WASHINGTON (March 28, 2007) – Three top cartoonists have joined with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to kick off the organization's second annual "Science Idol" scientific integrity cartoon contest to draw humorous attention to a very serious issue: political interference in science.

The judges for this year's contest include two Pulitzer Prize winners: Washington Post editorial cartoonist Tom Toles and "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau. They will be joined by Dave Coverly, whose cartoon "Speed Bump" has won the National Cartoonists Society's newspaper panel cartoon award twice, and James MacLeod, the Evansville, Indiana, history professor who won last year's contest.

The Science Idol winner will get a free 3-day trip to the nation's capital to have lunch with Toles. 

"The absurdity of political interference in science is fertile ground for satire," said Francesca Grifo, senior scientist and director of the UCS Scientific Integrity Program. "We're sure the creativity of cartoonists can match the wiliness of those politicizing science and help us tell this story." 

All artists, amateur or professional, are welcome to participate. The submission deadline is May 22. Cartoons should address the abuse of science in general or highlight one or more of the ways in which science has been misused, ranging from the censorship of scientists to the manipulation of scientific reports. For contest rules and submission guidelines, go to: www.ucsusa.org/scienceidol.

The judges and UCS will narrow the pool to 12 finalists and post the cartoons on the UCS Web site on June 25. Over the following four weeks, the public will be able to vote for the grand prize winner. The grand prize winner will receive $500 on top of the all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The 12 finalists' cartoons will appear in a 2008 calendar; the grand prize winner's cartoon will be on the cover.

For information on political interference in science, go to www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/.