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Program for Neuroscience and Society Launches Nation-Wide Journalism Contest

Neuroscience Journalism Competition 

The Dana Program for Neuroscience and Society at Loyola University Chicago is inviting student-produced journalistic stories related to neuroscience for submission to its journalism competition.  

This competition is open to undergraduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges during the Spring of 2025. It is NOT limited to students enrolled in a journalism program, and we encourage students from other disciplines, including neuroscience, to submit as well. We allow team submissions but prize money is awarded per entry, not per contributor.

Articles should be around 1,200-1,500 words. They can also include self-created graphics, photos, and illustrations, but no audio or video. Previously published stories can be submitted as long as they were published after September 2024 and can legally be published on our site. AP style is recommended,  but not required.  We encourage authors to use in-line links to source material where appropriate. (As we do in this document.)

Stories should contain original reporting and not merely summarize content that’s available online. This could entail interviewing experts and stakeholders, providing anecdotes, pulling records, unearthing previously unavailable records, etc.-

Awards: The top three submissions will have their articles published on our website. In addition, cash awards of $1,000, $750, and $500 will be given to the authors of the top three submissions.

 Important: These awards will be presented during an award ceremony on Thursday October 16, 2025 at Loyola University Chicago. In order to receive the cash award, one of the authors needs to be present at this event. The Program for Neuroscience and Society will cover travel and lodging (one night) for winners from outside the Chicago metro area (one travel stipend per entry).  

Deadline: Submissions will be accepted until  May 15, 2025 and can be done through Google Forms. The submission format is open, but PDF files are preferred.  Authors retain the copyright to their stories, but by submitting, consent to the Program for Neuroscience and Society publishing submitted content on its platforms.  

Stories should inform the readers about neuroscience and reveal its relevance for understanding our world. The articles should center around an application or discussion of neuroscientific discoveries, treatments, technologies, or be otherwise related to neuroscience (e.g., profiles of neuroscientists, policy issues related to neuroscience...). 

Articles should not only explain the science behind the discovery or technology, but also address the human and societal impact

Be aware that neuroscience is distinct from psychology and articles focusing on psychological rather than neuroscientific insights will not be forwarded for judging. Neuroscience involves consideration of the brain as a biological specimen, as a tissue.

 Below are three specific examples of stories you could consider.

  1. Example one. What is the situation in your area for voting rights for people with brain injury? What other impediments do people with a brain injury face when it comes to voting?.
  2.  Example two: Could you build upon this story and apply it to your community? Who would you talk to?
  1. Example three: This examines article analyzes a neuroscience study and finds its implications for our everyday lives.

 

Please also take a look at the winners of our  neuroscience journalism contest of Fall 2024, which was open to undergrads of Loyola Chicago.

 

Stories should embody this competition's five governing values and principles: Community-centered, Independent, Truthful, Ethical, Story-driven journalism (CITES).  See the document below for a deeper discussion of these principles. 

There are some excellent free resources available that can help students hone their science writing skills. The Knight Science Journalism Program and The Open Notebook provide high-quality free training materials and tip sheets for science journalists. 

 

If you have any questions regarding the contest, please email Bastiaan Vanacker: bvanacker@luc.edu

 

Our approach to neuroscience journalism: Community-centered, Independent, Truthful, Ethical, Story-driven journalism (CITES). 

 

Community-centered: Science journalism is more than science communication. Science journalism has its readers and their communities as their most important stakeholders, not the scientific community. Neuroscience journalism should therefore focus on the impact of discoveries on the daily lives of the readers and their communities. “Impact” need not only refer to how many people are affected. Insights into rare conditions that only affect a small number of people (and therefore receive less attention) can be all the more impactful. Neuroscience can explain, address, or reduce inequalities in society; it can make us reflect on the nature of free will; it can present us with ethical dilemmas we had never entertained before; or it can improve the lives of people suffering from neurological disorders. Good neuroscience journalism does not just summarize scientific studies but explores how neuroscience touches every aspect of humanity. 

 

Independent: One of the perennial criticisms of science journalism is that it is too much of a cheerleader for the scientific community. Deep brain stimulation, for example, has been covered too optimistically by the media, when it only focused on the treatment’s benefits while ignoring ethical considerations and potential harms. Science writers often do not possess the knowledge to critically examine the claims made by someone who devoted a lifetime to studying a topic. Nevertheless, a skeptical mindset and adherence to journalistic norms can help reporters navigate this knowledge imbalance.  

  • Do not rely merely on press releases or claims made by the authors of a study. 
  • Seek out experts who can help you contextualize insights and make sure these people do have expertise in the topic you are questioning them about. 
  • Avoidl with overhyping results obtained from animal studies. 
  • Ask critical questions. 
  • Be transparent, share the resources and sources you used to compile the article. 
  • Reveal any personal biases or conflicts of interest you might have. 
  • Reveal any biases or conflicts of interest your sources might have. 

 

Truthful: Truthful journalism is not just about being accurate. Yes, you should get your facts right. Make sure you spell names correctly and relay factual information accurately.  However, truthful journalism is also about providing context and empowering your readers to understand the true cost of a treatment or potential of a study.  

  • Who funded the study? 
  • Explain the limitations of a study or treatment to your audience. 
  • Do not just mention potential benefits but also risks and costs of a treatment. 
  • How does this study/treatment/insight fit within the rest of the field of neuroscience? Is it controversial or in line with scientific consensus?  
  • Provide context. 
  • Understand the numbers behind a study as they do not always tell the whole story.  Explain this in a way the general public can understand.
  • When writing about a policy issue or societal issue, make sure you present the pros and cons of  various sides. 

 

Ethical: The media is the leading source of science information for the public. It is, therefore, important that science journalists display the highest standards of professional ethics in their work. This is especially true for neuroscience journalism, which often covers treatments for people with neurological impairments or disorders who could be negatively affected by sensationalist coverage. Below is a non-exhaustive list of ethical considerations and guidelines.  

  • Avoid offering false hope about the potential of a treatment based on limited evidence. 
  • Follow the SPJ code of ethics.
  • Avoid sensationalism.  
  • Be careful with terms such as break-through, cure, game-changer…. 
  • Consider the ethical implications of a treatment. 
  • Use anecdotal evidence responsibly, consider whether or not the anecdotal evidence you report is typical and not an exception. 
  • When interviewing or talking to people who are affected by a neurological impairment or their caregivers, treat them with respect and care. Always identify yourself as a reporter, make sure you get their informed consent, and that they understand the nature of your endeavor. If you submit this story for the contest, it might get published and appear in search results. Make sure your sources are aware of this.   
  • Support groups on social media are a rich resource to find sources. Always ask permission before using specific information you find there. Always identify yourself as a reporter when you try to get access to these groups and when interacting with people. 
  • Keep all your work products, such as notes and interview recordings.  
  • Do not make up or brush up quotes, do not plagiarize, do not use AI to generate content.  

 

Story-driven: Good journalism does more than list facts. It tells a story and draws readers in. Science journalism is no different and should create a narrative that helps readers make sense of the world around them. Or as Tom Rosenstiel put it: “Creating a good story means finding and verifying important or interesting information and then presenting it in a way that engages the audience. Good stories are part of what makes journalism different and more valuable than other content in the media universe.” Rosenstiel quotes writing coaches Roy Peter Clark and Chip Scanlan who have identified six mistakes reporters can make when trying to engage an audience. Avoid these pitfalls as you craft your story.   

 

If you have any questions regarding the contest, please email Bastiaan Vanacker: bvanacker@luc.edu