UNSW Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing
The UNSW Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing is a competition for Year 7-10 students in Australia.
Topic: The STEM in Everyday Life
Science, technology, engineering and maths is part of everything around us, from our response to the pandemic, to the tech we use for play. Mobile phones, traffic lights and TikTok, your food, health, the climate, the built environment and the natural world around you – STEM has had a part to play in understanding, refining and creating so much of the world we take for granted everyday.
In 800 words, explain the STEM behind something that’s part of your everyday life and important to you, your family, your culture, or your region. If we didn’t have scientists, engineers and technologists, we wouldn’t have vaccines, productive crops, or algorithms that recognise your face on your phone. Discover and describe the science behind something that is directly relevant to your everyday life including why it’s important for society and to you personally.
Your 800 words essay could consist of:
– Discuss the origins of natural phenomenon you’ve experienced
– Analyse the science or engineering behind something you use everyday
– Critically evaluate the history of a scientific or technological development
References do not count towards the word count.
Looking for inspo?
- STEM Everywhere – Chief Scientist of Australia
- Indigenous STEM stories – Careers with STEM
- Science Alert
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 2022 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 newsouthpublishing.com
Winners and runners up will get the opportunity to attend the Bragg Prize award ceremony and launch of The Best Australian Science Writing 2021 in Sydney.
