The University of Sydney offers a wide variety of prizes that recognize student academic excellence in a number of areas. Many of these are listed on your transcript; however, some require separate applications.
Awarded in memory of Professor Philip Sidney Ardern, this prize aims principally to promote study of Old and Middle English literature but, reflecting the broad range of his literary interests, is not restricted to such topics. The Committee is particularly interested in works that are original, stimulating and of high literary quality.
For her book, Of Age: Boy Soldiers and Military Power in the American Civil War Era, Associate Professor Clarke won the Lincoln Prize – one of the most prestigious American history awards. The prize is given to the best book published in the previous year on a subject relating to Abraham Lincoln, American Civil War history or the military history of the United States. The USD$50,000 prize comes with a bronze replica of Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ life-sized bust of Lincoln, and a speaking engagement at a forum in Gettysburg, US.
In the past, the prize has been awarded to a range of books and journals including those by renowned historians such as David Hackett Fisher, Richard Hofstadter, Michael McDonnell and Harold Daitz. “Professor Clarke’s groundbreaking work makes a powerful contribution to the field,” said Michael McDonnell, Chair of the University’s Discipline of History.
The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is the annual writing competition run by Australia’s travel magazine, Overland. It is open to writers from around the world, at any stage of their careers and is themed on travel. The judges — Laura Elvery, Paige Clark and Michael Winkler — selected eight shortlisted stories from the competition entries. Sophia Jactel, a graduate of the University of Sydney, was a shortlisted writer with her piece on Josef Israels and domesticity in nineteenth-century Dutch art. Subscribers to Overland can enter the prize at a discounted rate here.
The Sidney Hillman Foundation was established in 1950 and honors investigative journalism and deep storytelling in service of the public good. In addition to the Hillman Prize for journalism, the Foundation supports a variety of other efforts and programs including the search for a basis for lasting peace, the pursuit of social justice and the battle against discrimination based on race, religion and sexual orientation. The Hillman Prize program has honored contributors to the daily, periodical and labor press as well as authors and broadcasters. Since its inception, the Foundation has made grants of tens of thousands of dollars to support the search for a basis for lasting peace and the promotion of social justice and democracy. It has also supported medical research, educational institutions, and lecture series on major issues. The Foundation believes the greatest challenge facing mankind is a struggle to secure human dignity and the freedom to live life to its fullest. The search for that goal requires a dedication to the values of truth and a commitment to illuminating those great issues.