Halifax Overseas Club Essay Prize
Background
The focus of this essay prize is to demonstrate the relationship between a place in the Overseas Dominions and the British Commonwealth. Research papers can be either historical or critical in nature, but they must speak to matters that stimulate the study of and an interest in the closer relations of the constituent parts of the British Commonwealth. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Role of India in the Modern Commonwealth
- Canada and the World
- Atlantic exchange and migration
- Changing ideas of multilateral engagement
- Immigration policy
- Peace keeping
- Origins of Canada’s multiculturalism policy
In order to be considered for this award, submitted essays must explicitly address the research topic as outlined in this Background statement.
Award for 2025 competition
$7,000
*Runner-up prize amounts may also be awarded this year in the Halifax Overseas Club Prize competition.
Eligibility
The Halifax Overseas Club Essay Prize is open to all registered full-time (full time, for undergraduates, that is defined as minimum of nine credit hours per term) undergraduate Dalhousie University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) students (i.e., students whose Faculty is listed as Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences in their student profile in DalOnline in the Winter 2025 academic term) regardless of year of study. Recipient will be registered with their primary degree in FASS, for example Languages, Social Sciences, Humanities and Performing Arts.
*Amendment (as of December 16, 2021): Recipient will be enrolled with a FASS program; this includes students who are enrolled as a Major/Honours with FASS and/or students who are registered as Majors with another Faculty, but are registered as completing a second/double major, minor or Certificate within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (this association with a FASS program must be evident in their Dalhousie registration file with the Registrar's Office/Banner - for example, through program registration and course completion).
The recipient will preferably have a broad general education and interdisciplinary interests appropriate to the research topic chosen. All papers are to be submitted in electronic form (please send as a Word document) following the standards of the APA style guide in 12 point font, double spaced, and must be between 4,000 and 5,000 words in length [excluding reference list].
Please note - all of the essays submitted to the FASS Essay Competition will be run through a plagiarism detection software. Essays that have been flagged as plagiarised will be disqualified from the competition.
Application and deadline
Candidates are to submit a copy of their essay in electronic form to fassnews@dal.ca accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a current Dalhousie faculty member by the deadline (the 2024-2025 competition submission deadline is: 4:30 pm on Monday, February 24, 2025). The award winner will be asked to make a public presentation of their research essay.
Selection committee
The Selection committee is composed of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (or designate), and two additional members of the Dalhousie University faculty or support staff.
The Office of the Dean will notify all award winners before the spring academic term ends. Winners' names, their essays and a video recording of their presentation will be posted online to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Essay Competition webpage.