Budding journalists and science writers, here is your chance to inspire, impress and inform your readers.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the rules for Science Writing.
Click here to download the Science Writing project checklist.
Click here to download a copy of the judging rubric.
2026 Science Writing Titles:
The descriptions in italics are just starting points. Feel free to explore and interpret each topic in your own unique way—creativity and originality are encouraged!
- Discovering Spriggina: South Australia’s Window into Life’s Beginnings - 2026 commemorative topic.
- Seeds of Science: How Plants Shape Our Lives - What if the next big breakthrough came from something growing in your garden? Explore how seeds and plants feed us, heal us, and inspire technology that’s changing our world.
- Science for Peace: Small Discoveries, Big Changes - Can a simple invention change the course of a community—or a country? Investigate how science is helping build a more peaceful, fair and sustainable world.
Key Dates
Friday 5 June - Sunday 28 June 2026 - entry submitted online
- Inventing Tomorrow: Climate Solutions for a Cooler Planet - From cutting-edge farming to student-led inventions—how can we reduce CO₂ and fight climate change? Research bold ideas and share your own vision for a cooler, greener future.
- Next Giant Leaps: From NASA to Life Beyond Earth - How has space science—from NASA’s past missions to future Mars plans—changed our world? Investigate key milestones in space exploration and what we’re learning to help humans live beyond Earth.
- From Trash to Treasure - Can rubbish really power homes, build furniture or grow food? Investigate how science is turning waste into valuable new solutions—and what the future of waste could look like.
- If We Could Cure It: The Promise and Ethics of Stem Cells - Twenty years after the first breakthroughs in stem cell science, how close are we to curing paralysis, blindness or heart disease? Explore how stem cells work, what they could fix, and the ethical questions they raise about access, limits and the future of medicine.
- Chemical Reactions That Changed the World - How did a handful of molecules lead to life-saving vaccines, cleaner air—or explosions in the sky? Discover the chemistry behind world-changing breakthroughs.
- Bloom Trouble: What Toxic Algae Tells Us About Water Health - When do algae become dangerous? Investigate South Australia’s own algal bloom crisis and what science reveals about water quality, climate, and keeping ecosystems safe.
- Listening to Country: What First Nations Science Can Teach Us - How do First Nations peoples read land, water, stars and seasons? Explore the deep science behind Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems and how they guide sustainable living today.
- My Backyard Biosphere - You don’t have to go far to find wild science—sometimes it’s under a log or in a schoolyard pond. Explore your own small habitat and describe what lives there, what it needs, and how it all fits together.
- Science as a Human Endeavour (YEAR 11–12 LEVEL ONLY).
A successful Oliphant Science Awards Science Writing entry:
- IS WELL RESEARCHED AND HAS ACCURATE SCIENCE CONTENT.
- Will communicate ideas clearly.
- Will be original, innovative and the student's own work.
- Will have accurate punctuation and spelling.
- Will have a References section that acknowledges all sources of information (for students in Years 7-8, 9-10 & 11-12, this will include in-text referencing).
Rules for Science Writing Entries:
- You must write on one of the titles listed above. Please ensure the title is clearly identified on your entry.
- The Science Writing entry must be the work of one person (no group entries).
- You must include a reference list that contains all the sources of information that you used. This includes all books, websites, magazines, and any people you have interviewed.
- Appropriate “in-text” referencing is expected for students in Years 7-8, 9-10 & 11-12.
- If you quote directly from a source, you must use quotation marks and include a reference to the source of the quote.
- AI Tools are not permitted for any aspect of science writing.
- Science Writing can be in a number of different genres such as:
- Recount
- Narrative
- Explanation
- Discussion
- Response
- Information Report
- Procedure
- Persuasion / Exposition
- Description
- Comic (graphic writing)
- Infographic
- You may include pictures and graphic illustrations. However, if illustrations or pictures are copied you must include a reference next to the illustration or picture.
- Write or word-process your entry yourself. If there are special reasons for using help in typing or editing, then this help must be acknowledged after your reference list.
- The length of your Science Writing entry depends on your year level:
- Year R – 2: do not exceed 200 words;
- Year 3 - 4 and 5 - 6: do not exceed 800 words;
- Year 7 - 8, 9 -10, 11 - 12: do not exceed 1,500 words.
- A word count must be included on your entry (please note: titles, labels and referencing are not included in the word count). There can be up to a 10% tolerance of the word limit.
In presenting your Science Writing entry (online submission ONLY):
The following documents will need to be uploaded for your project:
- Cover sheet with your Student ID details attached (your Coordinator will give you this).
- Electronic copy of your science writing entry - Entries will be accepted as PDF or Word documents only. We cannot guarantee judges will be able to access any other file types.
For full details on electronic submission, click here.
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