Entries are open to school students in Years 7 to 12 from any Australian secondary school. The 2 students with the best essays will receive a cash prize and a trip to Adelaide for the CleanUp 2026 conference gala dinner on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. The cash prize includes $1000 for the winner and $500 for the runner-up.

Prize winners must be accompanied to the gala dinner by a parent/legal guardian, at their parent/guardian’s own expense.

The deadline for entries is Friday, 31 July 2026.

To enter, download the entry form and write an essay of 500 to 1000 words about the topic below:

Dr Roneal Naidu Award

Topic: How can artificial intelligence and data help us detect, understand and manage environmental contamination? 

The essays will be judged on their writing quality, interest, newsworthiness, and scientific accuracy.

Participants may submit one (1) entry only.

Entries (comprising the completed entry form and the essay) should be emailed to Cintya Dharmayanti (cintya@scientell.com.au) by close of business Friday, 31 July 2026.

Winners will be notified via email by mid to late August 2026.  

The Dr Roneal Naidu award, which has been sponsored by Prof. Ravi Naidu and Shamila Naidu since its inception in 2017, was awarded to Ariel Maevsky, aged 17, from Wesley College in Melbourne, VIC. Essays were on the topic, “How can innovative technologies help clean up emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and micro-nano plastics, to protect human health and the environment?”

The runner-up of the Dr Roneal Naidu Award was Annabelle Carlin, aged 12, from Bunbury Catholic College in WA.