The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) will be hosting its 8th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest for high school students from across the United States and around the world. DNA Day commemorates the anniversary of the publication of Watson and Crick’s seminal paper proposing a double-helical structure for DNA.
The essay question for 2013, which is the 60th anniversary of their discovery, asks students to consider the impact of breakthroughs resulting from knowledge of the double helix or from the Human Genome Project. Students are eligible for cash prizes of $1,000, $600, and $400 for first-, second-, and third-place, respectively, and $100 for honorable mention (10 awards). Teachers of winning students will receive lab equipment grants of equivalent value.
Each teacher is invited to submit up to six of the best essays their students write. Also, because ASHG values excellence in writing as well as in science, please consider promoting this contest with your colleagues in the language arts. It is an excellent way to implement “writing across the curriculum. Visit http://www.ashg.org/education/dnaday.shtml for a link to the essay question, rules, and deadlines for the 2013 contest. The essay submission site will open in January, and winners will be announced April 25.