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Peacocke Prize - Student Essay Competition

In memory of its founding President and former Chairman, the Revd Dr Arthur Peacocke, the Science and Religion Forum offers an annual essay prize. The student essay can address any issue at the intersection of science and religion and does not need to relate to the conference theme, although students are welcome to address the conference theme should they wish. 

Recent Peacocke Prize Winners

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2025 Cayla Bleoaja (PGT), University of Oxford

2024 Zishang (Joseph) Yue (PGR), University of Oxford

2023 Andrew Proudfoot (PGR), University of Nottingham

2022 Andrew Jackson (PGR), University of Nottingham

Recent Highly Commended Essays

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2025: Marnix t'Hart (PGT), Aidan Kennedy (UG), Annabelle Minnis (VI Form)

2024: Emil Lusser (PGT), Shariq Haidery (PGR), Julius Sibagariang (UG)

2023: Scott Urdall (PGT), Cade Chrastina (PGT), Ning Xu (PGT), Apianka Ananthavadivel (VI Form)

2022: Liyuan Liu (PGT), Andrew Proudfoot (PGR), Luca Settimo (PGR), Sijia Wang (PGR)

The 2026 Peacocke Prize is now OPEN

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The competition for the 2026 Peacocke Prize is now OPEN.  Submissions MUST be received by midnight (GMT) on 1st  March 2026. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by 31st March. 

 

Entrants must be registered as students (in school or university) at the time of submission OR have been registered in the previous 9 months. (i.e. have been in education in July 2025 - this includes those who sat examinations in summer 2024/25 even if they were not receiving teaching in July).​​​​​

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The Peacocke Prize Winner

The Peacocke Prize is usually run annually with the prize judged by a review panel. The Prize includes: 

  • A cash award of £250

  • Free membership of the Forum for one year.

  • UK travel and accommodation costs to the Forum’s annual conference to present their winning essay in full (subject to panel decision).​

  • Publication of the essay as part of the conference “Special Section” in Zygon (subject to essay quality and continuing collaboration with Zygon or another journal or appropriate standing).

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Highly Commended Essays

Subject to the decision of the panel a number of further essays may be commended. Commended essays will receive:

  • (Unfunded) Opportunity to present their work in the “New Voices” section of the annual conference.

  • Opportunity for the essay to be published in the Forum’s journal Reviews in Science and Religion (subject to panel decision).​​​

How to Enter

  • Essay entries can either be written or a recorded presentation.

    • VI Form/Post-16 entries should be 1,500-3,000 words (or a 15-30min recorded presentation)​

    • Undergraduate and postgraduate entries should be 3,000-5,000 words (or 30-50min recorded presentation)

    • All entries should include an abstract of 150-200 words (this is excluded from the word count)

    • All entries should include full references/bibliography (there is no preferred referencing style). References are excluded from the word count. 

  • The prize is open to students broadly defined as anybody in full or part-time education (over 16).

  • You must submit a letter from your Tutor/Supervisor/Teacher/programme or module lead on headed paper to confirm your student status (institution and programme of study) and that they are aware of your submission.

  • The essay/recording should be the original work of the applicant – unacknowledged quotation from the work of others will automatically disqualify the entry. Copyright in the essay will remain with the author. The panel reserve the right not to award the Prize if no entry of sufficient standard is received. Their decision will be final, and no correspondence about it will be entered into.

Use of AI 

In line with current expectations around the use of AI in academic publishing, and in order to preserve academic integrity and ethical standards The following conditions apply to the use of AI in submissions to the Forum's conferences, journal, and essay prize.

  • This applies to all forms of AI capable of generating text, imagery, data visualisations, or analytical suggestions based on user prompts. (E.g.text generators, code assistants, and automated visualisation platforms.)​

  • AI must never be used to fabricate content or substitute genuine scholarly input. Any involvement  must support, not replace, human expertise.

  • The individual submitting the work is entirely accountable for its accuracy, credibility, and compliance with academic standards.

  • AI tools may be used to:

    • Refine grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.

    • Produce diagrams or figures based on legitimate data, provided sources are cited.

    • Assist in planning or outlining, provided final content is independently authored.

  • AI tools must not be used to:

    • Invent data, references, or analytical findings.

    • Rephrase or reproduce existing texts without proper acknowledgement.

    • Generate content that is passed off as original scholarly interpretation.

  • Any use of AI tools must be declared clearly within the manuscript or accompanying documentation. Disclosures should include:

    • ​The name(s) of any tools used.

    • The precise function they served (e.g., proofreading, data visualisation).

    • E.g. "​AI assistance was limited to grammar editing using [Tool Name]. All research analysis and content development were conducted independently by the author"​

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The Committee reserve the right to request clarification or resubmission should AI involvement appear excessive or undeclared. Submissions found to have violated these guidelines may face rejection, withdrawal, or formal notification to affiliated parties.

Peacocke Prize Student Essay Submission

To help us monitor entries which category are you submitting under? This WILL NOT be included with your essay at judging.
Please upload a copy of your essay or recording of your presentation.
Please upload a supporting letter on headed paper confirming student status and that they are aware of your entry.

Essay Prize FAQs:

 

  1. I previously entered the Peacocke Prize can I enter again this year?

    • We welcome new entries from previous applicants for the prize, however we do not accept resubmissions of previous entries.

  2. I have already won the Peacocke Prize can I enter again?

    • Peacocke Prize winners from the last three years are not eligible to enter again. The exception is if you won as a sixth form student and are now entering as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

  3. How can it be fair to have sixth form and university students competing for the same prize?

    • We traditionally don’t receive many entries from sixth form students. However, if we receive a notable number, then as a committee we will look to judge the sixth form entries as a separate category with its own winner (including prize).

  4. Are undergraduate and postgraduate entries judged against each other?

    • Yes. All university student work is judged together on its own merit. The Judging panel remove the entrant’s information (including UG/PG detail) prior to ranking responses.

  5. If I win do I have to attend the conference?

    • No, it is part of the prize but you do not have to attend in person. You can choose to attend online or not at all.

  6. If I win do I have publish my essay?

    • No, it is part of the prize but you do not have to publish your essay. However, we hope that you would like to share your work.

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