps to ensure your work is coherent and each section leads smoothly into the next one.

For example, you may come up with a few stanzas of a poem or paragraphs of a story or essay before planning. However, it’s always good to take a step back and plan exactly where they’ll fit best within your piece, based on other content you want to include.

7. Play with form

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the form set by the competition. For example, you could research different types of poems, narrative types or ways to structure an essay. Sometimes competitions are more specific – for example, if it should be written in first or third person – but there’s always scope to find your personal approach.

Often, the best entries are those that creatively engage with the possibilities and constraints of the form they’re written in.

8. Experiment with imagery

For more descriptive pieces, it can be helpful to research literary devices and techniques.

You might want to choose certain motifs or literary images to recur throughout the piece, which can help to provide stylistic unity to your work. Exploring the possibilities of a particular set of images or concepts to be presented in different ways can help to develop your work and showcase your creativity and imagination.

For example, in my poem about Joanna ‘The Mad’ of Castile, I explored the weight of the charge of ‘madness’ and what it implied about illness, suffering, suppression and control.

Alternatively, using lots of different ways to describe the subject at hand can highlight your versatility and creative potential as a writer.

These tips can also be applied to essay writing, as particular case studies, anecdotes and imagery can help to anchor the focus of your work, highlighting your personal take on the subject.

9. Pay attention to tone

It’s important to bear in mind the tone you want to set for your piece. Will it be light-hearted and humorous, bitterly ironic, serious, dramatic or tragic (or something else entirely)? Think about which approach works best for the competition requirements, and try to be consistent with your tone.

If you want to change the tenor of the piece as it develops – starting off more light-hearted but ending with a serious note, for example – make sure you’re purposeful with the way the tone changes.

10. Don’t give up!

Everyone suffers from writer’s block sometimes, and it’s normal to get a bit stuck at some stage in the writing process. Try not to get disheartened, and instead take a break and come back to working a bit later. You might feel the need to seek out a new source of inspiration, or your brain may simply be tired and you may need a break to gather your thoughts.

11. Take breaks when you need them

You might get into the ‘zone’ and want to blitz your way through the essay at once, but often we need to take a few breaks to get the cognitive juices flowing and persevere through any bouts of writer’s block as mentioned above.

Exercising, listening to music, playing an instrument, reading for pleasure, and meeting up with friends are just some of the ways that you can take a healthy break. The most important thing is to pay attention to how you’re feeling and do what’s best for you.

12. Proofread, proofread and proofread again!

Once you’ve finished your first draft, take a break and come back to proofread and edit where necessary. Pay attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar, and potentially consider alternative ways of phrasing sentences or structuring your ideas.

Once you’ve gone through your work once or twice, it’s a good idea to ask for a second (and third) pair of eyes to check for typos and give some feedback. A competition may limit the input of the help of others such as teachers, but as long as you keep within the guidelines, asking for others’ responses is a good way to refine your work and get a feel for how others may respond to your writing. This way, you can ensure everything makes sense and is as effective as possible.

Writing competitions are an amazing opportunity for your personal and academic development, as a way of practising and improving your writing skills, encouraging your creativity and interest, and connecting you to the literary community.

I hope these tips will guide and encourage you with your writing competition applications. Just remember to have fun and let your creativity shine through!

Costas is currently studying a BA in History and Spanish at the University of Oxford, specialising mainly in medieval history and literature. His interests include reading widely, creative writing, and playing and listening to music.

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Constitutional Law Research: Law Student Writing Competitions: Constitutional Law

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Link to "Legislative Branch/U.S. Congress" page in BLS U.S. Gov't. Information LibGuide This link opens in a new window
Law Student Writing Competitions: Constitutional Law

Sponsors/facilitators of student writing competitions provide more detailed instructions and rules at their websites. Students need to review the information and rules available at these websites.

Constitutional Law

Church, State & Society Writing Competition (annual)

Sponsor: Program on Church, State & Society at Notre Dame Law School
Topic in 2024 Competition was: "Papers should be focused, broadly, on topics related to church-state relations, law and religion, and religious liberty. For guidance on selecting a topic, students may wish to view our Program website and mission statement: https://churchstate.nd.edu/"
Format in 2024 Competition was: "Papers must be between 9,000-13,000 words, including footnotes and/or endnotes."
Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "The competition is open to law students in good standing, enrolled in a traditional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.), a Master’s degree (LL.M.), or a doctoral degree (S.J.D./J.S.D. or Ph.D.) program at an ABA-accredited law school within the United States. The competition is also open to recent graduates not yet practicing law (i.e., those completing clerkships or engaged in similar pursuits are eligible). Co-authored papers will not be accepted."
Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "First Place, $3,000 cash award; Second Place, $2,000 cash award; Third Place, $1,000 cash award; Honorable Mention, $500 cash award."
Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: April 12, 2024.

Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition (annual)

Sponsor: American Constitution Society (ACS) & University of Pennsylvania Law School ACS Chapter
Topic in 2024 Competition was: Law student papers "furthering and promoting a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy." Topic examples include: "census report, civil legal aid, civil liberties, constitutional convention, consumer rights, criminal justice, disability rights, freedom of speech, immigration, indigent defense, money in politics (including judicial elections), labor law, LGBTQ+ rights, privacy, protection of health, safety, and the environment, racial equality, religion, role of state attorneys general, second amendment and guns, separation of powers and federalism, women’s reproductive rights and reproductive freedom, voting and political process, and whistleblower protection."
Format in 2024 Competition was: "Submissions must be original unpublished academic works by one author. The length must be between 25 and 50 pages, including footnotes."
Applicant Qualifications in 2024 Competition stated : The 2024 Competition was "open to all law students who are current, dues-paying ACS National members." See: ACS > Membership .
Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "The winning paper author will be awarded $3,000 and each of the 2 runners-up will receive $1,000. The winning authors of the top 3 papers will be featured during the 2024 ACS National Convention and on ACS’s website and social media platforms. The top paper also receives an offer of publication in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law."

Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: February 5, 2024.

Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Essay Competition for Law School Students (also referred to as: First Amendment Scholars - Law Student Essay Competition )

Sponsor: Freedom From Religion Foundation
Topic in 2024 Competition was: "Law school students will be asked to respond to recent Supreme Court decisions that ignore the Establishment Clause by proposing language for a 28th constitutional amendment that would bring the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses back into balance. Additionally, students will then analyze how the proposed language would alter the result in a recent Supreme Court case."
Format in 2024 Competition was: "Essays must be no longer than 1,500 (not including footnotes)." Web page links to a document titled: Essay Prompt, Requirements, Eligibility, and Awards.
Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "The contest is open to all ongoing law school students attending a North American law school. Students will remain eligible to enter even if they are to graduate from law school by spring or summer of 2024."
Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "FFRF will award cash prizes to the top three essayists ($4,000, $3,000, $2,000) and optional honorable mentions ($500), if so deserving. All eligible entrants will also receive a one-year complimentary student membership to FFRF, which includes a digital version of 10 issues of Freethought Today ."
Deadline for entry was: March 15, 2024.

Everytown Law Fund Law Student Writing Competition

Sponsor: Everytown Law Fund
Topic in 2024 Competition was: "This competition asks students to consider how to advance gun violence prevention and gun safety through litigation in the civil and criminal justice systems." Website provides examples of topics and links to descriptions/text of the 2023 winning submissions.
Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Preferred submission length is 5,000 to 15,000 words, including footnotes, but may be as long as a law review note."
Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "All submissions must be composed of original research and writing by currently enrolled law students at ABA accredited law schools. Law school notes and academic articles that you have submitted or you are planning to submit to law school reviews and journals for publication are eligible for submission. Note that submissions that have been previously published or accepted for publication are welcome but must be accompanied by written authorization for re-print to be eligible ." " Employees of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, its affiliated organizations, and immediate family or household members of such employees are not eligible for the Competition."
Prize Description in 2024 Competition stated: "Everytown Law may award up to three prizes: a first prize of $2,500 and two runners-up prizes of $1,000. All three top papers may be eligible for publication on Everytown Law’s website or social media."
Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: May 31, 2024.

Writing Prize for New Student Scholarship in Reproductive Rights & Justice (annual) - In future, check the website of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice .

Sponsors: If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, the Center for Reproductive Rights, & the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice.
Suggested Theme in 2023 was: "The suggested theme for this year is “A Different World Is Possible: Repro Health, Rights, and Justice Post- Dobbs .” With the constitutional protection for abortion overturned by the Supreme Court, we encourage students to envision creative and expansive approaches to securing reproductive health, rights, and justice for all people. Submissions might explore topics that intersect with If/When/How’s strategic initiatives, such as removing barriers to abortion access and supporting those who seek reproductive care outside the clinical setting, combatting criminalization, strategies for securing reproductive rights at the state or local level, and public funding of reproductive health care through an intersectional, reproductive justice lens. All submissions on other reproductive rights and justice topics are welcomed."
Format: In future, Information on how to apply and the length and type of accepted submissions should become available at the website of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice .
Prizes in 2023 were: "Winning authors will receive cash prizes: $750 (1st place), $500 (2nd place), or $250 (3rd place), and a copy of the textbook, Cases on Reproductive Rights and Justice (Murray & Luker). The first-place winning submission will also be granted a “presumption of publishability” and receive expedited review by the Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice. "
Deadline: 2023 Writing Prize Call for Submissions is closed. A Feb. 29, 2024 email reply stated: "The Call for Submissions typically opens in August."
<< Previous: Link to "Legislative Branch/U.S. Congress" page in BLS U.S. Gov't. Information LibGuide
Last Updated: Jul 15, 2024 5:46 AM
URL: https://guides.brooklaw.edu/constitutional_law

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Student Essay Contest

The Fraser Institute hosts an annual Student Essay Contest to promote student participation in economic discourse on current events and public policy. This contest affords students the opportunity to have their work peer-reviewed and published early on in their academic career. In addition, we offer exciting cash prizes for the top five winning submissions!

The Fraser Institute’s 2024 Student Essay Contest is now closed. Thank you to all the students who submitted their work. We look forward to reading your essay and your contributions to economic and public policy discourse. Due to the volume of submissions, we will announce winning essays in early fall 2024. All participants will receive an email in regards to the status of their submission.

We will be announcing our 2025 Student Essay Contest prompt in early 2025. To be the first to know about the 2025 Student Essay Contest click the subscribe link below: Subscribe for 2025 Student Essay Contest Updates

Learn more about essay contest requirements and submission process by reading our Contest Rules and FAQ Student Essay Contest .

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Categories and Prizes :


1 Prize	$1,500	$1,500	$1,500
2 Prize	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000
3 Prize	$750	$750	$750
4 Prize	$500	$500	$500
5 Prize	$250	$250	$250

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2023 Essay Contest Winners

	1st Place ($1,500)
High School Category	St. George's Senior School
Undergraduate	HEC Montreal
Graduate	Carleton University
	2nd Place ($1,000)
High School Category	Cresecent Heights High School
Undergraduate	McGill University
Graduate	University of Ottawa
	3rd Place ($750)
High School Category	Lord Beaverbrook High School
Undergraduate	University of British Columbia
Graduate	HEC Montreal
	4th Place ($500)
High School Category	St. Augustine Catholic High School
Undergraduate	University of British Columbia
Graduate	University of Saskatchewan
	5th Place ($250)
High School Category	A.Y. Jackson Secondary School
Undergraduate	Dalhousie University
Graduate	University of Toronto

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2023 Student Essay Contest Winners

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2018 Student Essay Contest Winners

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2016 Student Essay Contest Winners

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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 133 scholarships that match your search.

How to Write a Novel Scholarships

We now offer fully-funded tuition for our 101-day How to Write a Novel course to promising writers with financial need. Writers are invited to submit a 1,000-word writing sample along with a 300-word personal statement explaining their interest in a scholarship. NOTE: The current application period has now been extended to July 29th, midnight EST. Click through for more details.

Categories: Novel Writing

Organization: Reedsy

Deadline: July 22, 2024

Recipients: 3

Top award: $1,250

Apply now →

The Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing

LearnCurious is proud to introduce the annual competition for the Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing. In 3,000 words or fewer, applicants must respond to one of three creative prompts. Entrants must be high school juniors or seniors to win.

Categories: Personal Essay and Short Fiction

Organization: Learn Curious

Deadline: July 23, 2024

Additional awards: 2 runner-up prizes of $50 each

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

Feldman Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Journalism

The National Press Club is proud to offer this fellowship for graduate students in journalism. The Fellowship is named for Dennis Feldman, a club member who had a long career as a journalist and public relations adviser after putting himself through grad school at night. Winners will receive a one-time stipend of $5,000 to help defray post-graduate tuition costs.

Categories: Journalism

Organization: National Press Club

Deadline: July 28, 2024

Top award: $5,000

Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship

The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is named for a long-time National Press Club member who died in 2008 and endowed a scholarship in aid of high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in journalism. Recipients receive a one-time award of $5,000.

Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo

The National Press Club, the leading professional organization for journalists, wants to recruit promising future journalists who will bring diversity to American journalism. The scholarship consists of a $5,000 one-year scholarship. The award can be renewed for up to three years for a total of $20,000 toward educational expenses.

Austin AWM Scholarship

AWM Austin is proud to award scholarships to college students studying media (or a related field) at a university in the Austin area. Each applicant must include a personal statement stating their area of study and how this scholarship will further their career and educational goals.

Organization: Alliance for Women in Media

Marine Corps Essay Contest

The Marine Corps Essay Contest advances new thinking about how the U.S. Marine Corps will tackle the diverse and difficult security challenges of the 21st century. Dare to write about the toughest and most difficult issues; the topics that everyone knows need addressing, but some are hesitant to acknowledge. Essays should be 2,500 words maximum and this contest is open to all contributors.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: U.S. Naval Institute

Deadline: July 31, 2024

Additional awards: $2,500 for second place, $1,500 for third place

Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Non-fiction Writing

The HWA offers the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for non-fiction Writing, an endowed fund providing grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The Fund will provide grants annually (the amount is flexible).

Categories: Research

Organization: Horror Writers Association

Deadline: August 01, 2024

Dark Poetry Scholarship

The Dark Poetry scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. This scholarship is worth $1250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship

It is clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. This scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it.

Top award: $2,500

Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship will be open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. Students must provide a selection of their work, at least one letter of reference by their instructor(s), and a description of their goals with an education plan for use of the stipend. The recipient will have 2 years to utilize the funds.

Additional awards: Horror author JG Faherty will mentor the winner for 6 months.

Top award: $500

Horror Writers Association Scholarship

The Horror Writers Association Scholarship will be open to all horror writers (HWA membership is not a requirement). Scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of horror writers.

ACES Aubespin Scholarship

The Aubespin scholarship honors Merv Aubespin, a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists who greatly helped inspire the creation of ACES. Applicants should have a commitment to a career in the editing of written materials.

Organization: ACES: The Society for Editing

Deadline: August 15, 2024

Additional awards: 4 runner-up prizes of $1,500 each

Bill Walsh Scholarship

The Walsh scholarship honors Bill Walsh, author, blogger, and longtime copy editor at the Washington Post. The Walsh scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who demonstrates the talent and passion for language that Bill had, and who aspires to pursue the craft of editing the news.

Additional awards: Financial aid to attend the annual ACES conference

Top award: $3,500

Clubs of America Scholarship Program

To apply for this scholarship, write an essay of at least 600 words about your career aspirations and how your current studies will help you achieve success in your career. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Thinking outside the box is encouraged! Any current college student of an accredited U.S. college or university in good academic standing (3.0 or higher) is eligible.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Clubs of America

Deadline: August 31, 2024

What are writing scholarships?

Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.

The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.

1. Personal essay scholarships

Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.

Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!

2. Critical essay scholarships

Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).

Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.

3. Short fiction scholarships

Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)

4. Journalism scholarships

Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…

5. Portfolio scholarships

Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!

If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.

Why apply to writing scholarships?

Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.

Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.

Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.

Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.

Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)

Resources to strengthen your writing skills

20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today. Click here to view
How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine. Click here to enroll
What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More! Check it out
How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps. Read more
How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps. Find out more
How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro. Enroll here
700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You. Click here to view
100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors. Learn more

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Spectra Research Writing Competition results announced for Spring 2022

(#1) event camera: the next generation of visual perception system by kaichao you, (#2) probing the full monty hall problem by erica mock, (#3) a review of trustworthy graph learning by jintang li, (#4) high dimension data analysis - a tutorial and review for dimensionality reduction techniques by srishti saha, honorable mentions, what’s next.

Arts | Hopkins researchers launch writing contest to…

Breaking News

Arts | rnc live coverage: trump names jd vance as vp pick, things to do, arts | hopkins researchers launch writing contest to learn about how the brain processes stories.

From left, Iris Lee, incoming Johns Hopkins University graduate student, Janice Chen, professor of psychological and brain sciences, and Sammy Tavassoli, PhD student, are running a short story contest to research the relationship between narratives, memory and the brain. (Kim Hairston/Staff)

Now, a research team at the Johns Hopkins University is asking for the public’s help in mapping the areas of the brain that kick into high gear every time we read a new Stephen King novel or see a “Deadpool” sequel, or watch reruns of “Doctor Who.”

It turns out that telling and listening to tales isn’t just fun — it’s a key survival strategy.

“Understanding stories is part of the fundamental anatomy of the brain,” said Janice Chen, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins, “and it’s a very robust brain system that you find in everyone.”

Chen said different regions of the brain tune into characters or location, while others are devoted to what could be described as the plot.

“If you think about it, your life is made up of a series of events. And each one of those events is a story,” she said.

But Chen doesn’t study literature. She studies how neural systems support memory. And she’s especially interested in a group of high-level brain regions, known as the “default mode network,” that appear to be involved in episodic memories, or those that spring from personal experience.

Many of her experiments involve putting subjects into an “fMRI” — a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine — and recording their brain activity as they read a book, watch a movie or talk about an episode of a favorite TV show.

Chen thought members of the public might enjoy helping to design her team’s research studies. How often does the average Baltimorean get a chance to don an imaginary white lab coat, to become Doctor You?

So she reached out to her colleague, Dora Malech, an associate professor in Hopkins’ Writing Seminars and editor in chief of The Hopkins Review literary journal, and asked for her help in devising a short story contest.

The fMRI Writing Prize contest , which runs through July 31, is for a piece of original, unpublished “flash fiction” or a very short story of between about 500 and 1,500 words. It is open to high school students and adults who live, work or study in Baltimore.

“We thought it would be an accessible way to engage the public in science experiments taking place at Hopkins,” Malech said. “There are overlapping questions about what makes enduring art and how art affects memory.”

Two winners — one aged 14 to 18, and one adult — will be selected to receive a $500 prize based on standard literary criteria as well as whether their work contains attributes useful to the researchers.

Chen, for instance, is interested in stories that have unusual narrative structures instead of unfolding chronologically. Sammy Tavasoli, who is studying for her doctorate in brain sciences, is intrigued by memories of emotional events, while scientist Christopher Honey is looking into why some stories linger in the brain for weeks or months after the reader has turned the last page.

The winning stories will be published in the Hopkins Review. Their authors also will receive a tour of the lab where the research is being conducted, plus a framed computer image showing the brain activity of study participants as they read the winning submissions.

Iris Lee, who has worked in Chen’s lab and who will begin graduate school in creative writing this fall, said that because the material collected in the contest will be used for a variety of studies, researchers aren’t looking for any particular type of story. A whodunit is as likely to win as a historical romance.

“Authors can experiment with plot,” she said. “They can experiment with time and write stories that cross generations and that show how the past and future affect one another.”

The winning submissions will be used in experiments exploring the link between narrative and memory, a relationship that helped our species persist from one generation to the next. If our early human couldn’t remember how they escaped the wolves, they might not think to climb a tree the next time. They couldn’t show their friends the hidden stream they found stocked with fat fish.

“If you don’t have a memory, you don’t the ability to go from one moment to the next and predict what’s going to happen,” Chen said. “You can’t connect cause and effect. Memory is essential to being a person.”

And stories have proven particularly suited for helping people remember better.

“There’s decades-old studies that show that if you just give people a list of random words to read and then ask them to recall it, they’re not very good at it,” Chen said.

“But if you force them to create a story out of that same list of words, their memory goes through the roof.”

She said stories across all formats are equally useful at transforming fleeting events into permanent memories, whether from written words, song lyrics played over the radio, or a sequence of images flashed onto screens.

And if at times it seems our need for narrative is insatiable, it’s because our brains are trying to motivate us to consume stories. Like other activities necessary for survival from eating food to having sex, we’re programmed to crave them.

That’s why the Hopkins researchers are asking for Baltimoreans’ help in generating new and original tales. It’s possible, they said, that researchers eventually will learn enough about memory to gain insight into the causes of some of humanity’s most intractable problems, from schizophrenia to Alzheimer’s disease to other forms of age-related memory loss.

“There’s a lot of questions you can ask about memory using the same data,” Chen said.

“This contest is really a two-way street,” she said. “We’re going to see what stories come in, and use them as a source of inspiration for thinking of interesting questions that we can try to answer.”

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PEN America Free Expression Essay Competition

2024 Free Expression Essay Competition Winners

PEN America is excited to announce the winners of our third annual Free Expression Essay Competition .

Over 200 high school and college students wrote in to tell us what free expression means to them, addressing a wide range of topics like protest rights, book bans, the history of free speech, and personal experiences with censorship. Student writers took to the page to explore challenging questions surrounding free expression, and put forth strong arguments for the necessity of free expression when it comes to curiosity, discovery, empathy, and human rights.

Congratulations to our winning students!

High School Division:

First Place: Janice – $1,500 prize

Janice explains how the recent book ban epidemic ignores constitutional law in the essay “Leave Your Liberty at the Door.”

Second Place: Ahlam! – $1,000 prize

Ahlam!’s essay describes the frequent censorship she has experienced throughout her scholastic career when she tries to talk about her Palestinian heritage.

Third Place: Ivana Kiage – $500 prize

Ivana Kiage’s essay examines some historical examples where the press has stood up for free expression and how in some recent cases it has not.

College Division:

First Place: A.Y. – $2,000 prize

A.Y. offers a meditation on how recent outbreaks of xenophobia in the United States show that those who attempt to stifle free expression are always “on the wrong side of history” in the essay “Freedom of Speech as the Antidote to Silence: Telling the Good Side of History.”

Second Place: Rebecca Tilly Ross – $1,500 prize

Rebecca Tilly Ross describes the essential role freedom of speech plays in democratic societies in the essay “Why Does Free Expression Matter in Democracy?”

Third Place: Emilie Takahashi – $1,000 prize

Emilie Takahashi documents how the newspaper industry’s continuing decline is affecting college newspapers in the essay “Depleting an Oasis in a News Desert: The Erosion of Student Journalism.”

Special thanks to our judges, including PEN America’s Free Expression Programs staff and Ryan La Sala . Ryan La Sala is a bestselling award-winning author who writes about surreal things happening to queer people. His debut horror novel, The Honeys , is in development to become a major motion picture. His most recent release is the highly anticipated Beholder . He has been featured in The New York Times Book Review , Entertainment Weekly , NPR, and Tor.com, and one time Shangela from RuPaul’s Drag Race called him cute!

We also thank all who participated in this year’s essay competition, and implore all young writers and advocates to stay passionate about the human right to free expression in a world that increasingly seeks to shut expression down.

PEN America is deeply grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for its generous support of PEN America’s National Student Free Expression Essay Competition.

Join PEN America Today

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Summer Reading Contest, Week 5: What Got Your Attention in The Times This Week?

To participate, submit your response here by July 12 at 9 a.m. Eastern. This week’s winners will be announced by July 24.

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By The Learning Network

Welcome to the fifth week of our 15th Annual Summer Reading Contest .

Every week for 10 weeks this summer we’re asking students “What got your attention in The New York Times this week? Why?” To participate in Week 5, choose something to read, watch or listen to in The Times and submit a response that answers those questions by 9 a.m. Eastern on July 12.

You can choose anything that was published in the print paper or on nytimes.com in 2024, including articles, photos, essays , videos , podcasts or graphics . We hope you’ll click around to find your own great pieces, but we also know that not everyone who participates has a Times subscription so, each week, you’ll find dozens of free links to interesting articles, features and multimedia below.

Students are invited to submit responses in the form of a 250-word comment OR a 90-second video. Please see the requirements for each type of response below and read the full rules and guidelines in our contest announcement before making your submissions.

Your responses will be read by New York Times journalists and staff, as well as educators from around the world. We’ll choose at least one favorite answer to feature on our site each week. Winners from Week 5 will be announced by July 24.

1. Choose a New York Times piece.

What did you read, watch or listen to in The Times this week? You can respond to anything that was published online at nytimes.com, including all the sports coverage in The Athletic , or in the print paper in 2024, but, if you don’t have a subscription, here are some stories you can access through this page for free:

This week you may have read front-page news articles like …

Starmer Becomes U.K. Prime Minister After Labour Party Landslide

Supreme Court Says Trump Has Some Immunity in Election Case

Summer Reading Contest Written Submission Form, Week 5

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Our 2024 wine writing competition – a guide

WWC typewriter midnight blue. Image by Constantine Johnny via Getty Images.

A guide to this year's wine writing competition on unforgettable wine moments.

The judges and I are all very excited about the entries that have been selected for publication in the coming weeks. We have been astounded by how varied, innovative, clever and powerful so many of these 214 submissions have been and are so grateful to all the entrants for sharing their stories this year.

There is no single criterion that determines what makes a particular wine moment unforgettable. It can be lighthearted or gritty, happy or sad, exciting or disappointing, a combination of those feelings or something else entirely. What makes the moment unforgettable is not determined by the putative quality or price of the wine itself as much as it is shaped by our personal experience of the given moment. A cherished moment of sharing a bottle of generic Merlot with family can be just as memorable as tasting a famous wine or visiting a legendary winery.

Several entrants explore the moment that made them a wine lover, while others describe the instant that led them to pursue a career in the wine industry. Some recount jarring incidents that led the author to reevaluate their relationship with the wine industry, or with wine itself. These essays document the range of significant moments that wine enthusiasts and those working in the wine industry can have. They show that for some of us, our most unforgettable experiences are wine moments, for many of the episodes that will be published were truly life-changing ones. At its heart, this competition is about the profound meanings that wine can have for people and the varied ways in which it can indelibly impact our lives.

Entries will be published daily, unedited, free for all readers and in no particular order in the coming weeks. We will publish a shortlist of the top entries on 3 September, then readers can vote for their favourite entry from the list until 16 September. Entries will be added to the list below as they are published, with the most recently published ones listed at the top.

Published 2024 competition entries

A horizontal tasting, by Paul Shanley 15 July 2024

Don't cancel your passion, by Vasylysa Yılmaz 14 July 2024

Glass houses, by Zach Bingham 13 July 2024

The day everything changed, by Elise Penney 12 July 2024

The road to Damascus, by Luke Haughton 11 July 2024

'I don't want to be a statue', by Emilie Aspeling 10 July 2024

Fermé, by Zoe Fisher 9 July 2024

An inconvenient memory, by Jason Millar 8 July 2024

A matter of time, by Allyson Noman 7 July 2024

A moment of waiting, by Kate Burns 6 July 2024

Ice Ice Baby, by Christy Frank 5 July 2024

L'appel du Vide, by Richard Lane 4 July 2024

Chianti spritzer on the beach, circa 1964, by Melanie Webber 3 July 2024

Translation

The Directorate-General for Translation translates texts for the European Commission into and out of the EU's 24 official languages, and a few others when needed. The department deals exclusively with written texts.

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translate laws, policy papers, reports, correspondence, etc. drafted by or sent to the Commission
help the Commission communicate with the public, thereby helping citizens understand EU policies
edit original documents drafted by Commission authors
advise Commission departments on language and on managing multilingual websites
ensure correct terminology in all official EU languages, as documented in the interinstitutional database IATE

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Commissioner Johannes Hahn

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The Official List of Re:Think 2024 Winners