Entrants must be studying for a postgraduate qualification at Imperial (MSc, MRes, PhD etc.).

•  Entrants can write about any aspect of the research they are working on

• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final

• All entrants, both Taught Course and Doctoral, will be judged via the same criteria

• Written work should be aimed at a lay audience

Students are asked to submit a written article of no more than 500 words. The writing can take on any form, but the piece must be original, solely the work of the author and not published anywhere else in any format. Please note that pictures, videos etc. can also be embedded. Winners of the writing competition will be announced via Twitter and the final prize winning articles will be published on the Graduate School’s blog.

 Written Articles - Entry Criteria

• Comprise original work of no more than 500 words
• Be creative, engaging and well-written
• Communicate science clearly and be scientifically accurate
• All submissions must be original, solely the work of a single author and not published anywhere else in any format
• Pictures, videos etc. can be embedded
• References must be included where appropriate and any audio/video material properly credited

Entrants are reminded that if they would like support with their writing, they can contact the Graduate School to arrange a one-to-one session with a member of the tutor team.

Judging Criteria

A judging panel of 3-5 judges will determine the winners on the basis of three judging criteria: content, clarity and creativity.

• Content: Quality of content is key in science communication and the scientific topic presented should be well chosen to suit a lay audience. Entrants should demonstrate the ability to explain their chosen topic clearly and concisely by avoiding excessive use of jargon or technical terms.

• Clarity/Structure: A coherent narrative and clear structure are critical for effective science communication; as well as making sure the reader/audience/judges can follow the narrative of the text, they should also be left with an understanding of the scientific concept chosen.

• Creativity: Competitors are free to explore different written styles for their article if they so wish. Judges will look favourably upon contestants who employ effective, insightful and engaging approaches.

Please apply by emailing your submission directly to the Graduate School. Please note that some departments may hold a local contest from which entrants will be determined, so please check before you submit.

Submission Deadline
The deadline for students, Departments, programmes, institutes and CDTs to apply/submit their entrants is 17:00 on Wednesday 04 May 2022. 

Prizes for the competition are as follows,

Please note that further details regarding how you can vote for your favourite written article will be circulated in due course. Winners will be announced via the June edition of the Graduate School's newsletter.