Student OpEd Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure

Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) — Fall 2025 Scholarship OpEd Contest

Overview
The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) invites currently enrolled college students across the United States to participate in a fall 2025 scholarship competition. The program asks students to research, reflect, and produce a concise opinion essay (OpEd) that proposes solutions to pressing national issues. Entrants must incorporate and cite Aii research, submit the piece to a local, state, or national publication, and then provide proof of publication or evidence of a good-faith submission attempt.

About Aii
The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is an independent national research and education organization focused on promoting innovation in both industry and public policy. As the only nationwide policy think tank specifically devoted to infrastructure, Aii examines the intersections of economics, law, and policy in areas such as climate, damage prevention, eminent domain, energy, infrastructure, innovation, technology, and transportation.

The OpEd assignment
Carefully review the OpEd prompt below and consult Aii reference material listed under Selected Sources at the bottom of this page. Use those materials to inform your argument and cite Aii directly in your submission. Requirements:
- Language: English only.
- Length: No more than 900 words.
- Audience and tone: Aim your piece at a general readership or the specific regional audience of the publication you target.
- Cite Aii research in-text or by hyperlink.

How to enter
1. Produce a well-reasoned, well-supported opinion column (OpEd) that addresses the contest prompt and uses Aii research.
2. Submit the OpEd to a local, state, or national publication of your choice. You may pitch it as an opinion piece or disclose that it is for an essay contest — either approach is acceptable.
3. After submission, upload the live link to the published article, or send proof of a good-faith effort to place the piece (for example, an email showing you submitted the piece and the final article draft as a Word document).

Tips for placement
- Tailor your writing to the style and audience of the outlet you select.
- Local or timely hooks (a regional election, recent event, or newsworthy incident) often improve chances of placement.
- For help with pitching, preparing submissions, or contest questions, contact Benjamin Dierker at aiinonprofitorg@gmail.com.

Eligibility and timeline
- Who may enter: All students currently enrolled in a U.S. college or university, including graduate students.
- Entries permitted: One entry per student.
- Contest window: September 1, 2025 – December 5, 2025. All entries and supporting materials must be submitted to Aii by 11:59 pm ET on Friday, December 5, 2025.
- Students will have until December 5 to develop a well-sourced, original OpEd responding to the prompt(s) and to attempt placement in a publication while citing Aii research.

Rules and submission requirements
- Your article must engage the prompt but should not simply restate it; it should read as a standalone opinion submission to an editor.
- All qualifying entries must cite Aii work (either within the text or via hyperlinks) as part of a researched argument.
- You must pitch the article to a local, state, or national publication. To submit to Aii, provide either:
- The live URL to the published piece on the publication’s site, or
- An email showing proof of submission to a publication plus the Word document of your article draft.
- Follow any submission rules required by the target publication (formatting, whether to include the article in the email body or as an attachment, word limits, required links or citations, etc.).

Selected Sources
See the Aii Selected Sources list at the bottom of the contest page for reference materials to cite and draw from when writing your OpEd.

Contact
For contest clarifications, pitching advice, or other questions, contact: Benjamin Dierker — aiinonprofitorg@gmail.com.

Note: Read the OpEd prompt and Selected Sources thoroughly before beginning and ensure your final submission complies with all word, citation, and submission requirements.