Awards & Scholarships
Awards
Undergraduate Critical Essay Competition
The ODU English Department welcomes submissions of outstanding 2,000-2,500-word critical essays not limited to a specific period, interpretative school, or national literature written for an undergraduate ENGL course offered by the ODU English Department during the calendar year of 2023.
Submission Instructions: In a title page, please include your name, professor's name, course number, and the semester when the essay was submitted (Spring 2023, Summer 2023, or Fall 2023). Make sure your name does not appear elsewhere in the essay. Send essay and abstract to Awards & Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
Undergraduate Technical Writing and Document Design Competition
The ODU English Department welcomes submissions of outstanding work in the areas of technical writing, professional writing, or document design. Submissions could include technical documents, professional or scientific reports, or short examples of work exemplifying the principles of effective document design composed for an undergraduate ENGL course offered within the technical writing major during the calendar year of 2023.
Submission Instructions: In a title page, please include your name, professor's name, course number, and the semester when the work was submitted (Spring 2023, Summer 2023, or Fall 2023). Make sure your name does not appear elsewhere in the work itself. Send work to Awards & Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
Undergraduate Applied Language Studies Essay/Research Paper Competition
The ODU English Department welcomes submissions of outstanding essays and research-based papers in the areas of linguistics, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and language analysis. Submissions could include data-based language analysis projects, theoretical research essays, and case studies written by undergraduate English majors for an ENGL course offered within the area of applied linguistics during the calendar year of 2023.
Submission Instructions: In a title page, please include your name, professor's name, course number, and the semester when the work was submitted (Spring 2023, Summer 2023, or Fall 2023). Make sure your name does not appear elsewhere in the work itself. Send work to Awards & Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
Karl Knight Graduate Literary Essay Competition
- The ODU English Department is welcoming submissions of outstanding critical essays on any work of literature—not limited to a specific period, national literature, or methodological approach— written for a graduate ENGL course offered by the ODU English Department during the calendar year of 2023.
- Submission Instructions: In a title page, please include your name, professor's name, course number, and the semester when the essay was submitted (Spring 2023, Summer 2023, or Fall 2023). Make sure your name does not appear elsewhere in the essay. Send essay and abstract to Awards & Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
Dickseski Fiction Prize
The 2024 Jerri Dickseski Fiction Prize competition is now open! There are two divisions for this prize.
* Undergraduate division: Must be declared English majors or minors as of April 30, 2024. Prize is $500 and recognition at the Literary Festival in October.
* Graduate division: Must be enrolled in M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D. program as of April 30, 2024. Prize is $500 and recognition at the Literary Festival in October.
Submission: Submit a short story manuscript of up to 20 pages in length. Please submit your name, division, and manuscript using this form https://forms.gle/26NFsxh7ieNuHxiF8.This will be a blind judging, so the entrant's name should NOT appear in the header, footer, or cover page of the manuscript itself.
This annual prize, established by ODU English alum Jerri Dickseski, awards $500 and public recognition at the ODU Literary Festival to a graduate and an undergraduate writer of prose fiction in the English Department.
DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
The ODU College Poetry Prizes
(Sponsored through the Academy of American Poets and the Poetry Society of Virginia)
The College Poetry Prize is a very prestigious prize that was established in 1955 by the Academy of American Poets. Fifteen [RP1] [IA2] years ago, through an endowment from the Poetry Society of Virginia and the initiative of then VA Poet Laureate Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, ODU's MFA Creative Writing Program was enrolled in the AAP's roster of universities and colleges able to award this prize. Many of America's most esteemed poets won their first recognition through an Academy College Prize, including Diane Ackerman, Toi Derricotte, Mark Doty, Alice Fulton, Tess Gallagher, Louise Glück, Allen Grossman, Jorie Graham, Kimiko Hahn, Joy Harjo, Robert Hass, Li-Young Lee, Brad Leithauser, J. D. McClatchy, Heather McHugh, Gregory Orr, and Robert Pinsky.
Contest Rules and Guidelines: Prepare a Word document file with your poetry entry; you may submit 1-3 unpublished poems only, all saved in one single Word document file (not PDF); no works in translation. Name the Word document with the title of your first poem only. There should be NO identifying names or information anywhere in the document or in the file name. Send your poem entries by email to the oducollegepoetryprize@gmail.com In cover email only, include all the following information: Name; UIN; mailing address (street, city, state, zip code); contact info (phone and email); and list titles of all poems in your submission.
Undergraduates: Indicate if you are currently an officially registered English major or have a Creative Writing emphasis; or, if you have taken at least one creative writing class in the previous or current academic year (identify the course, the semester, and the instructor).
Graduates: Indicate if you are currently an officially registered MA, MFA, or PhD English student.
The ODU College Poetry Prizes are selected by an external judge— a poet of national reputation. Entries which do not follow submission guidelines will be disqualified.
OPENS: Thursday, 23 January 2024
DEADLINE: Sunday, 10 March 2024
RESULTS: Around the first week of April
The Benjamin Equitan Essay Prize Contest
This annual prize for a personal essay, established by Benjamin Equitan, Jr., Managing Director of Ramiscal Equitan Advisors, offers a total of $2000 in prizes (first and honorable mention), and recognition to currently enrolled ODU undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Filipino/a/x.
Prizes will be awarded in each category (Undergraduate & Graduate):
* First Prize: ~ $700 & Certificate
Honorable Mention: ~ $300 & Certificate
Contest Guidelines:
1. Any currently enrolled ODU undergraduate or graduate student identifying as Filipino/a/x may enter work to the contest.
2. Any original work is eligible, whether or not it was written for a class, as long as this has not been published online or in print.
3. This personal essay (not research paper) must address the following theme, according to the student's own interpretation and experience:
How does knowledge of FilAm and Filipino/a/x histories and cultural perspectives contribute
to stronger DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in the university and community? (In your personal essay, share your own interpretation, experience, and vision.)
4. Submit only one work between 5 and 10 pages in double-spaced, 12-point font. Students should not put any identifying information on their entry since it will be judged anonymously.
5. Submit your entry electronically as a Word Document (not PDF), to ligloria@odu.edu<mailto:ligloria@odu.edu> (Prof. Luisa A. Igloria, contest coordinator).
6. In the email accompanying the submission, include: your full name; ODU student ID, major or degree program, and year; mailing and email addresses; and phone number.
An external judge will be invited to review the entries and make prize selections.
DEADLINE: MARCH 15, 2024
RESULTS: by the end of March
Undergraduate Curriculum Design, Teacher Research, Practitioner Writing Competition
The ODU English Department welcomes submissions of outstanding work in the area of English education. Submissions can include innovative teaching ideas or curriculum design; teacher research; practitioner writing; or other field-specific genres that explore the teaching of English composed for an undergraduate English course, education course, or field experience during the calendar year of 2023. Materials created during the 2024 internship will be accepted, as well.
Submission instructions: In a title page, please include your name, professor's or supervisor's name, course number, and the semester when the work was submitted (Spring 2023, Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024). Make sure your name does not appear elsewhere in the work itself. Send work to Awards & Scholarship Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
Scholarships
The L. Cameron Gregory Scholarship in Journalism
This scholarship is designed to support students in English majoring in journalism. Applicants need to be a full-time, undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Award Amount: $1511
Submission Instructions: Applicants will send an unofficial transcript and 500-word statement of their career goals in journalism to the Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
The James Harrison & Ellen Douglas Brooke Parker Scholarship Fund
This scholarship is designed to support students in English majoring in composition. Applicants need to be a rising junior with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Award Amount: $5499
Submission Instructions: Applicants will send an unofficial transcript and 500-word statement of their academic goals in the field of writing studies to the Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
The Ron Jet Jones Memorial Scholarship in English
This scholarship is designed to support entering full-time first year students with an intended major of English. The applicant must have a high school GPA of at least 3.75, demonstrate financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office, and have held a leadership position in clubs or organizations in high school. Scholarship is renewable if student maintains 3.5 GPA and remains enrolled as full-time English major.
Award Amount: $1609
Submission Instructions: Applicants will send an unofficial high school transcript and 500-word statement of why they chose to major in English to the Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
The James B. Reece Endowed Scholarship
This scholarship is designed to support an undergraduate student majoring in English. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office.
Award Amount: $35,800 (divided amongst three awardees)
Submission Instructions: Applicants will submit a 1000-word essay on a general topic, such as the student's reason for choosing to major in English, to the Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
The Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Endowed Scholarship Fund
The purpose of this scholarship is to acknowledge excellence in spoken and written communications using the English language. The applicant must be a rising junior or senior majoring in English, possess a minimum GPA of 3.5, and receive recommendation from the department chair or college dean.
Award Amount: $2889
Submission Instructions: Applicants will submit a recommendation letter from the chair/dean and a 1000-word essay on their career goals as they pertain to the English degree to the Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel Richards at dprichar@odu.edu.
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2024
Special Note: This award alternates between English and Communications majors on a yearly basis:
2024-25: English (this year)
2025-26: Communications
2026-27: English
2027-28: Communications
2028-29: English