After a very successful event last year, we are again looking for five budding science writers to help with news coverage of this year’s Publishing Better Science through Better Data event.

Focussed on early career researchers, the day-long conference will explore the role research data plays in getting published and helping to advance careers. This year’s conference will be held in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, at the Wellcome Collection Building, on October 26^th 2016.

Speakers will include representatives from leading research organisations, journals, funding agencies and technology providers. Also, lightning talks and demos will enable conference delegates – researchers and technologists – to present case studies of research data sharing, data reuse and associated tools in action.

The five winners of the writing competition will be invited to attend the conference and be an official conference reporter for one of the sessions.

Winners will work closely with Nature editors in developing their report from the conference, and their work will be published here on Naturejobs.

The competition is open to all unpublished*, currently enrolled undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate science students and post docs. Last year’s winners included entries from Canada and New Zealand, showing there is no need to be London-based, but please do keep in mind we cannot cover travel expenses over £100.

To enter the competition and stand a chance of being a journalist withNaturejobs for the day, please send the following to scientificdatareplies@nature.com:

1. A short cover letter explaining why you want to be considered and what would make you a good science journalist.
2. Your CV.
3. A 600 word answer to one of the following topics:

• What are the benefits of reproducibility in science?
• How should early career researchers engage with open science?
• Why don’t scientists always share their data?
• How can better data sharing and management improve a career in science?
• How is the rise of data-intensive research changing what it means to be a scientist?

The prizes are:

1. The 5 winning and 3 top runner-up entries will be posted on the Naturejobs blog before the event.
2. The 5 winners will get to attend Publishing Better Science through Better Data 2016.
3. The winners’ reports of the conference will be published on the Naturejobs blog and theScientific Data blogs.
4. Winners will work with, and meet, Nature editors.
5. Winners will get a one year free subscription to a Nature magazine of their choice.

The things you need to know BEFORE entering the competition:

1. We can offer limited travel expenses (up to £100).
2. The competition entries and content created will be used on the Naturejobs blog.
3. The deadline for sending in your competition entries is 31 August 2016 at 9pm BST/5PM EST.
4. You can send your competition entries to scientificdatareplies@nature.com

* A ‘published’ writer is a professional journalist. Bloggers and student journalists are welcome to enter.