Recent Peacocke Prize Winners

2023 Andrew Proudfoot (PGR), University of Nottingham

2022 Andrew Jackson (PGR), University of Nottingham

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Recent Highly Commended Essays

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)

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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 them should they wish. In 2024 the conference theme is Key topics from Arthur Peacocke's work.

The 2024 Peacocke Prize is open from 1st April to 18th October 2024. Entrants must be registered as students (in school or university) at the time of submission OR have been registered in the previous 4 months.

• i.e. Third year undergraduates completing studies at the end of the 23-24 academic year can submit in the UG category up to 18th October 2024. Likewise post-16 students transitioning to university in September 2024 can submit in the VI Form category up to 18th October 2024.

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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).*

  • *As the 2024 series is online the winner will be presented with their prize during the November Conference (27th-28th) and receive an accommodation bursary for the 2025 conference.​

• 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).

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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.

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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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