History of the Contest:
The Naval Institute is excited to sponsor the inaugural U.S. Naval Institute/U.S. Naval War College Non-Resident Essay Contest.
The Challenge:
The U.S. Naval Institute’s founding vision was an open forum for the exchange of ideas, to disseminate and advance the knowledge of sea power, and to preserve naval and maritime heritage. It exists today to provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security. This essay contest encourages non-resident Naval War College (NWC) students to submit essays on topics relevant to the ever-dynamic world affecting today’s
Sea Services.
Eligibility:
Open to non-resident active-duty and Reserve military and civilian Naval War College students.
Submission Guidelines
- Essays must be no more than 2,000 words, excluding footnotes, endnotes and sources.
- Essays are judged in the blind. Include word count on title page of essay but do not include author name(s) on title page or within essay.
- Submit essay as a Word document at www.usni.org/nwcessay no later than 28 March 2025.
- Essay must be original and not previously published (online or in print) or being considered for publication elsewhere.
Prize:
$500 + one-year Naval Institute membership.
Selection Process:
The top ten entries will be judged by the Naval Institute's editorial board. After the winner is selected, runner-up essays may also be considered for publication as online Proceedings articles. Since we receive so many submissions (more than 100 per month!), notification of acceptance on one of our platforms can take 4-6 months. We will notify you via email if your essay is selected for publication.
Announcement of the Winner:
The winner will be published in Proceedings and recognized during the Naval War College graduation ceremony in June.
Submit your Essay
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