Since 1991, the Chemsitry Hall of Fame has run a tuition award programme as a Nomination Contest. Inductions into the Hall of Fame are made from nominations submitted by eligible students in this contest.
Can you think of a substance that should be in the Hall of Fame?
If so, this contest is your chance to have your name immortalized and the chemical substance you nominate inducted into the Hall of Fame. Should you decide to pursue the study of Chemistry at York University, you also earn a valuable tuition award.
Click here to find out more about Chemistry - the central science.
Click here to find out more about studying Chemistry at York.
How the contest works
Click here to see the complete Official Rules.
Click here to see a copy of the Official Entry Form.
Who can participate
Eligible students are those taking or having taken OAC Chemistry at any Ontario high school or at any high school outside Ontario that awards Ontario high school diplomas. Eligible students must not be registered at any University and submissions are made through high school Chemistry teachers.
How to participate
To enter, submit a 500-word essay on why you think your chosen substance should be in the Hall of Fame.
Tell us how it was discovered or where it comes from, what it does, how it is used, how important it is to us -
anything and everything that makes it special. As well as the merit of the chosen substance, the quality of the submission is an important criterion for selection.
All nominations must be accompanied by an Official Entry Form and must be submitted through your teacher.
Print out your own copy of the Official Entry Form or type up a covering page that provides the same information. You can also print out or download the Official Rules.
Up to three entries may be made from any one school.
All submissions should be postmarked no later than the deadline date for the contest.
Faxed submissions will also be accepted on the condition that hard copies will follow by regular mail.
Click here for our address and fax number.
What you can nominate
Gaseous, liquid and solid substances are all eligible, but mixtures, such as soil, cement or air are not.
Generic substances, like DNA or hormones, are not eligible as a group, but individual genes or hormones would be. In the case of a gene, an RNA sequence or a protien, a case might instead be made for the transcription (m-RNA) or translation product (protein) if these are the substances that are actually useful.
The free chemical elements themselves are eligible if they are demonstrably useful as such, rather than being merely a part of useful salts or other derivatives.
Often raw elements are not the direct source of their salts or derivatives.
Any eligible substance can be nominated any number of times but previous inductees cannot be nominated again.
Nominations that receive an honourable mention can of course be nominated again.
Prizes
Up to three entries will be selected by a panel of judges from academia and industry.
Award winners will have their names on the plaques for their inductee and the plaques will be displayed in the Chemistry and Computer Science Building.
As well, the Chemistry Hall of Fame will provide awards of $1,500 to be applied towards tuition fees to the contest winners who choose to pursue Chemistry at York University (proof of registration will be required).