INGSA-Asia would like to congratulate the winners of its essay contest themed “How is science advice used for the government in your country?” on their incredible achievements. The winning authors, who came from various countries across the region, were each awarded a Certificate of Distinction as well as a travel bursary worth 200 USD to an international INGSA workshop.

The five winning entries were:

• Dr Erfan Shamsoddin (Iran) – Evidence Based Policy Making and Responses during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case for Iran
• Dr Kristoffer B. Berse (Philippines) – Walking on a Tightrope: The Challenging Role of Science Advice in Managing the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines
• Dr Nor Adilla Rashidi (Malaysia) – Bioenergy Policies and Practices in Malaysia: Science Advices and Contributions from Each Stakeholder (Government, Industrial Sector, Academician, and Researcher)
• Prof Satoru Ohtake (Japan) – Science Advice in Japan – Progressing, but in the Middle
• Prof Sunita Tripathy (India) – Science Advice for Regulating Clinical Trials for a SARS-Cov-2 Vaccine in India

Three other authors received honourable mentions for their outstanding participation and were awarded Certificates of Merit. They are:

• Anvesha Singhal (India) – How is Science Advice Used in My Country, India?
• Kulendran Anushan (Sri Lanka) – Scientists Design a Science-Policy Interface for Effective Strategies on Drug Control in Sri Lanka
• Dr Nova Ahmed (Bangladesh) – Communicating to Marginal Communities

INGSA-Asia would like to thank all the participants for their remarkable essays, and hopes to hold similar contests in the near future.