Deadline: February 1, 2025
Applications are open for the NASW Science in Society Journalism Awards 2025. National Association of Science Writers (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. They especially seek 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 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.
Awards
- NASW will award separate cash prizes of $2,000 for writing judged best in each of the categories. Only authors or producers listed on the original submission will be recognized by the awards. The awards will be announced in October 2025. In cases of multiple authors or producers, prize money will be split between the entrants at their discretion. However, the prize money is intended for content authors or producers, not publications or news organizations.
Eligibility
- English-language works first published or broadcast between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024 are eligible for this competition.
- Since 2024, the competition is no longer limited to works published in North America; entries from global publications and outlets are now eligible.
- Works translated into English are not currently eligible. All categories are platform-independent.
- Self-published works such as blogs are eligible for the awards; unpublished works are not.
Application
- 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, audio/video, 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, audio/video, 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, audio/video, 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, audio/video, or multiple media.
For more information, visit NASW Science in Society Journalism Awards.
