ASHG is proud to guide National DNA Day through the yearly DNA Day Essay Contest. DNA Day commemorates the conclusion associated with the Human Genome venture in April 2003 in addition to development associated with dual helix of DNA in 1953.
This competition is available to pupils in grades 9-12 internationally and asks pupils to examine, concern, and think on crucial principles in genetics. Essays are required to be well-reasoned arguments that indicate a deep knowledge of systematic ideas pertaining to the essay concern. They’ve been examined by ASHG users through three rounds of scoring.
2021 Concern
All humans are 99.9% genetically identical during the DNA degree. Remarkably, simply a small percentage (|fraction that is small}0.1%) of your DNA plays a part in the various traits among populations throughout the globe and which make everybody unique. Crucial discoveries in human being genetics and genomics frequently depend on comparing categories of individuals, for instance people who have a provided condition when compared with individuals without having the infection. These studies use genomic data from individuals who added their DNA for research purposes, nearly all of which (more or less 80%) are folks of European ancestry. So how exactly does this populace representation effect genomic findings? Can the information and link between these scholarly studies be ideal for studies in other populations from around the entire world? Discuss whether addition of more diverse populations in genetic and genomic studies holds a possible to profit future hereditary research and improve health that is human.
Crucial Dates
- Early January 2021: Submission web site opens
- Wednesday, March 3, 2021: Submission website closes
- Friday, April 23, 2021: champions and Honorable Mentions announced
- Sunday, April 25, 2021 : DNA Day
Prizes:
first Put Winner: $1,000 for pupil $1,000 genetics materials grant
2nd Put Winner: $600 for student $600 genetics materials grant
third Put Winner: $400 for student $400 genetics materials grant
Honorable Mentions: 10 pupil rewards of $100 each
View the 2020 champions and their essays from the total results page.
The rubric below is utilized by judges every essay in the third and second rounds of judging.
Total points feasible:
Rules & Needs
- Essays must certanly be submitted by a instructor or administrator and published by twelfth grade pupils (grades 9-12) when you look at the U.S. and internationally. Parents may submit essays if the pupil is house schooled.
- Essays must certanly be compiled by one student that is individual team submissions aren’t allowed.
- Essays must certanly be in English with no more than 750 terms. Term count includes in-text citations, not guide listings.
- Submissions should not are the student’s title when you look at the essay text. It helps with unbiased judging.
- Essays must add one or more guide. Recommendations must certanly be plainly documented with both in-text citations and in the sources list. The guide list must be individually entered within the “References” element of the distribution page.
- APA or MLA design may be used for citations. There is absolutely no limitation just just how numerous sources pupils might use, nevertheless they should avoid way too many recommendations, as judges need to know the student’s viewpoint in the concern rather than the viewpoint of this resources.
- Quality of recommendations may be considered by judges whenever scoring.
- Just class teachers qualify for the gear grant.
Please be aware Text from essays might be useful for research purposes to determine misconceptions, misunderstandings, and regions of student curiosity about genetics. Pupil text could be posted in the ASHG site, publication, or in other publications that are ASHG.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The writing associated with the student’s essay needs to be their words that are own quotations are explicitly noted. If plagiarism is suspected during any point for the competition, the essay at issue are going to be analyzed. Essays discovered to support the work that is uncited of should be disqualified additionally the student’s teacher is supposed to be notified. Plagiarism.org gives a helpful description of exactly just what plagiarism is. Instructors of first-place champions from 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 aren’t entitled to equipment funds in 2019.
Just how essays that are many one pupil submit? Only 1 entry per pupil.
Exactly exactly How essays that are many one instructor submit on the behalf of students? Each instructor may submit as much as six student essays per class, for as much as three classes.
low-quality a top-notch sources? A low-quality supply is one that does not guarantee accurate information, such as for instance Wikipedia. Top-notch sources include research journals, such as those available through PubMed.
What’s incorporated into the 750-word count, and what’s maybe not?
- All text into the essay, in-line citations/references, headings and games, and image captions are within the word count
- The guide list could be the only text not contained in the term count.
Should references have split ? The guide list will separately be submitted in the “references” element of the distribution site. Every thing shall be included on a single web page when the essay is submitted.
Can there be a standard font or margin size preferred? No. after the essay is copied and pasted to the distribution web site, it will likely be formatted to suit our margins that are standard fonts.
How do you submit my essay if my instructor cannot take action ? Try to look for every other instructor or guidance therapist at your college who are able to submit for you personally. If this really isn’t a choice, please e-mail us at dnaday@ashg.org.
Can my guidance therapist educational college administrator distribute my essay ? Yes.
Am I able to submit for my student that is presently learning abroad? Pupils should be their studies at the exact exact same college as the teacher whom submits their essays.
Am I able to change information when I have actually submitted? No, please make certain all given info is proper before publishing since it is going to be last.
exactly just How does the instructor attest to the originality associated with the student’s work? Your distribution represents your verification that the essays will be the initial work of the pupils.
We presented later. Will my essay nevertheless be judged? Later submissions will never be judged.
Where’s the confirmation e-mail? It could take some right time for the e-mail to access you https://autotitleloansplus.com/payday-loans-id/. By the end of the day, either check your junk mailbox or double check that the email address you provided is correct if you haven’t received it. If neither of the choices work, e-mail dnaday@ashg.org.
Summarized here are a few of the most issues that are common note in reading submitted essays.
- Too focus that is much details. a concentrate on details into the detriment of showing a definite comprehension of the picture that is big. Judges are a lot more forgiving of mistakes in details than mistakes in fundamental principles and bigger tips.
- Overstating. Sweeping and grandiose overstatements associated with current/future state and/or energy of biotechnology or science that is biomedical.
- Inaccuracy in technical language. Judges understand understand all of the “science jargon,” therefore don’t feel obligated to make use of it.
- Insufficient in-text citations in, or lack of citations for information that is perhaps maybe not considered well known. In the event that you got the given information from someplace else, cite the foundation.
- Making use of out-of-date sources. Scientific understanding modifications really quickly, and sources that are a lot more than 5 years old will likely have outdated ideas.
- Utilizing quotes that are too many. Although periodic usage is warranted, way too numerous quotes lead judges to consider the writer doesn’t grasp the subject.
Have a look at links below for excerpts from past champions’ essays!
Desire to turn into a judge? If you should be a current-year ASHG user, you are going to get a contact each February welcoming you to definitely volunteer. It, be sure to contact dnaday@ashg.org in the event that you failed to have the e-mail or cannot choose. You are able to volunteer because of the going to the ASHG involvement web web page. You may possibly ahead the judge recruiting e-mail ONLY to fellow ASHG current users. The due date as being a judge could be the frequently the end of for that year’s Contest february. When you yourself have future years, please contact dnaday@ashg.org
Can get on the list for: publishing an essay • Judging an essay • Fostering the generation that is next of geneticists