About the Award
The MK Rajakumar Prize in Medical Ethics was established through the generous donation of Mr PS Ranjan in 2025.
This prize is awarded annually to encourage and recognise excellence in medical ethics scholarship among NUS medical students. It seeks to promote critical engagement with the ethical issues arising from new and emerging technologies in healthcare, health policy, and medical practice.
Up to two prizes may be awarded each year:
- First Prize ($1,000)
Awarded to the best Medical Ethics essay based on originality, academic rigour, and scholarly merit. - Second Prize ($500)
Awarded to the second-best Medical Ethics essay based on originality, academic rigour, and scholarly merit.
In addition, the recipient of the First Prize may be offered mentorship from a faculty member at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics (CBmE) to further develop their essay for submission to a medical ethics journal.
Eligibility and Submission Requirements
The Prize is open to all NUS medical students, regardless of year of study.
Applicants are required to submit a 2,000-word essay on a topic of their choice related to medical ethics and emerging technologies. Essays should present a thoughtful and original ethical analysis, demonstrating academic rigour and engagement with relevant medical ethics literature.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Artificial intelligence in healthcare
- Data governance and privacy
- Genetics and gene editing
- Cloning and xenotransplantation
- Nanotechnology
- Emerging reproductive technologies
Essay submission deadline is 31 January 2027
Assessment Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated on:
- Originality and quality of ethical analysis
- Academic rigour and clarity of argument
- Engagement with relevant medical ethics literature
- Potential contribution to contemporary discussions in medical ethics
The Prize will be awarded to essays that demonstrate outstanding academic merit and make a meaningful contribution to scholarship in medical ethics.
Selection Process
All eligible submissions will be reviewed by a Prize Committee, which will make recommendations for the award recipients. The Prize Committee will invite students whose essays are shortlisted for the award to an interview in which they will ask questions about the essay. The Committee’s recommendations will be made on the basis of the quality of the written submission and performance at this interview. All recommendations are subject to approval by the Vice Dean (Education), NUS Medicine.
The Prize Committee reserves the right to award only one prize, or not to confer any prize, if the submitted essays do not meet the required standard of excellence in a given year.
Essay Submission Form
Essay submission deadline is 31 January 2027