To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Physics World, IOP Publishing has launched an exciting new science-writing award.

The first award, running in 2018, will celebrate the huge advances that China is making in science, technology, engineering and medicine. Find out more about the 2018 Science Communication Award.

As well as adhering to the theme and guidelines of the award, the winning articles will need to:

• Convey complex ideas with clarity and flair
• Have a persuasive and creative line of thinking
• Be technically accurate
• Have an enjoyable and accessible writing style (including a catchy title and introduction)

Entry guidelines

• 800–1000 words long
• Written in English only
• Non-fiction
• Focused on physics or related disciplines
• Aimed at scientists working across a broad range of specialist disciplines as well as scientifically minded members of the public
• Written specifically for this competition – only original and unpublished work will be accepted
• Written by a single author and not a collaborative effort

Sample reference articles from Physics World are supplied below for information.

Cultivating good relations
Barry Sanders describes the importance of international collaboration

The power of role models
Ling-An Wu on the power of outreach projects

Novelty when necessary
Flexible, low-cost integrated circuits could transform the market for “smart” devices and packaging, but as Catherine Ramsdale explains, building them requires more than just doing cool science

Why the laser industry needs physicists
Lucian Hand argues that physicists’ multi-disciplinary training makes them ideally suited for a career in the laser industry, where the challenges and opportunities vary almost daily

Riding the red dragon
Ian Broadwell on the advantages of switching from the UK for China

About IOP Publishing

IOP Publishing is the publishing arm of the Institute of Physics (IOP), a not-for-profit professional/learned society with more than 30,000 scientific members worldwide. We are a leading international STM publisher with editorial and sales offices in Bristol, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Beijing, Tokyo, Mexico City and a number of other locations around the world. Beyond our traditional journals programme (70+ titles), IOP Publishing makes high-value scientific information easily accessible through a growing portfolio of ebooks, magazines, conference proceedings and a multitude of specialist digital services. Any surplus from IOP Publishing goes to support science and education through the activities of the IOP. More information here: ioppublishing.org