Applications for the 2023 RSTMH Student Essay Prize is now open. The essay topic for this year is:
“What is the most important emerging challenge for global health over the next 5 years and how could this be overcome?”
Eligibility criteria
This Student Essay Competition is for students studying global health as a degree, or any degree with a component of global health or medicine. It is open to current, full-time, students, based anywhere in the world. Evidence of student status must be provided at the point of submission.
The essay should clearly set out your personal perspective and specific view, with evidence to back up your choice. The essay must demonstrate a combination of scholarship, original thought, and analysis.
Guidelines
The essay should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words, excluding references, footnotes, and tables. A 150–200-word summary should also be submitted together with the essay. All sources must be appropriately acknowledged using references numbered in the order in which they appear in the text with brackets e.g. (2) for reference 2. References do not count as part of the word count.
The essay must be in English.
The essay should be entirely your own original work and should not have been previously published. All essays will be checked for plagiarism. Note that if the summary is omitted, the essay will not be considered. Only one essay per person can be submitted.
Assessment
The winner(s) will be selected by a panel of experts, and the decision ratified by the RSTMH Education and Training Committee. Highly commended essays may also be selected. The decision of the Committee is final.
The panel will be assessing essays using the following criteria:
How well your personal perspective links to the local/national/international landscape
How well structured the essay is
How easy the essay is to understand
The evidence basis for your essay, including how you make use of relevant references
How much does the essay inspire or engage the reader
Winning Prize
The prize for the winning essay is £200, plus a year’s free student membership to RSTMH, either new or a renewal. The winner will also be invited to be presented with a certificate and their prize fund at an RSTMH event in 2024.
Application procedure and deadline
Applications can be completed through the online portal. Application deadline is November 23, 2023.
