CUNY Nobel Science Challenge
The 2012 CUNY Nobel Science Challenge: The Science Behind the Prize
A Competition for CUNY Undergraduate Students
The Nobel Prizes in physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, and economics have recently been announced. CUNY undergraduate students are invited to describe, in 1000-1500 words, the scientific concepts behind the work for which one of the 2012 Nobel winners received their respective prize and the present and future significance of the research to humanity. The essays must make the science accessible to the lay person.
Please see important notes below for additional details.
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Essays will be read and judged by a distinguished CUNY faculty committee. Three prizes will be awarded in each category (physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, and economics) and one additional prize will be awarded to the best essay submitted.
Essays must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on December 6, 2012. They should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format and submitted by email with subject heading “CUNY Nobel Science Challenge—your essay category” to: cuny.nobel@mail.cuny.edu. Questions may also be submitted to the email address above. |
Prizes
First Prize: Apple iMac Computer First Prize winners from each category will be forwarded to a second faculty committee that will select the Grand Prize winner for the best essay submitted overall. Please note that previous first prize winners are not eligible for this year's competition. The winner will receive a Grand Prize of $3,000. |
Important notes:
- Essays that exceed the word count (1,500 maximum) will be rejected. (Bibliographies, charts, etc. do not count toward word limit).
- Essays will be judged on accuracy and clarity.
- To check for accuracy, we encourage discussing the concepts that you will expand upon in your essay with a professor, but note that essays must be your own original and independent work.
- No portion of your essay may be copied from other sources without appropriate citing of the sources. Essays will be checked for original content using source-verification software. You must cite your sources within the text and as a list at the end of the document.
- When you submit your essay, includ the following in the body of the email: your college, major, class standing (freshman, sophomore, junior or senior) and the best telephone number where you can be contacted.
The Nobel Challenge is open to all first degree undergraduate students currently registered in a degree program at CUNY
Winners will be announced in February, 2013
2012 CUNY Nobel Science Challenge winning essays >
2011 CUNY Nobel Science Challenge winning essays >
2010 CUNY Nobel Science Challenge winning essays >
2012 Nobel winners
Physiology or Medicine
For the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent
Physics
For ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems
Chemistry
For studies of G-protein-coupled receptors
Economics
For the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design |
