Apply for AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards 2024

By participating in the Contest, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Contest Rules and the decisions of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (“AAAS”) and its independent judging committees, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

Award Categories

• Print/Online Entries: Science Reporting – Large Outlet: Text pieces in print or online from large newspapers with a circulation of more than 150,000 (largest single day, including digital subscriptions) and digital-only publications with a regional or national audience. Online-only news outlets with 50 or more staff employees are included in this category. An entry can include a themed series or up to three related or unrelated pieces. Total of 5,000 words or less.
• Science Reporting – Small Outlet: Text pieces in print or online from small newspapers with circulation of 150,000 or less (largest single day, including digital subscriptions) and digital-only publications with a local audience. Online-only news outlets with fewer than 50 staff employees are included in this category. An entry can be a single story; submission of two or three related or unrelated pieces; or a themed series (submit no more than three parts for judging). Total of 5,000 words or less.
• Science Reporting – In-Depth: An entry of more than 5,000 words for a newspaper, magazine, or online site. Entry can be a single story; submission of two or three related or unrelated pieces; or a themed series (submit no more than three parts for judging).
• Magazine: Stories in print, on magazine websites or in digital-only magazines.
• Audio Entries (radio or podcast): Entries may consist of either a single story; an entry of two or three unrelated stories; or a thematic series (submit no more than three parts of the series for judging). Submit a link to an MP3 file of the broadcast. The MP3 file must be freely accessible throughout the screening and judging period — August 1, 2024 to October 30, 2024 — either through an active URL or an archived link. Additionally, please upload a text transcript of the radio broadcast or podcast or submit a freely accessible link where judges can read the transcript online.
• Video Entries: For television, cable or stand-alone online videos. Two categories: i. Spot News/Feature Reporting: A single segment or series not to exceed 20 minutes in total. ii. In-Depth Reporting: Programs or segments totaling more than 20 minutes. An eligible entry in either category may consist of a single story; two or three unrelated stories; or a thematic series (submit no more than three parts for judging). Submit links to the video files, which must be hosted on Vimeo, Dropbox or YouTube. Do not provide any other links that will require an automatic download. The video file must be freely accessible throughout the screening and judging period — August 1, 2024 to October 30, 2024 — either through an active, freely accessible URL or an archived link. Additionally, please upload a text transcript of the video or submit a link where judges can read the transcript online. Note: Stand-alone online videos should be submitted in the Video categories. Videos that are integral to an online text or multimedia package will be judged as part of such entries in the Print/Online categories.
• Children’s Science News Entries: This prize is for work distributed via any medium — print, broadcast or online. The prize recognizes excellence in reporting news on science for children, including young teens up to age 14. Entries will be accepted across all categories: Print/Online, Video and Audio. As with other awards, entries may consist of an individual item, a series (with up to three segments submitted for judging), or a group of two or three unrelated items.

Award Information

• Two awards will be given in each of the Categories, a Gold Award worth $5,000 and a Silver Award worth $3,500. (One winner for each award also may receive reasonable travel, airport transfer, hotel, and per diem meal expenses to attend an awards ceremony in February 2025 if such ceremony is held on-site rather than virtually.) Winners shall be solely responsible for all taxes and fees or costs associated with any prize, including but not limited to any federal or state or other income tax. International winners of the award shall solely be responsible for obtaining any passports or other travel documents that may be required if the award ceremony is held on-site.

Eligibility Criteria

• Only individuals over the age of eighteen (18) years as of August 1, 2024, who are residing and located in a jurisdiction where the contest is lawful are eligible to enter. Employees of AAAS or The Kavli Foundation, or their affiliates, subsidiaries, suppliers, vendors and/or service providers, and their immediate family members or persons living in the same household are not eligible.
• The Contest is void where prohibited.
• Individual winners of the 2023 awards are not eligible, and individuals who have won a total of three times are no longer eligible.
• The awards are open to journalists doing work for independent news organizations around the globe.
• The following are not eligible for the AAAS Kavli awards: items published originally in AAAS publications or produced by AAAS; and items authored by employees of AAAS (including those on the masthead of Science magazine) or The Kavli Foundation.

For more information, visit AAAS.