The Competition:
Original essays of 500-600 words, written by any high school student on one of the following topics:
1) Recycling Nuclear Fuel: a long-term solution to climate change
2) What can metals do in modern chemistry
3)Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: What, Why and How We Study Them
DUE DATE: Friday April 12th
The Awards:
1) Money (a two or three figure sum)
2) Lunch with a prominent chemist or Nobel Laureate
3) Lots and lots of recognition!
Essay Format:
The format of your submission should be a Microsoft Word document, double spaced, on 8.5" by 11" paper with 1" margins, using 12 point font, and APA or any comparable style of referencing. Clearly identify each page with the essay title, page # of total # of pages and author's name. At the end of the essay please specify the word count, excluding references. On the cover sheet specify the student's name, e-mail address, school, grade at time of submission, teacher's name and contact information. Make the submission electronically. N.B. Contestants should be aware that submissions may be tested for originality.
The essays will be evaluated by a team of Chemistry Department personnel composed of professors, lecturers and graduate students. They will look for:
clear, concise, grammatically correct writing that condenses the important points of the topic into the 500 - 600 words allowed
accurate chemical explanations, with some chemical insight, without propaganda or political judgements
reputable sources used
Depending on the topic, contestants may find that science newsmagazines like Chemical and Engineering News or Scientific American or topic-specific websites (eg. Nobel, NASA), will present a good overview of the subject for a general understanding. Basic textbooks may also serve this purpose. However, students will do well to consult more advanced academic references such as reputable research journals to ensure that their information has scientific merit as currently understood by reputable scientists working in the field.
Please visit this website for further details.
Attached are previous Riverdale CI esssay contest winners.