Young Statisticians Writing Competition 2018 for Early-Career Statisticians – Cardiff, Wales

Are you an early-career statistician with the ability to write data-driven stories in an entertaining and thought-provoking way? If so, we invite you to enter the 2018 Statistical Excellence Award for Early-Career Writing. The competition is jointly organised by Significance and the Young Statisticians Section of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and forms part of the RSS Statistical Excellence Awards programme.

Application Deadline: 28th May, 2018

Offered annually? Yes

To be taken at (country): Wales

About the Award: The rules of entry are simple: send us your best article, of between 1500 and 2500 words, on the subject of your choosing.

In past years, winning submissions have been based on original analyses produced specifically for the competition. This does take work, but it often results in a unique and compelling article.

You can write about work you have done as part of your studies, or during your career, but if these articles draw on previously published work, you must ensure that the competition submission is sufficiently different in terms of style and structure. Remember, Significance is a magazine, not an academic journal.

You can also write about the work of others, but this must be in the form of a critique or wider overview of a subject area.

Whatever you choose to write about, articles must be engaging and easy to read. Significance is published for a broad audience with varying levels of statistical expertise. This means technical terms and mathematics should be kept to a minimum and explained clearly where used.

Type: Contest

Eligibility: The competition is open to:

1. Students currently studying for a first degree, Master’s or PhD in statistics or related subjects.
2. Graduates whose last qualification in statistics or related subjects (whether first degree, Master’s or PhD) was not more than five years ago.

Selection Criteria: 

• Articles must be interesting, engaging and easy to read.
• Technical terms and mathematics must be kept to a minimum, and explained clearly where used.
• Readers should finish your article knowing more about statistics, or the application of statistics, than they did before.

Number of Awardees: 3

Value of Program:

• Three finalists will win a full registration to the 2018 Royal Statistical Society International Conference in Cardiff, Wales. Please note that travel and accommodation costs will not be covered.
• The winning article will be published in Significance magazine and online at significancemagazine.com.
• Runner-up articles may be published on the Significance website or in Significance magazine, at the editor’s discretion.

Duration of Program: 3–6 September 2018

How to Apply: Email your submission as a text/Word file or PDF to significance@rss.org.uk. Make sure to include the competition entry form.

Visit Contest Webpage for details

Award Provider: The Royal Statistical Society, RSS (Young Statisticians Section); AND Significance Magazine