Student OpEd Scholarship

The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is excited to announce a fall 2023 scholarship for college students. The contest is open to all enrolled college students nationwide and seeks to engage America’s greatest rising minds to think about and articulate solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing challenges.

Aii presents students with three essay prompts and invites students to choose one. To enter the contest, students will write a well-reasoned and well-supported opinion column (like an OpEd) and submit it to a local, state, or national publication of your choosing. Once you’ve done so, upload a hyperlink to the published article or send in proof of a good faith effort to get your article placed.

Who is Aii?

The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is the only national public policy think tank dedicated solely to infrastructure. Aii is a nonpartisan, independent research and educational organization with a mission to help foster innovative solutions to current and future infrastructure challenges. An innovative think tank, Aii explores the intersection of economics, law, and public policy in the areas of climate, damage prevention, energy, infrastructure, innovation, technology, and transportation. The Alliance consists of two non-profits, the National Infrastructure Safety Foundation (NISF) 501(c)(4) and the Public Institute for Facility Safety (PIFS) 501(c)(3). Both non-profits consist of volunteer boards of directors who legally govern the Alliance. These boards also work in conjunction with the Alliance’s own volunteer Advisory Council.

This is the first scholarship contest run by Aii since our founding. Education has always been integral to what we do, and we believe this is an outgrowth of that vision. We challenge students to read and engage with dynamic research and reports to arrive at their own original arguments. Not only will they learn in the process, but they will advance the learning process by showcasing their ideas for others.

We are eager for students to take advantage of this opportunity to raise their voice and compete in the nationwide marketplace of ideas. By using an OpEd style contest, we are encouraging students to make a difference, speak up, and show their local policymakers and the country how we can leverage innovation and existing infrastructure to solve problems.

This contest not only provides students an opportunity to compete against their peers, but the chance to earn scholarship funds. Three finalists will be named and their work promoted, with 1st place earning $5,000, 2nd place earning $1,000, and 3rd place earning $500. Select runner-ups may also have their work highlighted to our nationwide audience of industry leaders and policymakers.

Eligibility

• This contest is open to all currently enrolled college students across the United States. Students will have until October 15 to write out a well-sourced, original argument on one of three prompts and attempt to place it in a newspaper or similar publication.
• Open to all enrolled college students, including graduate students
• One entry per student.
• Contest will run from September 1 to October 15. Entries must be made by 11:59pm ET on Sunday, October 15.
• Students are encouraged to get started as soon as they can, but Aii will only evaluate submissions made during this period