Don Yoder Graduate Student Prize
Bert Wilson Undergraduate Student Prize

Sponsored by the Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section

Call for Submissions, Deadline September 15

The Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section of the American Folklore Society invites submissions for TWO student prizes:

  • First the Don Yoder Prize for the Best Graduate Student Paper in Folk Belief or Religious Folklife, with an honorarium of $500;
  • and a second prize, the William A. Wilson Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Undergraduate Paper Prize; with an honorarium of $250.

    Submissions: All research papers by undergraduate or graduate students, in English, written after January 1 of the previous year (e.g., January 1, 2018 for the 2019 Prize), published or unpublished at the time of submission, and written on a folk belief or religious folklife topic, broadly construed, are eligible.

    Interested applicants must submit the following materials for consideration:

    • 1. A cover letter specifying the date when the paper was written; the conference, colloquium, or course where the paper has been or will be submitted; or the publication in which it will be published.
    • 2. Entries must be fully footnoted for a reading audience, using Journal of American Folklore citation style.
    • 3. Electronic submissions are preferred, sent to the address below; however, if submitted by mail, please send three copies of the paper, which should be a minimum of 8 pages, and a maximum of 40 pages, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
      PLEASE NOTE: To ensure blind judgment of papers, please remove the author's name from the paper.
    • 4. A short (100-word) biographical statement about the author, including the author’s current graduate or undergraduate status, and about the research.
    • 5. A letter or e-mail from a faculty sponsor endorsing submission of the paper.

    Deadline: The online and postmark deadline for submissions is September 15. Any materials received after this deadline will not be considered.

    Electronic submissions of papers are preferred; papers and supporting documents should be sent as Microsoft Word document attachments or pdf. Printed copies may be sent to the address below; please do not submit faxed items.

    Confirmation of receipt for electronic submissions will be sent. One submission per person, please. Previous winners of the Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Student Prizes are not eligible; except for winners of the undergraduate student prize, who may later submit a new research paper for the Don Yoder Prize. The papers will be evaluated by three judges who are members of both the American Folklore Society and the Folk Belief and Religious Folklife Section. The winner will be announced at the Section's business meeting at the Society's annual meeting.

    Application materials should be sent to:
    Leonard Norman Primiano
    Professor and Chair
    Department of Religious Studies
    Cabrini University
    610 King of Prussia Road
    Radnor, PA 19087 USA

    E-mail: primiano@cabrini.edu