The DOE NNSA Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (SSGF) launched its annual essay contest in 2011 to give current and former fellows an opportunity to write about their work with a broad, non-technical audience in mind. LRGF recipients were welcomed into the now-joint competition in 2019.
The contest, open to fellows and alumni, encourages better communication of stewardship science priorities and their value to society. Participants write brief essays on topics of personal interest, such as their career paths and inspiration or their research and its importance.
Winners
Winners are recognized at the DOE NNSA SSGF/LRGF Annual Program Review, receive a cash prize, and are offered the opportunity to work with a professional science writer to critique and edit their essays.
Each winning essay was published in the annual Stewardship Science publication. Click on any of the links below to access the full text.
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2025 — Derek Kuldinow: Building Invisible Traps
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2024 — Sofia Gomez: From Play-Doh to Printed Polymers
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2023* — Taylor Sloop-Cabral: The Power of Pores
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2022 — Olivia Pardo: Planetary Black Rocks
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2021 — Sophia Farrell: Into the Darkness
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2020 — No Winner
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2019 — Erin Good: When Physics Becomes Art
* LRGF recipient