The Strategy Bridge Student Writing Competition on Strategy

The Strategy Bridge sponsors an annual Student Writing Contest, and has done so since 2017, highlighting the amazing work being done by students at all levels in thinking and writing about all aspects of strategy.

The competition is open to students attending civilian universities, military academies, and military war or staff colleges at every level, including distance learning, correspondence, and fellowship programs.

Original submissions are highly encouraged, though unpublished, revised and reformatted professional military education papers that meet the standards of a professional journal and our submission guidelines will be considered. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Theory of strategy

  • Strategy development (within the military or between civilian and military actors/organizations)

  • Strategic history

  • Factors influencing strategy (technology, politics, geography, etc.)

  • Educating strategists

  • Strategy and the public

  • The impact of information operations on strategy

  • The future of strategy

  • Ethics and strategy

  • Climate change and strategy

  • Coalitions and alliances

  • Great Power Competition

AWARDS

A panel of judges gathered by The Strategy Bridge will evaluate entries based on originality, substance of argument, style, and contribution to advancing the understanding and practice of strategy.

  • First Place – Award of $500, publication in a special series in The Strategy Bridge journal.

  • Second Place – Award of $300, publication in a special series in The Strategy Bridge journal.

  • Third Place – Award of $100, publication in a special series in The Strategy Bridge journal.

Past Winners

2017 Winners

2018 Winners

2019 Winners

2020 Winners

2021 Winners

2022 Winners

HOW TO ENTER

  • The Strategy Bridge will entertain articles with a tie to strategy that are between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length; footnotes and author biography are not considered in the word count. Submissions in excess of 5000 words will not be considered. Articles must include a short biography of the author or authors.

  • Given our broad audience in the national security profession, we require that submissions be free of jargon, acronyms, and idiosyncratic style; articles should be written for a general audience rather than a service- or national military-specific one. For more guidance, see our submission guidelines.

  • All citations must be provided as footnotes in Chicago style. (See links here, here, and here for online guidance/assistance in formatting.)

  • All graphs, charts, and tables should be submitted as separate files in the format they were created; please include appropriate attribution information.

  • Previously published articles are ineligible.

  • Articles pending consideration elsewhere for publication, or articles submitted to other competitions still pending announced decisions are eligible for this competition, but if the article is accepted elsewhere the author must inform The Strategy Bridge immediately.

  • Please send submissions in a Word document format to submissions@thestrategybridge.org.

For more info, contact The Strategy Bridge at submissions@thestrategybridge.org. You can find more info about The Strategy Bridge at https://thestrategybridge.org.


Past THE STRATEGY BRIDGE CONTEST JUDGING PARTNERS

The Strategy Bridge Team