Science and Religion Today » Competition

Have an Idea You Think Would Change the World?

Heather Wax — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:30:44 +0000

Put it in a video that’s two to five minutes long and send it to Scientific American, which has partnered with SciVee to hold The World Changing Ideas Video Contest. They’re looking for “innovative ways to build a cleaner, healthier, safer world.” (Here are the kinds of ideas they have in mind)
Scientific American staffers will judge the videos, and readers can pick their favorites for the “Viewer’s Choice Award” in each category (energy, transportation, environment, electronics or robotics, health care or medicine). The winners will be announced in July.

Win Hundreds of the Most Important S&R Books

Heather Wax — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:34:55 +0000

The International Society for Science and Religion will choose 150 universities, research centers, and other institutions to receive more than 200 hardbound science and religion books, along with a companion volume by ISSR members, who will summarize and critique each book.
According to the society:

The editorial board has selected volumes that provide the essential core of research to date along with a number of additional works that contextualize major lines of inquiry. Foundational work in science and religion is coupled with explanatory and background texts in related fields as well as science, history, philosophy, and religious studies.

Faculty members or administrators at institutions that have permanent circulating libraries are invited to apply online, and preference will be given to places that have a strong demand for these books (and active teaching and research) but limited resources to buy them. Applications will be judged on a rolling basis.

Courage Cash Prize!

Heather Wax — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:04:05 +0000

A note from our friend Robert Biswas-Diener:

Do you know someone who excites in physical danger, who sticks up for underdogs, or who tells the truth even when it is difficult? Nominate him or her to win 250 dollars July 15, 2010!
Details: To nominate you have to be part of the mailing list at www.intentionalhappiness.com. Nominations must contain the name and email address (or phone) of the nominee; and must include a short description of their bravery (no more than two paragraphs). Nominations can be hand mailed or emailed to Positive Psychology Services and must be received by June 15. Winner will need to consent to have their name and story used publicly. Winner will receive 250 dollars and a signed book by me.

Who Won Project Reason’s Video Contest?

Heather Wax — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:00:31 +0000

The grand prize went to “The Values We All Stand For,” which looks at national symbols and references to God and “why they shouldn’t be a part of a government that is supposed to represent all of us.”

Pick a Winner in Project Reason’s Video Contest

Heather Wax — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:09:08 +0000

As we told you a few months back, Project Reason is holding a video contest that will award monetary prizes to the three short videos that best communicate the importance of scientific thinking or secular values. There’s still time to get involved: Through Sunday, you can watch the nine finalists on Project Reason’s Web site and vote for your favorite entry.

Yoko Ono: Vote Now for a U.S. Department of Peace

Heather Wax — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:44:16 +0000

Yoko Ono took to her Twitter to ask people to vote for a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding—currently on track to make the final round of the Ideas for Change in America competition run by Change.org. (Last year, “Appoint a Secretary of Peace in a Department of Peace” was voted one of the top 10 ideas.)
The first round of voting ends Thursday at 5 p.m., and there are lots of other interesting ideas, so go to the Web site and vote for your favorites!

Calling All College Students With a Video Camera

Heather Wax — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:00:35 +0000

The Web site Patheos has decided to hold a “Faith on Campus” video contest, inviting students older than 18 to share their faith (or lack thereof) in a short video that’s no longer than five minutes.
The grand-prize winner will get 2,500 dollars, and 1,000 dollars will be awarded to the best video on each of these topics:

• Why I am a [fill in your faith]
• How I live my beliefs on campus
• Rituals and practices of my faith

Entries will be posted as they come in, and you can go to the site and vote for your favorites. The 20 videos that get the highest number of votes will enter the final round, where a panel of official judges, including Science & Religion Today contributors Craig Detweiler and Eboo Patel, will pick the winners. Another 1,000 dollars will be given to the video the public likes best.
The deadline for submission is April 15.

Win Money for a Video Promoting Critical Thinking

Heather Wax — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:07:02 +0000

Make a short video that communicates the importance of scientific thinking or secular values and you could win The Reason Project’s video contest. (Entries can be funny or serious, live-action or animated, but no longer than eight minutes.) The first-place winner gets 10,000 dollars.
The deadline for entry is February 28.

Win Cash for an Essay on John Polkinghorne’s Work

Heather Wax — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:53:43 +0000

The International Society for Science & Religion is holding an essay contest for students and young academics (without tenure) in honor of Sir John Polkinghorne’s 80th birthday.
The essays (which can be no more than 10,000 words) should explore a topic related to one of the major themes of Polkinghorne’s work on the relationship between science and theology—like chaos theory, natural theology, or epistemology—and highlight what makes Polkinghorne’s work unique or relevant.
Essays will be judged by experts in science and religion, and the first-place winner will earn 10,000 pounds and the chance to present the essay at the God and Physics conference in July.
The submission deadline is March 31.

Social Scientific Study of Chinese Religions

Heather Wax — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:44:47 +0000

The Chinese Spirituality and Society Program at Purdue University is offering 500,000 dollars in grants to researchers who want to study the role of religion in China. According to recent reports, religion is exploding in the once-atheist country (Field Notes, October 13, 2009), where there are now five state-approved faiths: Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. As sociologist Fenggang Yang, who developed the new program, explains:

The transition toward a market economy, industrialization, urbanization, and globalization are leading to religious changes in China. On the other hand, the religious changes are having profound impacts on Chinese culture, economy, politics, and international relations. The goal is for the program to generate new findings about religion in China so people around the world can better understand how religion affects individuals, families, communities, businesses, and civil society in the country with the world’s largest population.

The program plans to award two or three large grants to research centers and about 10 smaller grants to individual projects. The first application deadline is December 15.