National Association of Science Writers: Science in Society Journalism Award Grant

National Association of Science Writers: Science in Society Journalism Award Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: National Association of Science Writers
Amount: US $2,000
Last Updated: April 01, 2026

Summary

The National Association of Science Writers presents the Science in Society Journalism Award, recognizing exceptional investigative reporting on the sciences and their societal impact. Open to international submissions, works published or broadcast in English from January 1 to December 31, 2023, are eligible. Categories include books, commentary, science reporting, features, longform narratives, and series. This prestigious award encourages innovative journalism that addresses ethical and social implications of science.

Overview

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. A committee of accomplished peers judges the entries each year. Categories are platform-independent: 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.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Beginning with the 2024 awards cycle, the Science in Society Journalism Awards will be 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.Self-published works such as blogs are eligible for the awards; unpublished works are not.

Ineligibility

Works translated into English are not currently eligible.Last year's winners are not eligible.Previous winners who have won more than three times are not eligible. Entries about significant advances in science, or a science topic in general, will be ineligible if the relevance to the broader society is unclear, no matter how well-written the entry.