The Global Forum for Health Research and The Lancet are sponsoring their second joint essay competition on the occasion of Forum 11, the 2007 annual meeting of the Global Forum for Health Research in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 29 October to 2 November 2007.

Entries relating to some aspect of the overall theme of Forum 11: Equitable access, research challenges for health in developing countries are invited from young professionals working in or interested in the broad spectrum of health research for development.

Deadline for submissions: 20 APRIL 2007

Rules, guidelines, principles, timeframe and prizes

• Essays should be no more than 1500 words long and should be written in English.
• Essays should be based on the author’s own ideas and not be derived from another source.
• Essays should not have been previously published.
• They should include original, even provocative ideas and not be technical or academic texts: tables, charts, figures and references are probably not necessary.
• Authors are free to be idealistic, passionate, to take established practices to task, albeit in a constructive fashion.
• Entries are individual.
• Each author may submit one essay only.
• Authors should have been born on or after 1 January 1977.
• The deadline for receipt of entries is 20 April 2007.
• A shortlist will be announced by the end of June. Shortlisted authors will be asked to provide a high quality photograph and to confirm original authorship and date of birth.
• The winners will be notified by the beginning of August 2007. The judges’ decision will be final.
• A selection of shortlisted essays will be published in an anthology.
• Winning essays will also be published on the Lancet website and their authors invited to take part in Forum 11 with all expenses paid.

Staff members of the Global Forum or of the Lancet or their immediate families are ineligible to enter the competition, as are authors of commended and winning entries from 2006.

For more information and online submission, see our website: http://www.globalforumhealth.org/ShLinks/Essay07.php