The UNSW Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing is a competition for Year 7-10 students in Australia. The competition has now closed and winners will be announced October 23.
The annual UNSW Bragg Prize 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!
Scroll down for this year’s essay topic.
AI in science
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been a big part of the news for 2023: it’s already a big part of our lives and is rapidly evolving. How does science and technology use or benefit from AI and how should we best navigate a future where AI is part of our everyday lives?
In this essay, use 800 words to explore how we use and benefit from AI, with a particular focus on science. Your essay might explore any of the following questions:Â
What is AI and how does it work?
How do we use AI technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing in science and our everyday lives?
What are the dangers and benefits of AI?
What are the ethical implications of AI?
How can we address society’s concerns about AI? How might AI impact education? What are its limits?
What impacts AI may have on the creative thinking, imagination and originality of science?
What jobs might the use of AI create or replace?
References do not count towards the word count. The competition has now closed.
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 2024 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/
Thinking about entering? Get started with these resources!
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:
Olivia Campbell, (Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Melbourne), explores the important role of viral science in our ever-changing world. Read her essay in full here.
Kaya Kimla (Kirrawee High School, Sydney), looks at the cultural and scientific significance of Indigenous science practices. Read her essay in full here.
Jasmin Wu (St George Girls High School, Kogarah) walks us through the philosophical side of science and whether we can be absolute about knowledge. Read her essay in full here.
About the UNSW Bragg Student Science PrizeÂ
The Bragg Prize is an annual award celebrating the best non-fiction science essay written for a general audience. An initiative of UNSW Press, UNSW Science and Refraction Media, the UNSW Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing is designed to encourage and celebrate the next generation of science writers, researchers and leaders. For an aspiring university Dean of Science or Walkley Award-winning journalist, this could be the first entry on their CV.
The Bragg Prizes are named for Australia’s very first Nobel Laureates, the father-and-son team of William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg. 2015 marked the centenary of their Nobel Prize win in Physics for their work on the X-ray analysis of crystal structures. William Henry Bragg was a firm believer in making science popular among young people. His lectures for students were described as models of clarity and intellectual excitement. More information about the Bragg prizes can be found here.
In her response to this year's theme, how we use and benefit from AI (with a particular focus on science), Kambala School student Elsie Paton explores ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence.
In his response to this year's theme, how we use and benefit from AI (with a particular focus on science), Leeming Senior High School student Zavier Argent explores the application of AI in the field of sports science.
Working on your Bragg essay but hit a roadblock? Take a deep breath and read this epic tips from science communicator and Refraction Media CEO, Heather Catchpole.
This year's topic, AI in science, is definitely a hot one. But how do you integrate it into your classroom? We asked two of this year's judges (who just so happen to be teachers) for fresh ideas!
Last week the three UNSW Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing winners got together in person – at the awards night for the prestigious science communication event
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:
