GRC Social Impact Essay Competition

1. Prompts

Participants are invited to write an argumentative piece identifying an important problem that the world faces today and offer a solution. Topics are available below:

• Technology for Good: A few countries and companies now control most of the world’s advanced technology, from AI models to the chips that power them. How can the benefits of innovation be shared more fairly across the globe?
• Global Health: Misinformation and falling trust in institutions are making public health crises harder to manage. How can trust in public institutions be rebuilt?
• Sustainable Development & Climate Change: Increasing demand for energy-intensive technologies, such as AI is straining climate targets. How should governments and companies prioritize technological progress and environmental responsibility?
• Trade and the New Economic Order: Rising tariffs and reshoring are reversing decades of globalization. How should countries balance self-sufficiency with the benefits of international trade?
• Modern Solutions to Human Rights Issues: How can the implementation of all three generations of Human Rights established by the United Nations be improved at the global, regional, and local levels?
• Mental Health and Generation Z: Rising anxiety and social media use are reshaping how young people grow up. What role should schools, policymakers, or tech companies play in protecting youth mental health?

2. GRC Affiliate Schools 

Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), Columbia University, National University of Singapore (NUS), Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Brown University, Cornell University, Rice University, University of Toronto (UofT), Duke University, Sciences Po (Institut d’études politiques de Paris), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Northeastern University, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), Case Western Reserve University.

3. Timeline

• Submission Open: September 1, 2026
• Wave 1 Submission Deadline: October 21, 2026 ($20 submission fee)
• Wave 2 Submission Deadline: November 7, 2026 ($25 submission fee)
• Results announced: Spring, 2027

4. Prizes

• The top 10 will receive a mentor from one of GRC’s partner universities to support them in their academic journey.
• Top 30 will will be inducted into GRC 26-27 Fellowship Cohort. Essays will be published by the GRC think tank on our Insights platform.
• Top 50 will receive a digital finalist certificate.