A student in high school today just might become the scientist who develops a cure for cancer. PBS LearningMedia and Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) are giving 300 students such an opportunity over the next three years with The Emperor Science Award. Open to 10th and 11th graders, the new initiative will give students with a passion for science, particularly cancer research, a chance to team up with an accomplished scientist from a “high-profile” research center and be part of a multi-week research project. Students will also receive a Google Chrome notebook computer, a $1,500 stipend and the opportunity to continue working with their science mentor until they finish high school. Each year, 100 students will receive the award, which is being supported by pharmaceutical companies Genentech, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Novartis. To enter, students must submit an essay of no more than 750 words addressing this topic: “Tell us why scientific research is so important in helping to find a cure for cancer. And if you could be a scientific researcher, what would you study and why?” The essays will be judged on sincerity, creativity, clarity, and persuasiveness. Students can enter through Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. The science award was inspired by a Barak Goodman documentary “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies,” which was presented by Ken Burns on PBS earlier this year. “From the outset, it was an important goal for the documentary not only to inform, but also to engage and empower young people to pursue scientific careers, particularly in cancer research,” Sherry Lansing, SU2C co-founder, said in a press release. SU2C is a nonprofit program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. PBS LearningMedia is an on-demand service providing educators free and paid learning experiences to use in their classrooms.