Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

Annual DNA Day Essay Contest is hosted by the American Society of Human Genetics, in support of National DNA Day. DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

Open to students in grades 9-12 worldwide

Eligibility

Free

Entry Fee

March 4, 2026

Submission Deadline

April 24, 2026

DNA Day! Winners and Honorable Mentions Announcement

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. 2025 Question

In recent years, new genetic treatments and therapies have been developed, such as Casgevy for sickle cell disease or Roctavian for hemophilia. Choose one genetic treatment or therapy that has been developed or widely used in recent years.

Explain what the treatment is and how it works.
Discuss its advantages and disadvantages. Think about ethical issues, effects on society, cost, and accessibility.
If you or someone you care about had this condition, would you choose this treatment? Please explain why, considering things like age, overall health, cost factors, etc.

2. Prizes

1st Place Winner: $1,000 for student
$1,000 genetics materials grant

2nd Place Winner: $600 for student
$600 genetics materials grant

3rd Place Winner: $400 for student
$400 genetics materials grant

Past Winning Submissions

Submission Details

1. Submission Rules

Essays must be in English and no more than 750 words. Word count includes in-text citations but not reference lists. Essays are expected to be well-reasoned arguments that indicate a deep understanding of scientific concepts related to the essay question.

Students are allowed to submit only one entry.

2. Rubrics

The essay evaluation rubric for the second and third rounds of judging allocates up to 20 points across four criteria. Judges assess the overall accuracy of the science content, awarding up to 6 points. Another 6 points are available for effectively using evidence to support the argument and maintain focus on the selected question or topic. Writing quality, including clear thesis, composition, grammar, syntax, and spelling, is evaluated with up to 5 points. Finally, references and citations are judged for quality and appropriateness, with a maximum of 3 points available.

3. Things to Avoid When Writing

An excessive focus on details at the expense of demonstrating a clear understanding of the broader concepts.
Overstatements about biotechnology or biomedical science’s current or future state are
Inaccuracies in technical language should be avoided, and students should not feel pressured to use unfamiliar jargon.
Lack of proper in-text citations, especially for information not considered common knowledge, and reliance on outdated references, weaken the argument.
Overusing quotes can signal a lack of deep understanding of the topic to the judges.