Annual – Deadline 30 June – Prize £250
The Council of the RAI has decided that, from 2006, two student essay prizes will be awarded annually. The value of each prize is £250.
The Arthur Maurice Hocart Prize, established in 1948 under the will of the Mrs E.G. Hocart in memory of her husband, will be awarded for the best essay on an anthropological subject by a student of any nationality registered for a postgraduate degree in any branch of anthropology at a British or Irish institution.
The prize is intended primarily for those working for a first postgraduate degree. Entries may also be submitted on behalf of doctoral students; in assessing these, the student’s academic level will be taken into account. Entries must be submitted through the head of a department teaching anthropology at an eligible institution.
The RAI Student Essay Prize is open to students of any nationality registered for an undergraduate degree at a British or Irish institution. It will be awarded for the best essay on an anthropological subject. Entries must be submitted through the head of a department teaching courses with a recognizable anthropological component, at an eligible institution.
For both prizes the following will apply:
Essays must be between 8,000-12,000 words excluding notes and references. They must be well presented, and include a word count and page numbers. Both regular coursework essays and those written specially for the prize competition are eligible for submission. Essays must be dated by the writer. The department submitting the entry is asked to confirm the academic standing of the writer as at the date of entry. If the submitting department should wish, they may also include the names of the student’s supervisors. The supervisor and student’s name will then be published in the case of the winning entry.
Judges are appointed by the Council of the Institute, and reserve the right not to make an award in any year should no entry of sufficient quality be received. Entries for both prizes are now invited from eligible departments on behalf of their students. There is a maximum of three entries per department for each award. Entries should be sent in by 30 June to the Assistant Director (Administration) by email on admin@therai.org.uk.
