Deadline: February 1, 2024
Applications are open for the NASW Science in Society Journalism Awards 2024. NASW established the Science in Society Journalism Awards to provide recognition — without subsidy from any professional or commercial interest — for investigative or interpretive reporting about the sciences and their impact on modern society.
Beginning with the first award in 1972, winners have demonstrated innovative reporting that goes well beyond the science itself and into ethical problems and social implications for communities and society at large. NASW especially seeks to recognize science writing that is shaped by a variety of perspectives, because such writing enables them to tell more broadly relevant stories that better serve their readers and communities. Therefore, they consider diversity in topics, sources, audience and authors to be a critical component of excellence. A committee of accomplished peers judges the entries each year.
Categories
- Books: An entry consists of a book-length work that has been published and made commercially available, either in print or as an e-book.
- Commentary: An entry consists of a single article or broadcast that is an opinion piece, editorial, essay, or similar work that conveys a subjective point of view or perspective on a scientific issue of societal importance.
- Science Reporting: An entry consists of a single article or broadcast covering recent or breaking news. Written entries must be fewer than 1500 words, or a single broadcast, up to four minutes in length. If an entry consists of a combination of media (text + video, text + audio, etc.), each minute of audio/video is considered equivalent to 350 words. A mixed-media entry may not exceed the total word limit for the category. Entrants must indicate whether judges should consider text only, or multiple media.
- Science Features: An entry consists of a single article or broadcast that offers a deep dive into a subject. While the focus may be timely, the category is not intended for longform breaking news. Features should be deeply reported and may include narrative elements, analyses and/or data visualizations. Written entries must be 1500-4000 words, or a single broadcast, 4-12 minutes in length. If an entry consists of a combination of media (text + video, text + audio, etc.), each minute of audio/video is considered equivalent to 350 words. A mixed-media entry may not exceed the total word limit for the category. Entrants must indicate whether judges should consider text only, or multiple media.
- Longform Narratives: An entry consists of a single article or broadcast that tells a compelling story through deep research and reporting and strong narrative storytelling. Written entries must be 4000 words or more, or a single broadcast, 12 minutes or more in length. If an entry consists of a combination of media (text + video, text + audio, etc.), each minute of audio/video is considered equivalent to 350 words. A mixed-media entry may not exceed the total word limit for the category. Entrants must indicate whether judges should consider text only, or multiple media.
- Series: An entry consists of a series of articles or broadcasts published/produced as a coherent, named series in a single publication (or publications working together on the series). Entrants may choose to submit a minimum of two articles or broadcasts to represent the series, and no more than three, for consideration in the competition. If an entry consists of a combination of media (text + video, text + audio, etc.), each minute of audio/video is considered equivalent to 350 words. A mixed-media entry may not exceed the total word limit for the category. Entrants must indicate whether judges should consider text only, or multiple media.
Prizes
- NASW will award separate cash prizes of $2,000 for writing judged best in each of the categories.
Eligibility
- Open to submissions from international publications and outlets.
- English-language works first published or broadcast between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023 are eligible.
- Works translated into English are not currently eligible.
- Categories are platform-independent. Self-published works such as blogs are eligible for the awards; unpublished works are not.
Application
Complete all steps of the online entry process by 11:59PM Eastern on February 1, 2024. Your entry is not complete until you reach the confirmation screen and, if applicable, mail any hardcopy books or media. Note that they strongly encourage all material to be submitted in electronic format online.
For more information, visit NASW Awards.