Test your creativity in the Florida Citizens for Science's "Stick Science Contest." The challenge is to draw a cartoon or comic strip that educates the public about a misconception the average person has about science or—if you're under 12—to create a cartoon about "why understanding science is important." Here's what's neat: All entries must be drawn using stick figures.
A panel of judges will pick the winners and award some great prizes. The deadline is May 31.

Ebru.tv and Fountain Magazine are holding the Matter and Beyond Essay Contest for undergraduate and graduate students, which will award a total of six cash prizes totaling 5,500 dollars (including a top prize of 2,000 dollars). The contest is inspired by Ebru.tv's new program Matter and Beyond, a short documentary-style show that examines subjects at the intersection of science and spirituality.
The essays (which must be between 1,500 and 2,500 words) should explore topics related to the social sciences, religion and philosophy, or arts and culture—questions like: What do we value most in this life? What constitutes genuine wealth? What is the relationship between our spiritual beliefs and our treatment of the environment? What are the limits of our knowledge?
Essays will be judged on their analysis and accuracy of data, innovation and creativity, relevance to the contest theme, and writing style and structure. The deadline for submission is June 15, and the winner will be announced on the Fountain Magazine Web site on July 15.

That's the theme of this year's Great American Think-Off, an annual national philosophy competition organized by Minnesota's New York Mills Regional Cultural Center. The mission is to provide "an opportunity for ordinary people to voice their thoughts on some of life’s more perplexing questions."
To enter, answer the question by submitting an essay of 750 words or less by April 1. (Here's a tip: Focus on a personal experience rather than abstract reasoning.) Four finalists will debate the question before a live audience on June 13, and the audience will choose the winner.

Next Wednesday, the Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowships in Science & Religion will begin accepting online applications for its 2009 summer program. For the fifth year, 10 journalists will gather at the University of Cambridge during June and July for independent research, seminars, and discussions led by some of the world's most prominent scholars, scientists, and theologians. The fellowship will give these journalists the "opportunity to examine the dynamic and creative interface of science and religion," according to the program's Web site.
Print, broadcast, and online journalists with at least three years of experience and an interest in science and religion are invited to apply, and fellows will be selected by an advisory committee made up of scientists, academics, and journalists. The deadline is December 15.

High school students are invited to enter the third annual essay contest organized by the Alliance for Science, whose mission is to "heighten public understanding and support for science and to preserve the distinctions between science and religion in the public sphere," as well as to "bring together scientists, teachers, and science-related companies with the many religious bodies that have found no conflict between religion and science." The contest theme this year is "In Darwin's Footsteps," meaning students should write a 1,000-word original essay about "a modern-day scientist, group of scientists, or even a scientific organization that is carrying forward the magnificent tradition of discovery so well represented by Charles Darwin." Register, download a copy of the official rules, and check out the prizes (as well as the tips for writing a winning essay). The contest deadline is February 12.

This winter, the Alliance for Science—whose mission is to "heighten public understanding and support for science and to preserve the distinctions between science and religion in the public sphere" and to "bring together scientists, teachers, and science-related companies with the many religious bodies that have found no conflict between religion and science"—is holding its second annual National High School Essay Contest. The contest encourages students to personally engage the scientific culture by writing on the effects of climate and agricultural developments on evolution. The deadline for submission is February 29. —Sara Kern