MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London

The Essay Competition is open to Year 12 and sixth form students from schools and colleges in North London and South Hertfordshire, or those on the NIMR mailing list.

If you think your school/college may be eligible please ask your teacher to contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Essays should be no more than 1,000 words, excluding references. (Number of words should be stated on the entry form.) In addition:

• Essays must be an original piece of work on one of the topics listed
• All entries should be word-processed, with double line-spacing
• Each page should be numbered
• The essay title should be at the top of every page
• No pictures or side headings
• Don't put your name on the essay pages, so the essays can be judged anonymously. (But make sure your entry form has all the details we need to identify you.)
• Your essay must be accompanied by the entry form, which must be signed to indicate the essay is your own work.
• References - list the books, articles or online sources you cite at the end of the essay. Mark the place in the text by a superscript number that keys into your list of references¹² (like this in the text)
  • 12. Bloggs, F. (1999) Secrets of Life (like this in the references section)
• Quotations should also be acknowledged in your references

The topics for the 2012 essay competition are listed below. You are free to choose your own topic irrespective of the topic selected by others in your class.

• What can we learn from the lives of identical twins?
  • Registers of twins have been kept since the mid-19th century in Scandinavia because scientists thought important conclusions could be drawn about the relative importance of nature and nurture.
• Is vaccination really necessary?
  • Some people think the dangers of vaccination exceed the risks posed by the diseases we want to suppress.
• What makes cancer cells different to other cells?
  • Ever since cancer cells were first grown in tissue culture, scientists have known they were fundamentally different from the cells present in normal tissues.
• Why has type-two diabetes become a world-wide epidemic in the 20th century?
  • The origins of type-two diabetes are mysterious; what kind of widespread life experiences might contribute to the failure to keep blood glucose to optimal levels.
• Are we too clean for our own good?
  • The hygiene hypothesis suggests that childhood exposure to chemicals or microbes would make us less susceptible to allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Every entrant will receive a certificate to show they participated in the competition. In addition, each entrant will receive a copy of the most recent Mill Hill Essays, an annual volume of articles on topical issues in biology and medicine, produced by research staff at the Institute.

First prize of £100 is awarded to the winner, with two prizes of £50 for the runners up.

The prize winners will also visit the Institute, and will receive a personalised tour of a number of labs and a variety of demonstrations.

Depending on the number of applicants, there will either be two or three rounds of judging. The first, and possible second round will be judged by PhD and postdoctoral researchers at the Institute. The final round will be judged by a panel comprising NIMR researchers, two teachers from local schools and a former member of NIMR. Judges read the essays with no knowledge of the author. (Therefore your name should only be on the entry form that accompanies your essay.)

• The essay should effectively address the title. You may find lots of interesting material when you are researching your essay topic, but take care to only use relevant material in your essay.
• The first one or two sentences should set the tone and direction of the rest of the essay.
• There should be a logical structure to the essay, with an introduction leading to three separate issues and concluding with a summation of your thinking.

Remember what the judges are looking for when you are working on your essay.

The closing date is 27 April 2012.

Libraries

All of the titles will require some reading beyond your textbooks. A book that covers the subject is likely to give a more balanced perspective than many internet sources, so a library is probably your best starting point:

• Start at your school and local public library.
• The Central Public Reference Library in Hendon has a large reference section.
• In central London The Wellcome Library welcomes scholars of all ages.

Websites

The internet provides a wealth of information, but it can be difficult to be sure of its accuracy and reliability. Try to use quality websites, such as those below.

When searching choose your search words carefully, to be as specific as possible. Also be aware that a lot of information on the internet may be biased.

• Wikipedia - a good starting place, especially for lateral thinkers.

• Kimballs Biology Pages - table of contents - an online biology textbook, updated promptly in line with new advances in biology (also has a search facility and news archive on the Kimballs Biology homepage

• PubMed bookshelf is another excellent resource

• New Scientist - The New Scientist website has a wealth of information. It also contains lists of useful web links, and an online archive of the last ten years of the print edition. However, full access to this content is only available to personal and institutional subscribers.

• The BBC's Science and Nature website, including the Genes section.

• NHSDirect Online - useful health encyclopaedia covering a wide range of topics. See also MedlinePlus (US site).

• Intut - a guide to quality Internet resources in the health and life sciences for university students.

• Quality news sites such as Guardian Unlimited and The Telegraph may be cited if they add to the narrative. (Use the Search boxes to find recent and archive news on a subject.)

• Science Daily - interesting but brief news stories.

• Use your own words!
  • Copying text written by others is know as plagiarism (a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work) and incurs penalties and infringes the rules. Make notes as you go and then write your essay in your own words.
• Set the tone
  • The art of successful essay writing is to set the tone in the first two sentences with a statement that captures the essential interest of the subject.
• Be lively
  • Set out to engage the reader from the start, avoiding obscure language and explaining any technical words. Imagine yourself writing for a magazine or newspaper.
• Be concise and accurate
  • Try to leave the reader with the simplest and most direct message your research permits.
• Address the title
  • Ensure that your essay addresses the title completely.
• Aim for five paragraphs
  • The first paragraph is the introduction that sets the stage.
  • The central three paragraphs should be about separate issues arranged in a logical development.
  • The final paragraph should be a summation of your thinking.
• No pictures or side headings
  • These tend to stand in the way of your literary efforts.
• Use only relevant material
  • Once you have researched your topic and gathered information make sure you use only relevant material in your essay.
• Take a break!
  • After writing your essay, leave it aside for a few days. When you return to it you will be surprised how you find ways of improving it.
• Spell-check and grammar-check
  • Don't forget to spell-check and grammar-check your work in your word processor.
• Essay writing
  • There are a number of websites with valuable suggestions on how to write a good essay, for example.

1. Verify that you are eligible to enter
2. Choose an essay topic
3. Research your topic
4. Write your essay, keeping in mind the maximum essay length and our guidance on writing
5. Add your references at the end of the essay
   • remember to keep a note of these as you research your topic
   • list your references in alphabetical order
   • if you have quotations in your essay don't forget to acknowledge the source
6. Word processed? Double line-spacing? Spell-checked? Essay title on each page?
7. Complete an entry form (see Downloads section)
8. Send a copy of your essay (with completed entry form) to your teacher who can then email entries to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). We prefer entries to be submitted by email, however if this is not possible they should be sent by post to: