$500 Planetary Health Story Prize
- Organization: William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University
- Type: Competition
- Location: Global
- Deadline: October 9, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
The William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins, with the university's Institute for Planetary Health, the Planetary Health Alliance and the Hopkins Population Center, runs this prize for published journalism that links demographic change to the health of the planet. Think population trends, climate migration, reproductive health in a changing environment, or heat and pollution and what they do to mothers. Student journalists, freelancers, community reporters and social media creators can all enter a story published in 2026, and entry is a free online form. **What you get:** - $500 USD for the winning story in each of two categories - Winners announced at the Demographics & Planetary Health Convening in Washington, D.C. on 22 October 2026 - Winning and selected stories shared with the planetary health, demography and sexual and reproductive health communities **What you'll do:** - Choose a category: Print, Podcast, Digital News & Newsletters, or Social Media, Blogs & Video - Submit a story published in 2026, or a draft with a note on where it is slated to run - Send your name and contact details, a headline and sub-headline, your outlet, a thumbnail image and a 150-word summary of why the story matters and how you reported it **Key dates:** - Submissions opened 10 August 2026 - Submissions close Friday 9 October 2026 - Winners announced 22 October 2026 at the Demographics & Planetary Health Convening in Washington, D.C. **More information:** - Judged by a panel from journalism, planetary health and demography on originality and rigour, how clearly the story links demographics and planetary health, craft, potential for impact, and whether it moves the conversation forward - Accepted formats: news stories, features or op-eds, explanatory pieces, and short documentary or audio pieces

