The Award

1st prize: £1000 + award trophy + certificate + books signed by science writers + visit to a BBC site and the chance to meet science journalists + essay published by our media partners, including the BBC. The winning essay will also be published on the New Scientist website with the winner being invited to view a podcast recording and have a ticket to NS live! They will also receive a small goodie bag generously provided by our supporters Staedler + a small stationary bundle from our supporters Stabilo + much more!

2nd & 3rd prize: £250 + certificate + books signed by science writers + a small goodie bag generously provided by our supporters Staedler + a small stationary bundle from our supporters Stabilo + much more!

Highly Commended Prizes: An additional 10 students will receive a commendation prize of £100 each. The commended entrants will also be invited to the awards ceremony to be presented with their certificates and receive a small goodie bag generously provided by our supporters Staedler.

Our media partners, The Week Junior Science + Nature, will be featuring the awards ceremony and competition in their magazine and there will be the opportunity to meet with them at the event.

The prize money will be transferred to the winning entrants via bank transfer to help support their personal development. The winner, runners-up and their entire classes will be invited to the Awards Ceremony held at The Royal Institution on 23rd June 2025. A contribution to travelling costs for the winner will be available.

In addition, the winning student will participate in an exclusive visit to a BBC centre to meet with experienced Science Journalists. They will have the opportunity to discover what a career in science writing/journalism entails and be able to observe various types of science media being produced. This will provide a comprehensive overview of what it is like to work in this exciting area of STEM!

Please note: The winner will be allowed to bring a maximum of two other individuals with them during their visit to a BBC centre, one of whom must be a parent/guardian.

The winning essay will be published before the end of 2025 nationally our media outlet partners and will include a mention of their school. The two runner-up entries will be published on the ABSW and The Royal Institution websites. *Please note that the winning essays will be edited by professional science journalists before they are published nationally as standard practice*.