Announcing the 2026 NASW Excellence in Institutional Writing Award winners

The National Association of Science Writers and its Awards Committee are pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards (EIWA):

• In the long-form category: “The Sonic Soul of Notre-Dame” by David Levin, Brandeis University
• In the short-form category: “Does Mental Illness Have a Silver Lining? Mounting research says yes” by Lisa Marshall, University of Colorado Boulder

The EIWA winner in each category will receive a cash prize of $2,000. The 2026 NASW Awards will be presented on Sunday, Sept. 27 in Corvallis, Ore. as part of the ScienceWriters2026 national conference. Follow hashtags #SciWri26 and #SciWriAwards on social media for ongoing awardee celebrations.

Praise for the 2026 long-form winner: David Levin’s "The Sonic Soul of Notre-Dame” took a unique and engaging approach to profiling Brian F. G. Katz, an historical acoustician whose 3-D sound collection from Notre-Dame was an instrumental part of the building restoration after a 2019 fire ravaged France’s beloved cathedral. From medieval music specialists to modern 3-D computer models, the judges were impressed by Levin’s deft fusion of the scientific, musical, and historical research that helped preserve the cathedral’s acoustical legacy and also chronicle how its architecture likely influenced musical composition through the ages. The judges also highlighted Levin’s skillful coverage of the multidisciplinary team that contributed to the restoration project, and how their efforts to create walking soundscapes of the neighborhoods near the cathedral has given present-day audiences a way to “hear” history through the centuries.

Praise for the 2026 EIWA short-form category winner: Lisa Marshall’s attention-grabbing piece “Does Mental Illness Have a Silver Lining? Mounting research says yes,” reports on a new paper titled “Silver Linings in Psychological Disorders: An agenda for research and social change” from researchers at CU Boulder and Cornell University. “Marshall's compelling coverage of unusual research into the upsides of mental illness takes a refreshing look at an often stigmatized subject and champions neurodiversity,” the judges said. “By featuring the researchers' powerful personal experiences and motivations, she humanizes the science of mental health and makes it relatable to her audience.”

In addition to the 2026 EIWA winners, the judges recognized with honorable mentions one entry in the long-form category and two entries in the short-form category:

In the long-form category: 

• “Manifesting Quantum” by Mollie Radzinski, Scott Bureau, and Michelle Cometa, Rochester Institute of Technology

In the short-form category: 

• “Running like the wind: Studying asthma in horses helps lead human health insights” by Brittany Steff, Purdue University
• “Life beyond Crohn’s disease” by Melissa Suran, Scripps Research

The NASW Awards Committee is co-chaired by Aparna Vidyasagar (freelance) and Charna Albert (College of American Pathologists). The Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards were coordinated by Charna Albert and Alyssa Voss. The judging committee for the long-form entries consisted of Devin Reese (Natural History Magazine), Becky Oskin (Jacobs Engineering), Liz Devitt (freelance), Elizabeth Whittington (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), Sean Nealon (Oregon State University) and Talia Ogliore (freelance). For the short form entries, the judging committee consisted of Alka Tripathy-Lang (freelance), Jayme DeLoss (Colorado State University), Smrithika Subramani (freelance) and Michael Newman (Johns Hopkins).

First granted in 2018, the NASW Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards were established to recognize high-caliber, publicly accessible science writing produced on behalf of an institution or other non-media organization. Entries for the next awards cycle, recognizing material published or broadcast in 2026, are due Feb. 1, 2027. Nomination forms will be available at www.nasw.org/excellence beginning in December 2026.

All NASW awards strive to showcase timely coverage and exemplary work, particularly those by underrepresented creatives tackling diverse, overlooked issues and communities. Judges especially consider diversity in topics, sources, audience, and authors to be a critical component of excellence. Nominations are not limited to the NASW membership, and science writers are encouraged to submit entries on behalf of peers, colleagues, and mentees.

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