ASHG DNA Day Essay Contest
Direct application
$1,000
13 winners
Eligibility
Major
Biology Life Sciences
Education level
High school
About this scholarship
High school students in grades 9-12 worldwide may enter the ASHG Annual DNA Day Essay Contest by submitting a genetics essay of up to 750 words on the published annual question.
Prizes include $1,000 first place, $600 second, $400 third, and $100 for each of ten honorable mentions. Essays must be submitted by a teacher, administrator, or parent (for homeschooled students) through the online submission site, which opens in early January.
Essay question
What else to submit
- Essays must be in English and no more than 750 words (word count includes in-text citations and headings, but excludes the reference list)
- Essays must include at least one reference with proper citations (APA or MLA style)
- Eligibility: individual high school students (grades 9-12), U.S. and international
- Submitted by a classroom teacher, school administrator, or guidance counselor (parent may submit if a teacher is unavailable)
- Student name should not appear in the essay text
- Original work only; plagiarism results in disqualification; LLM tools may not be credited as authors
- Free ASHG account required to submit
- Deadline: early March (March 8, 2026 11:59pm U.S. Eastern per submission page)
- Submit an original English genetics essay of no more than 750 words, with at least one properly cited APA or MLA reference.
- Essay must be submitted through the online site by a teacher, school administrator, or guidance counselor; a parent may submit for a homeschooled student or if a teacher is unavailable.
- Student name must not appear in the essay text.
- Create a free ASHG account to submit.