Crerar Prize
The John Crerar Foundation Science Writing Prize for College Students
Deadline for Submissions: April 15, 2024
Introduction
The annual John Crerar Foundation Science Writing Prize for College Students honors the memory of John Crerar, an industrialist and philanthropist whose estate established the John Crerar Library.
This competitive award for excellence and clarity in science writing acknowledges the ability of a University of Chicago College student to produce a paper, on a scientific topic, which is thorough in its arguments but accessible to a broad readership.
An important component of the paper will be the bibliography, which must include citations from a variety of sources and may be presented in a bibliographic style of the student's choosing.
First Prize is $1500
Second Prize is $1000
Third Prize is $500
Competition Guidelines and Eligibility
Essay Guidelines
Submit a 2,500-3,000 word essay on a topic in science, medicine and/or technology. History of science and environmental or political policy papers are welcome as long as the theme is science, medicine and/or technology. 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.
We encourage and welcome submission from all perspectives.
Eligible Participants
The competition is open to students at the University of Chicago who are currently enrolled and 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 cannot exceed 3000 word. The word count excludes the bibliography.
- 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. This information should appear on the cover page only.
- Only original and unpublished work will be accepted.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.
- One entry per person.
- Bibliographies must include citations from a variety of sources, and may be presented in a bibliographic style of the student's choosing. See the Citation Management Guide provided by the library for more information.
- Entries will be accepted electronically, as a Word document, at crerar-prize@lib.uchicago.edu until midnight (Central Time) on the day of the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Re-submission is welcome. The selection committee may recommend papers that are not selected for the 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize for re-submission the following year, with revisions to accommodate the new topic. In some cases, the topics may differ substantially from year to year - thus re-submission 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, a representative from the College Center for Research and Fellowships, and University of Chicago librarians.
The selection committee reserves the right not to award a prize if no entry is deserving of an award.
Awarding the Prizes
The prizes are distributed to the winners by the Library. Winners will be notified by email.
All winning papers will be deposited in Knowledge@UChicago.
Research Assistance
Students who need assistance in conducting their research for the competition should not hesitate to reach out to the subject librarian for their field. Please note that you are applying for the "Crerar Science Writing Prize".
If you are unsure who to contact, please visit Ask a Librarian and our staff will direct you to the best person.
Past Topics and Winning Papers
View past topics
View past winning papers