Science for Youth Global Essay Competition 2022

2022 Theme: The Path Towards a Better Tropics with Science

This global essay competition intends to capture the thoughts of young people on how they view the tropics and how science can improve life in the tropics. The Mahathir Science Award Foundation is a firm supporter of the involvement of youth in science, particularly for the betterment of quality of life in the nations they reside in.

Watch the Winners Announcement!

Check out our guest judges below!

Submit your essay here

Download the full competition leaflet here

Download the cover page (only for essays submitted via post) here

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FAQ

Who is eligible to participate?

Anyone who is between 13 to 18 years old (in 2022). The essay competition is open globally.

Will participants receive a certificate?

Yes, everyone who submits an entry that fulfills the terms and conditions will receive a digital certificate of participation via email.

How long must my essay be?

Less than 1000 words (not including title).

What is the format of the essay?

  1. Font type: Arial
  2. Font size: 12pt
  3. Formatting: Single spaced (1.0) and justified

 

There are no restrictions on how you structure your essay (eg. number of paragraphs). However, we will not be accepting poems.

Please do not include any personal details (eg. name, address) in the essay document. These details should be provided in the online form or cover page (if submitting by post)

If submitting online, please upload the essay in PDF format, and follow the guidelines on how to name your your essay document (as mentioned in the online form)

How do I submit the essay?

There are 2 ways:

  1. Online – click on the Submit your essay here button on this page (scroll up) and you will be redirected to an online form. You may be asked to sign in to your Google account to access the form. Fill in the online form and upload your essay there.
  2. Post – Complete the cover page (scroll up to download) with your details and post it with your essay to our postal address:

 

Mahathir Science Award Foundation (MSAF)

902-4 Jalan Tun Ismail,

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

 

How are essays judged?

Our judges will use 4 main criteria for judging essays:

 

  1. Originality and creativity
  2. Language and style
  3. Relevance to topic/ content
  4. Structure/Clarity

 

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

Please email award@msa-foundation.org

What is the deadline for submissions?

27 June 2022, 23:59 (GMT+8)

When will the winners be announced?

The winners will be announced in late August 2022. We will notify winners by email/phone call. Due to the large number of submissions, we will only be contacting winners on their essays.

The winners will be announced on our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).

What will winners receive?

The top 3 essays in each language category will receive:

1st Prize: RM1500 (approx. USD340) and the opportunity to ask 3 questions to one of our Mahathir Science Award Laureates

2nd Prize: RM1000 (approx. USD230)

3rd Prize: RM500 (approx. USD110)

Winning essays will be published on the online magazine E-estidotmy.

Terms and conditions

  1. The essay submitted must be the original and unpublished (including content published online) work of the participant. Plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification from the competition.
  2. The Mahathir Science Award Foundation and programme strategic partners reserve the rights to use and edit your submitted work for clarity in any promotional or printed materials.
  3. Entries containing any types of offensive and/or restricted content as determined by the Mahathir Science Award Foundation at the Foundation’s sole discretion, will be disqualified.
  4. Each participant is allowed to submit ONE (1) essay only. Essays must be the sole work of the participant, co-authored essays will not be accepted.
  5. Judges’ decisions on the 3 winners are final, appeals will not be entertained.