Opportunities

The Nancy Gallagher Prize for Best Undergraduate Essay in Middle East Studies

The Nancy Gallagher Best Undergraduate Essay Prize in Middle East Studies is given annually for undergraduate papers on topics in Middle East Studies. Awarded papers are conducted with careful research producing imaginative arguments. The prize is named in honor of UCSB Professor Emerita Nancy Gallagher, a historian of the Middle East and North Africa, who helped build the thriving intellectual community that is CMES.

Eligibility: Open to all UCSB Undergraduates, who are currently registered students. Students applying must have attended one quarter of the 2023-24 academic year. 

Award: Awards up to $1,000 will be presented each year to the recipients of this prize. 

Submission Guidelines: To apply, complete this google form. No more than one essay will be accepted by any one participant. Submissions should not be take home exams or book reviews. They should be original research that engage the relevant scholarship. To enter a submission to the prize, complete the form below and upload the essay as a PDF at the link provided below. Make sure the essay is clearly marked with participant’s name.

Paper length: 2,500-3,000 words. 

Deadline:  Submissions are due on March 15 at noon. No late entries will be accepted.

Entry Components and Judging Criteria:

Please review the following judging criteria before preparing your submission, and ensure that your entry includes all components. Your project should be your original works that reflect use of library materials, services, and resources.   Entries will be judged on four components:  original argument, engagement with scholarship, writing clarity, professional citational practices. The essays will be judged by a panel of faculty affiliates of the Center for Middle East Studies at UCSB.