2023 General Prize Essay Contest

THE CHALLENGE

We are living in an era of intense global competition. Renewed great power competition will require the Sea Services to rethink how to address national, strategic, and operational challenges and the way they will have to fight.

Authors may address any topic. Some possible issues to consider include:

• How can the Sea Services quickly and more affordably develop, procure, and field capabilities needed for great power competition?
• What new or nascent technology do the Sea Services need, and how it would impact tactics or strategy?
• How can the United States and its allies deter China from coercive action in East Asia or the western Pacific?
• What should the U.S. nuclear posture and strategy be to deter competitors along the continuum of conflict?
• What reforms in education and training will or should advance the services?

Submission Guidelines

• Open to all contributors -- active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and civilians.
• Essays must be no more than 3,000 words, excluding footnotes, endnotes and sources. Include word count on title page of the essay.
• Essays are judged in the blind. Do not include author name(s) on title page or within essay.
• Submit essay as a Word document at www.usni.org/genessay no later than 31 October 2023.
• Essays must be original and not published (online or print) or being considered for publication elsewhere.

First Prize: $6,000

Second Prize: $3,000

Third Prize: $2,000

Selection Process

The Proceedings staff members will evaluate every essay and screen the top essays to the Naval Institute’s Editorial Board composed of serving Sea Service professionals. 

Announcement of the Winners

The winning essays will be published in Proceedings and on the Naval Institute website. The winners will be recognized at a future Naval Institute event.