Award Applications in Undergraduate Science & Scientific Writing

graphic with scientific icons, globe, white text
By:
Alan Flurry
Undergraduate STEM student writers can receive international recognition through two recently announced science communication awards honoring current and former UGA faculty members.
 
The Writing and STEM Business Group, part of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) - the largest writing studies conference in the world - is now accepting nominations for these inaugural awards. The Kris Miller Undergraduate Scientific Writing Award recognizes outstanding achievement in communicating scientific research in an academic context, and the Christy Desmet Undergraduate Science Communication Award recognizes outstanding science communication aimed at a broader, non-specialist audience. 
  • Faculty can nominate undergraduate student work, or students can self-nominate with a faculty approval letter. 
  • The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2025.
  • Applicants must have been enrolled undergraduates when the work was created
  • Submission must be original work created between the Fall 2024 and Summer 2025 school year
  • Winners will be contacted in Winter 2026 and invited to receive their awards at the annual CCCC Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting in Cleveland, OH (March 4-7, 2026)
  • More information can be found in the attached Call for Applications. 
 
The awards highlight the pioneering efforts of Kristen (Kris) Miller, Director of Biological Sciences and Christy Desmet, former Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of English and Director of the First-year Composition Program/UGA Writing Center to develop curricular and extra-curricular support to improve student writing in STEM fields. In 2018, Miller, Desmet, and Robby Nadler, former Assistant Director of the Writing Center, were awarded the CCCC's Council on Basic Writing Award for Innovation to recognize UGA's Science Writing Project, a collaboration between UGA's Biological Science Division, Writing Center, First-year Composition Program, and Writing Intensive Program. The Science Writing Project explored how advanced humanities writers engage with biology lab reports to identify science writing knowledge gaps—resulting in improved Writing Center consultant training and a new science writing handbook for Biology 1107L.
 
"One of the most desired skills that professional schools and employers seek from students in the biological sciences is the ability to clearly and accurately communicate science, both through writing and speaking," Miller said. "We are excited to encourage all students across the biological sciences to develop this critical skill set to help advance the understanding of and support for scientifically grounded ideas and discoveries."
 
These new writing awards spotlight the critical role of compelling science communication in shaping public understanding and advancing research. They also draw attention to the ongoing spearheading efforts of UGA's Biological Science Division to integrate discipline-specific writing instruction and support within the B.S. Biology degree program curriculum from introductory labs through capstone research experiences.


 

Attached Files:
Call for Applications – additional information (2.05 MB)
Chronicles Tagging:
biological sciences
science writing
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