dna essay contest

Realizing the benefits of human genetics and genomics research for people everywhere.

Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

ASHG is proud to support National DNA Day through the Annual DNA Day Essay Contest. DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953.

This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 worldwide and asks students to examine, question, and reflect on important concepts in genetics. Essays are expected to be well-reasoned arguments that indicate a deep understanding of scientific concepts related to the essay question. They are evaluated by ASHG members through three rounds of scoring.

2024 Question

Many human diseases have a genetic component. Some diseases result from a change in a single gene or even multiple genes. Yet, many diseases are complex and stem from an interaction between genes and the environment. Environmental factors may include chemicals in the air or water, nutrition, microbes, ultraviolet radiation from the sun and social context. Provide an example of how the interplay of genetics and environment can shape human health.

Important Dates

• Early January, 2024: Submission site opens
• March 6, 2024: Submission site closes
• April 25, 2024: DNA Day! Winners and Honorable Mentions announced

1st Place Winner: $1,000 for student $1,000 genetics materials grant

2nd Place Winner: $600 for student $600 genetics materials grant

3rd Place Winner: $400 for student $400 genetics materials grant

Honorable Mentions : 10 student prizes of $100 each

Questions? Email [email protected]

The rubric below is used by judges to evaluate every essay in the second and third rounds of judging.

Rules & Requirements

• No LLM (large-language model) tool will be accepted as a credited author on this essay. That is because any attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the work, and AI tools cannot take such responsibility. Students using LLM tools should document this use in the citations section.
• Essays must be submitted by a teacher or administrator and written by high school students (grades 9-12) in the U.S. and internationally. Parents may submit essays if the student is home schooled.
• Essays must be written by one individual student; group submissions are not permitted.
• Essays must be in English and no more than 750 words. Word count includes in-text citations, but not reference lists.
• Submissions should not include the student’s name in the essay text. This helps with impartial judging.
• Essays must include at least one reference. References should be clearly documented with both in-text citations and in the references list. The reference list should be separately entered in the “References” section of the submission page.
• APA or MLA style can be used for citations. There is no limit on how many references students may use, but they should avoid too many references, as judges want to know the student’s opinion on the question and not the opinion of the resources.
• Quality of references will be considered by judges when scoring.
• Only classroom teachers are eligible for the equipment grant.
• Teachers of first-place winners from 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are not eligible for equipment grants in 2024.

Please Note Text from essays may be used for research purposes to identify misconceptions, misunderstandings, and areas of student interest in genetics. Student text may be published on the ASHG website, newsletter, or in other ASHG publications.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The text of the student’s essay must be his or her own words unless quotations are explicitly noted. If plagiarism is suspected during any point of the contest, the essay in question will be examined. Essays found to contain the uncited work of others will be disqualified and the student’s teacher will be notified. Plagiarism.org gives a helpful explanation of what plagiarism is.

How many essays can one student submit? Only one entry per student.

How many essays can one teacher submit on behalf of students? Each teacher may submit up to six student essays per class, for up to three classes.

What are low-quality a high-quality sources? A low-quality source is one that doesn’t guarantee accurate information, such as Wikipedia. High-quality sources include research journals, such as those accessible through PubMed.

What is included in the 750-word count, and what is not?

• All text in the essay, in-line citations/references, headings and titles, and image captions are included in the word count
• The reference list is the only text not included in the word count.

Should references have a separate page? The reference list will be submitted separately in the “references” section of the submission site. Everything will be included on one page once the essay is submitted.

Is there a standard font or margin size preferred? No. Once the essay is copied and pasted into the submission site, it will be formatted to fit our standard margins and fonts.

How do I submit my essay if my teacher cannot do it for me? Try to find any other teacher or guidance counselor at your school who can submit for you. If this isn’t an option, please email us at [email protected] .

Can my guidance counselor or another school administrator submit my essay for me? Yes.

Can I submit for my student who is currently studying abroad? Students must be studying at the same school as the teacher who submits their essays.

Can I change information after I have submitted? No, please make sure all information is correct before submitting because it will be final.

How does the teacher vouch for the originality of the student’s work? Your submission represents your authentication that the essays are the original work of your students.

I submitted late. Will my essay still be judged? Late submissions will not be judged.

Where’s the confirmation email? It may take some time for the email to get to you. If you haven’t received it by the end of the day, either check your junk mailbox or double check that the email address you provided is correct. If neither of those options work, email [email protected] .

Summarized below are some of the most common issues judges note in reading submitted essays.

• Too much focus on details. A focus on details to the detriment of demonstrating a clear understanding of the big picture. Judges are much more forgiving of errors in details than errors in fundamental concepts and larger ideas.
• Overstating. Sweeping and grandiose overstatements of the current/future state and/or utility of biotechnology or biomedical science.
• Inaccuracy in technical language. Judges know you do not know all the “science jargon,” so don’t feel obligated to use it.
• Lack of in-text citations in, or lack of citations for information that is not considered common knowledge. If you got the information from somewhere else, cite the source.
• Using out-of-date references. Scientific understanding changes very rapidly, and references that are more than five years old are likely to have outdated ideas.
• Using too many quotes. Although occasional use is warranted, too many quotes lead judges to think the author doesn’t grasp the topic.

Check out the links below for excerpts from past winners’ essays!

Want to become a judge? If you are a current-year ASHG member, you will receive an email each February inviting you to volunteer. If you did not receive the email or cannot locate it, please contact [email protected] . You can also volunteer by the visiting the ASHG involvement page. You may forward the judge recruiting email ONLY to fellow ASHG current members. The deadline to sign up as a judge is the usually the end of February for that year’s Contest. If you have questions about future years, please contact [email protected]

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DNA Day Essay Contest

Ages: High School

Type: Submission

Scope: International

Evelyn Mantegani [email protected] 301-634-7351

Participate

National DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953. Teachers and students around the world are encouraged to celebrate by participating in the American Society of Human Genetics' (ASHG) annual DNA Day Essay Contest! The question each year aims to cover a current topic in genetics that may not be covered in biology class. Students are encouraged to work with their science and language arts teachers. Essays should be 750 words maximum. Winners and honorable mentions are announced on Friday, April 24, 2020.

This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 worldwide and asks students to examine, question, and reflect on important concepts in genetics. Essays are expected to be well-reasoned arguments indicative of a depth of understanding of the concepts related to the essay question.

2020 Question

• Essays must be the product of an individual student's work;  group submissions are not permitted .
• All essays must be written in  English  and are limited to  750 words . Word count includes in-text citations, but does not include reference lists.
• Essay titles are optional and  will  be counted towards the word limit.
• Word count is best determined by Microsoft Word's count. The submission page will give an official word count when submitters enter the essay.
• Essays should  not  include a student's name.
• Essays must include  at least one reference . References must be clearly documented with both in-text citations and in the references list (the reference list should be separately entered into the "References" section of the submission page). Students may use either  APA  or  MLA  style citations. There is no restriction on how many references students may use. However, please keep in mind that students should avoid having too many references, as we want to know the student's opinion on the question and not the opinion of the student's sources.
• Low quality sources  = Wikipedia.
• High quality sources  = Research journals (for example, from  PubMed )

Website: http://www.ashg.org/education/dnaday.shtml

Managing Organization: American Society of Human Genetics

Contact: Evelyn Mantegani [email protected] 301-634-7351

Eligibility: Essays that will be accepted must be submitted by a teacher and written by high school students (grades 9-12) in the U.S. and internationally.

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The European Society of Human Genetics

News details, eshg dna day essay & video contest 2024: submission now open.

Essays and Videos can be submitted electronically between January and April 25 (Deadline for submission).

This year’s question: 'Ask an Artificial Intelligence chat of your choice to write a 350 word essay on the topic: “Is the human Y-chromosome vanishing in the future?” In a 750 word essay of your own, discuss the result and its consequences, should the public believe the content of the A.I. essay was actually true.'

Finally, we are looking for a number of judges volunteering to evaluate the submissions. Please email us if you would like to contribute as a judge, your help would be greatly appreciated.

With almost 180 submissions from 22 countries, 2023 was another great year for our DNA Day Essay and Video contest. The “top five” participating countries were Turkey, United Kingdom, Albania, Italy, and France. The number of submissions has grown from about 90 in the first year the event was held. For the 16th year, the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) will be sponsoring a DNA Day Essay contest in European high schools as part of International DNA Day activities. Given the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence on our lives, the Education Committee has decided to make A.I. part of the contest instead of banning it. This year’s question is:

' Ask an Artificial Intelligence chat of your choice to write a 350 word essay on the topic: “Is the human Y-chromosome vanishing in the future?” In a 750 word essay of your own, discuss the result and its consequences, should the public believe the content of the A.I. essay was actually true.'

More information: DNA Day website ( www.dnaday.eu )

Finally, we are looking for a number of judges volunteering to evaluate the submissions. Judging will be made between May 1 and May 20 and is great fun! Please let us know if you would like to contribute as a judge, your help would be greatly appreciated.

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ASHG announces DNA Day essay contest winner

By john daniels assistant public affairs specialist.

By the time, high school students reach their senior year, they've learned about DNA, RNA and scientific theories about evolution and genetic variation. This year, more than 750 students went beyond those basic biology lessons to find topics they would write about and submit to an international essay contest sponsored by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG).  Held every year, the contest coincides with National DNA Day, which was established by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to commemorate the 1953 discovery of DNA's double helix structure and the 2003 completion of the Human Genome Project. Rachel Gleyzer, a tenth grade student at Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, N.J., took first place this year with her essay on the role genetics and the environment play in absolute pitch (AP), a person's ability to accurately and instantly identify a musical tone's pitch without hearing a preceding reference note. Ms. Gleyzer chose this topic because she wanted to know why some people she knew had AP, but she did not. "I was so happy when I found out I was a finalist in the contest. It was exciting, but a little unexpected," said Ms. Gleyzer, adding that writing the essay was not easy. "I had to read a lot of complex technical information and try to make it interesting and accessible, but it really improved my writing," she said. "It's very important that good scientists are good communicators," said Carol Zepatos, Ms. Gleyzer's biology teacher. "This is a great opportunity for students to hone their technical writing skills." Ms. Zepatos requires all of her biology students to write an essay for the contest. ASHG encourages participation in the contest by marketing it to teachers, rather than to students. Teachers, in turn, equip their students to write the essays by educating their classes on that year's topic. This year, students were asked to identify and describe at least one genetic factor and one environmental factor that contribute to a particular complex trait, such as blood pressure or height. The essays went through three rounds of judging, during which more than 530 ASHG members judged them on accuracy, quality of writing and supporting arguments. The annual contest, which began in 2006, has grown significantly over the past few years. The 750 submissions in this year's contest is more than double the total number since 2009.  All winners are awarded a monetary prize. The teachers of the top three winners receive grants for genetic teaching materials. "The contest helps high school students to not only learn about genetics in the classroom, but it helps them use that knowledge in a meaningful way," said Katherine Lontok, Ph.D., ASHG's educational programs manager.  "We were glad to see so many great essays from students who have a passion for genetics." Ms. Gleyzer hopes to turn her passion into a career that combines molecular biology with the humanities. "I want to take the skills I'd learn in a lab and be more creative with them," she said. For high school students thinking about entering next year's contest, she said, "Go for it! It'll pay off in the future. Just because something's challenging doesn't mean it's not worth doing."

Congratulations to this year's essay contest winners:

Honorable mention.

Arwa Abdelhamid , Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island, N.Y. . Samantha Burns , Lely High School in Naples, Fla. Vivien Chen , Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Md Hussein Elghazaly , El Alsson British & American International School in Haraniya, Giza Lucas Lin , Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va. Sangho Myung , Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md. Rosie Nagele , Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia, Pa. Allison Rerick , Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island, N.Y. Karl Tayeb , Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, N.J. Eytan Weinstein , Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim in Jerusalem, Israel The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) will celebrate National DNA Day at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., from Saturday, April 26 to Sunday, April 27. For more information go to: http://www.genome.gov/DNADay . Attendees will be able to participate in family-friendly activities on genetics and DNA with NHGRI staff and volunteers. NHGRI will also post on the National DNA Day Facebook and Twitter pages from the festival.

Posted: April 25, 2014

Last updated: April 25, 2014

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DNA Day Essay Contest

The American Society of Human Genetics is a body that envisions a world where people everywhere can realize the benefits of human genetics and genomics research. The society was established in 1948 and founded its own journal, “The American Journal of Human Genetics (AJHG)”, in 1949. The journal is still published today and continues to share scientific research around human genetics.

ASHG as well as its members champion the importance of genomics, genetics, and advocate for policies that support research and advancement in the field. The ASHG is now part of a network of societies and organizations. They have even helped create or inspired the creation of some of these organizations.

As a way of celebrating National DNA Day, which celebrates the day the Human Genome Project was completed, the ASHG created the DNA Day Contest. The program awards a total of $3,000 to 13 students based on the essays they have written on the provided topic. The scholarship also rewards winning teachers with genetic material grants. The contest exposes students to scientific research at a young age.

Scholarship Summary

Eligibility requirements.

• Eligible Grade: High School Freshman – High School Senior
• Maximum Age: Any
• Required GPA : Any
• Geographic Eligibility: Any
• Gender: Any
• Race/Ethnicity: Any

Key Information of DNA Day Essay Contest

Study details, area of study, country of study, specific schools, application requirements.

Here’s what you need to submit besides your application.

DNA Day Essay Contest Timeline

January 7, 2023

Application Opening Date

Application opens for submission of entries.

March 7, 2023

Application Closing Date

Entries will no longer be accepted from this date.

April 25, 2023

Award Announcement Date

How to ace the DNA Day Essay Contest

Ensure citations and references are properly done

All information that is not considered common knowledge should be cited. Cite the source If you got the information from somewhere else. Referencing should be done in APA or MLA style.

Avoid inaccurate technical words

You are not compelled to use technical words, and moreover, the judges don't expect you to. So don't feel obligated to, but if you do make sure you use the correct terms.

Use recent citations in your essay

Only make use of references that are within the last five years as scientific knowledge changes rapidly.

Do not focus too much on details

Go straight to the fundamental ideas, and avoid spending too much time on the little details. You should also avoid overstating facts on the current state of medical sciences.

How the DNA Day Essay Contest is Judged

All essays will be judged on the overall accuracy of science content. The use of relevant evidence in support of an argument/answer is a major criteria. Only essays well-focused on the question/topic will be selected. Essays will be checked for writing quality such as composition, clarity of thesis, grammar, syntax, and spelling. Essays will be screened for the appropriateness of citations and referencing. The quality of these two contributes to 15% of the score.

Why We Love the DNA Day Essay Contest

Application is open to all high-school students

There is no GPA requirement for participation as entries are also accepted from students worldwide. There is no age, racial, ethnic, or geographical restriction attached to the eligibility.

The Contest also rewards teachers

Teachers are not left out on rewards in their role in preparing and guiding their students for the contest. The scholarship program also rewards teachers by offering grants to teachers that produced the winning students

Students are exposed early to academic research

The program challenges young students to question, examine, and reflect on important concepts in genetics. This early exposure enables them to forge on to build wonderful careers in genetics.

5 Facts About the American Society of Human Genetics

The essay competition is an ASHG initiative

The scholarship is supported by the American Society of Human Genetics in honor of National DNA Day.

It is a celebration of milestone achievements

DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid in 1953.

The competition offers a learning opportunity

The essay competition is also another platform for students to develop research skills and make critical personal judgments

ASHG helps publish exceptional essays in journals

ASHG also publishes essays with good content as review articles in their journal for free.

The program encourages original work

Being a research-based scientific essay contest, ASHG discourages all forms of plagiarism, plagiarism equals automatic disqualification.

Additional Scholarships

Prudential emerging visionaries scholarship.

The Prudential Emerging Visionaries scholarship program awards 25 prizes to the value of $15,000 to young exceptional changemakers.

AICPA Scholarships

AICPA offers scholarships to 139 U.S. residents studying accountancy or related fields every year.

+1 (603) 932 7897

[email protected].

Annual DNA Day Essay Contest Preparation

Students wants to register for the Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

DNA Day Essay Contest

Class Introduction

This class is tailored for high school students in grades 9 to 12 who are interested in participating in the Annual DNA Day Essay Contest. Whether you’re passionate about genetics, writing, or both, our class is designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to craft compelling essays. We welcome students from diverse backgrounds and provide individualized instruction to support each participant’s success.

• Gain a deep understanding of genetics concepts and their impact on human health.
• Develop advanced writing skills, including research, analysis, and argumentation.
• Learn effective essay-writing strategies tailored to the requirements of the DNA Day Essay Contest.

Class Structure

Approximately 5-10 hours of one-on-one sessions, with the option to adjust the hours depending on the student’s specific situation and needs.

Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email. 

Further reading

• DNA Day Essay Competition Information
• Guide to the DNA Day Essay Contest

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Welcome to the ESHG DNA Day Essay & Video Contest

A yearly contest for high school students

Welcome to all students, teachers and genetics colleagues!

What is the DNA DAY Contest?

The structure of the DNA double helix was unraveled seventy years ago. DNA Day, April 25 , is commemorated internationally as a celebration of Genetics and its promises. For the 15th year, the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG), will be sponsoring a DNA Day Essay and Video contest in high schools all over the world.

The essay and video contest is meant as a learning tool and a searches to promote knowledge of genetics within Europe. It intends to challenge students to examine, question and reflect on the importance and social implications of genetic research and its applications. Essays are expected to contain substantive, well-reasoned arguments indicative of a depth of understanding of the issues addressed by the selected essay question.

What’s the 2024 topic?

Given the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence on our lives, the ESHG has decided to make A.I. part of the contest instead of banning it. this year’s question is:

Ask an Artificial Intelligence chat of your choice to write a 350 word essay on the topic: “Is the human Y-chromosome vanishing in the future?”

• In a 750 word essay of your own, OR
• In a short video (max. 5 min) of your own,

discuss the result and its consequences, should the public believe the content of the A.I. essay was actually true.

First Place Winner: EUR 400 In addition, sponsoring teachers of 1st place students will receive EUR 1,000 to organise a science project.

Second Place Winner: EUR 300 In addition, sponsoring teachers of 2nd place students will receive EUR 800 to organise a science project.

Third Place Winner: EUR 200 In addition, sponsoring teachers of 3rd place students will receive EUR 500 to organise a science project.

All participants will receive a certificate of appreciation for their participation in the contest.

Important Dates

September: Submissions opens

April 25: Deadline for the submission to the European Society of Human Genetics

April 25: DNA DAY

April 25 – June 10: An international jury of scientists are judging the submissions

Mid June: Essay contest winners will be announced to the public

Statistics since the beginning of the DNA Day Essay Contest in 2009 (videos were started in 2018):

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