Links
Deadlines
Terms Used
June 10, 2025 - Contest Announced
June 23, 2025 - Open to Submissions
September 29, 2025 (10 AM US Eastern Time) - Deadline for Submissions
October 21, 2025 (10 AM US Eastern Time) - Essay Rating Deadline
October 22 – November 28, 2025 - Expert Judges' Evaluation Period
By December 15, 2025 - Prize Winners Announced; All Entrant/Commentator Names Revealed
Everyone who submits an entry to the Competition through the submission form will be regarded as a Competition Entrant; however only those whose essays are deemed eligible and posted to the site will be regarded as "Essay Authors." Each eligible essay will be read and rated (scored between 1 and 10) by at least two Expert Readers (chosen by FQxI). FQxI Members and other Essay Authors will also have the ability to score essays. Essay Author Finalists will be those achieving the highest scores and/or those recommended by the Expert Readers. Essays can also be "liked" and commented on by the public.
For further clarity, see below for definitions of types of Competition participant:
Competition Entrant: Anyone who enters the Competition by submitting an entry through the submission form.
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Essay Author: All Competition Entrants who receive a confirmation of eligibility from FQxI. Essay Authors have essays posted in the Competition. All Essay Authors will be anonymous, with names and bios withheld until the winners are announced.
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FQxI Members: Scientists and outreach specialists FQxI has invited to be Members. A current list of FQxI Members is available here.
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Expert Reader: Two or more people, selected by FQxI, to read and rate eligible essays. This review will happen during the general voting period to ensure all essays are read. Expert Readers provide FQxI with more than one fair assessment of each essay in case of any rating fraud.
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Competition Evaluator: This includes Essay Authors, FQxI Members, and Expert Readers. These three groups can rate essays on a scale of 1 to 10 during the general voting period ending October 21, 2025, at 10 AM US Eastern Time.
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Public Reader: Anyone who is not a Competition Evaluator. Public Readers can comment on (when logged in) and rate essays by clicking the thumb icon to "Like" an essay.
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Essay Author Finalist: This includes Essay Authors with the top Competition Evaluator scores, and Expert Readers' recommendations. These groups are only eligible to be Essay Author Finalists if they have, at a minimum, rated the three essays assigned upon confirmation of eligibility.
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Expert Judge: This panel evaluates Essay Author Finalists between October 22 and November 28, 2025, after the general voting period ends. They will meet after this period to review and select the Prize Winners based on the Evaluation Criteria shared on the Competition Rules page.
Focus on Quantum Biology
The advent of quantum mechanics overhauled the physical sciences leading to huge leaps in physics, chemistry, and computer science. In recent years, biology has made great advances through interdisciplinary work with chemistry and physics. Yet the quantum revolution’s impact on biology remains largely unexplored. Among the most intriguing aspects is the possible role that quantum physics plays in biology. This topic has ignited vigorous and enduring debate.
Quantum physics undeniably underpins the existence and stability of atoms and molecules, including the macromolecules fundamental to biology. However, the question persists: does quantum physics extend its role beyond this realm to imbue characteristic features observed in living matter?
Evidence emerging from theoretical and experimental physics, computational chemistry, and experimental biology suggests that certain processes within living organisms exploit quantum phenomena such as long-lived quantum coherence, entanglement, and quantum tunneling. Yet, decisive advancements in understanding the role of quantum physics in biology necessitate the development of innovative tools, methodologies, and conceptual frameworks at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and biology. If quantum physics plays a role in biology, in which systems does this happen, and at what level? How can we experimentally investigate these effects? For example, do light-activated biochemical processes make use of long-lived quantum coherence? If so, how is the process of decoherence delayed in the cellular environment? Can advances in the new field of quantum thermodynamics help explain this?
At a higher level, considering that biology, particularly the physiology of the brain and the emergence of consciousness, is rooted in underlying physical interactions with quantum bases, what role does quantum physics play in understanding the brain and consciousness?
Biological processes exhibit extraordinary complexity, yet consensus on defining this complexity remains elusive. How can we better define the complexity of biological systems? How can we quantify and measure correlations between quantum features, complexity, and entropy within living systems? Can novel tools and methodologies be proposed to explore these correlations effectively?
The origin and mechanisms of life have captivated exceptional scientists like Erwin Schrödinger, who, in 1944, penned the seminal book What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell, long after formulating his quantum mechanical equation. Now is the opportune moment to delve deeper into unraveling the role of quantum mechanics in biological processes and living matter, including our brain and consciousness, and to investigate the intricate interplay between quantum physics and biology.
FQxI has an interest in foundational questions across all of science. Interesting and novel ideas suggested in this Competition may become the basis of future funding rounds.
Questions to Consider:
In addition to the questions shared above, we suggest entrants consider addressing the two prompts below.
Whatever questions are explored in an essay, in all cases, Competition Entrants are encouraged to consider the practical application of their work. In particular, those suggesting novel experimental approaches to addressing issues will be considered favorably at the evaluation stage.
Do biological systems employ quantum advantages?
Guidance: Discuss specific biological processes or systems (e.g., photosynthesis, avian magnetoreception) that may leverage quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, or tunneling. Consider how these quantum features might confer advantages in efficiency, speed, or adaptability compared to classical mechanisms.
Does a complete description of biological systems require quantum mechanics?
Guidance: Explore the extent to which quantum mechanics is necessary for understanding various biological phenomena. Evaluate whether classical physics suffices or if certain processes inherently require a quantum description.
All Entries are Anonymous until the Winners are Announced
Essays complying with the rules and satisfying FQxI's relevance and quality criteria will be posted on FQxI’s website anonymously using a randomly selected name. All submissions will stay anonymous until the Prize Winners are announced in December. When this announcement is made, the name and biographical information for each Essay Author will be shared publicly. At this point, anonymized commentators in the Essay Competition forums will also be de-anonymized.
FQxI personnel who are not involved in the judging will hold a record of names, biographical details, and whether or not the entrant is an FQxI Member.
Competition banner image design by Gabe Fitzpatrick.