The sidney prize is a yearly award given by New York Times columnist David Brooks to highlight the year’s best long-form essays in politics and culture. The prize honors writers in the upper echelons of national publishing, such as Hilton Als writing for The New Yorker or Ed Yong writing for The Atlantic.
Winners of the Sidney Prize are chosen from a wide range of categories, including:
First Place awards $500 (No cash prizes). This award is for undergraduate and graduate students who have written an essay that analyzes one or more works of literature. The essays must be typed and double-spaced, no more than fifteen pages in length. The winners will be announced at Spring Convocation.
Second and third place awards are $250 each. This award is for students who have written a short story or an essay. The stories or essays must be typed and double-spaced, with no more than fifteen pages in length. The winning stories and essays will be announced at Spring Convocation.
Fourth place awards $150 each. This award is for a student who has written a research paper on an art history topic. The papers must be typed and double-spaced, and no more than fifteen pages in length. The papers will be reviewed by faculty members in the department.
Fifth place awards $100 each. This award is for a student that has written an essay on a topic in the United States or Canada. The essays must be typed and double-spaced, not exceeding fifteen pages in length. The students will be reviewed by faculty members in the department.
Sixth place awards $50 each. This award is for a student or faculty member who has made a significant contribution to the study of astronomy. The essay must be typed and double-spaced, a maximum of fifteen pages in length. The student or faculty member will be awarded at Spring Convocation.
Seventh place awards $25 each. This award is for a teacher or faculty member who has made a significant difference to the study of physics. The essay must be typed and double-spaced, an unlimited number of words in length. The essay will be reviewed by faculty members in the department.
Eighth place awards $20 each. This award is for an APS member who has made a significant contribution to physics. The essay must be typed, no more than fifteen pages in length, and the writer will be awarded at Spring Convocation.
Ninth place awards $10 each. This award is for an APS fellow who has made a significant contribution to the discipline of physics. The essay must be typed, an unlimited number of words in length, and the writer will be awarded a prize at Spring Convocation.
Tenth place awards $15 each. This award is for a physicist who has made a significant contribution to a field of scientific inquiry, such as the development of a scientific theory or technology. The essay must be typed, no longer than fifteen pages in length, and the writer must be awarded a prize at Spring Convocation.