The UNSW Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing is a competition for Year 7-10 students in Australia
The UNSW Bragg Student Prize For Science Writing 2024 is a science essay writing competition open to all Australian high school students in years 7 to 10. Not only are there some awesome prizes up for grabs for you and your class – it’s a great way to complement your studies across all areas including Science, English, History & Geography, Design & Technology and more!
The essay comp closes Friday 23 August 2024 at 5pm. To enter, head to the official competition page.
Scroll down for this year’s essay topic, resources to help you get started, and how to enter. Good luck and happy science writing!
2024 topic: Biodiversity and community
Working together to protect the environment
In 800 words, describe some great community interaction with conservation and biodiversity. Your essay could cover:
- What is the best citizen science project – how does it work and how is it used? Examples include Frog ID, Birdwatch
- How is your school or local community involved in conservation?
- How are Indigenous values inherent in conservation practices?
- How do scientists work with communities in conservation research?
Looking for inspo?
- Sharpen your maths skills with citizen science
- Calling all frog citizen scientists!
- Wanna work with animals? Protecting them is a full-time STEM gig
- Students graduate from new wildlife conservation degree
- Caring for country: First Nations land management
- Got a smartphone? You can help protect the Great Barrier Reef
- Young scientist describes 7 new species of dancing peacock spiders
- Keen to save our insects? Here’s how to help scientists this summer
- One million species are facing extinction and ecosystem decline: Here’s how to help
- Indigenous innovators are transforming their communities with STEM
Win a fantastic set of prizes!
The winner will be awarded a $500 UNSW Bookshop voucher. Two runners up with receive $250 book vouchers.
The winning essay will be included in the 2025 edition of NewSouth Publishing’s highly acclaimed anthology The Best Australian Science Writing, where it will appear alongside essays by some of the country’s leading science writers. It will also appear in an issue of CSIRO’s Double Helix Magazine, on CareerswithSTEM.com and on https://unsw.press/
The regional and city school with the most entries will win this awesome book pack from NewSouth Publishing. Simply enter as many students from your school as you can for the chance to win these books:
- The Best Australian Science Writing 2025
- Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood
- Humpback Highway
- Flames of Extinction
- Wounded Country
- Plastic Free
More resources + to enter
Head on over to the official UNSW Bragg Student Prize For Science Writing 2024 competition page to find info on this year’s judges, teacher resources, FAQs, writing tips, Australian curriculum links, terms and conditions, and more.
This is also where you’ll find instructions on how to enter.
Want more essay writing inspo? You can find last year’s winning entry here, as well as the runner-up pieces here and here.
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