Competition Guidelines
Students must write their paper on the given topic. We encourage and welcome submissions from all perspectives.
Eligible Participants
The competition is open to students at the University of Chicago who are currently pursuing an undergraduate degree. The competition is not restricted by year of study or concentration.
Submission Guidelines
- Applicants must be students at the University of Chicago who are actively pursing an undergraduate degree.
- The length should not exceed 3000 words. Essays must be typewritten. Pages must be numbered.
- Each entry must have a cover page with the title of the work, the author's name, student id number and email address. Please include your id number on subsequent pages.
- Only original and unpublished work will be accepted. Submissions based on a student paper are welcome.
- Collaborative works are acceptable. Please acknowledge all authors and indicate the contribution of each.
- Bibliographies must include citations from a variety of sources, and may be presented in a bibliographic style of the student's choosing. You can use RefWorks to produce your bibliography (www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/bibtools/refworks).
- Entries will be accepted electronically, in a Word document at crerar-prize@lib.uchicago.edu and in print at the John Crerar Library Reference Desk, Monday-Friday between the hours of 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Resubmission is welcome. The selection committee may recommend papers that are not selected for the 1st or 2nd prize for resubmission the following year, with revisions to accommodate the new topic. In some cases, the topics may differ substantially from year to year - thus resubmission would not be a possibility.
Selection Criteria
Prizes will be awarded to authors who are best able to write on subject matter with a clear and logical connection to the sciences. The selected essays must be understandable to those who study either a biomedical or physical science, however its arguments must be clear to the non-specialist.
The winning submissions will be selected for the quality of the research conducted, as well as by the effective and literate statement of the results. The quality of the bibliography will also be taken into consideration.
Other criteria include:
- Originality
- Accuracy
- Readability
- Writing style
Examples include articles from:
- Science (Perspective section)
- Nature (News and Views section)
- Scientific American
Selection Committee
The panel of judges includes faculty and graduate students from the University of Chicago (representing a broad range of scientific disciplines) as well as a University of Chicago Librarian and a member of the John Crerar Foundation.
The selection committee reserves the right not to award a prize if no entry is deserving of an award.
Research Assistance
Students who need assistance in conducting their research for the competition can also contact their "Class Librarian" www.lib.uchicago.edu/classpages or Barbara Kern at 702-8717.
The Topic for 2009-2010
Submit a 2,500-3,000 word essay on a topic based on one of the following themes. Your essay should include a description of how your topic is relevant to your studies, as well as its impact on society today and into the future. Your submission must be scientifically and technically accurate, make reference to the relevant literature, and be accessible to a readership with a general knowledge of science.
A) Environment
B) Medicine
C) Science policy
D) Exploration and discovery
View past topics
View past winning papers
Awarding the Prizes
The prizes are distributed to the winners by the Library.
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