An annual essay contest held by California’s Independent Institute offers students and non-tenured faculty a chance at thousands of dollars.

With the theme of “peaceful interventionism,” contest organizers are looking for papers that address issues involving the war on terrorism.

Carl P. Close, academic affairs director of the Independent Institute, had a hand in deciding this year’s topic.

“We wanted something that would be of both scholarly interest and topical,” Close said. “It just seemed like the perfect fit. There’s so much going on with foreign policy right now.”

This year, coordinators selected the topic from the writings of economist Richard Cobden.

“Richard Cobden is one of the great minds of classical liberalism and is very underappreciated,” Close said. “We’d like to get people reading him.”

The prize for the winning student essay is $2,500, while junior faculty writers are competing for a $10,000 first prize. All participants must be 35 years old or younger. The Garvey Fellowship program, founded by the late author and philanthropist Olive W. Garvey, funds the contest.

Close said that essays should be scholarly, not personal.

“We’re looking for something more academic,” he said. “That doesn’t mean it has to have 100 footnotes, but it has to be well argued.”

The contest judges will be professional academics from across the nation.

“We have three professors who judge the essays,” Close said. “All three judges must look at all of the essays. But I don’t think we’ve finalized this year’s panel.”

Essay contests are not rare opportunities for college students. The NIU Scholarship Office Web site lists dozens of contests open to students who wish to submit research papers or projects.

Senior OMIS major Mike Liotus has written essays for scholarships in the past, but said he’d have to think twice before writing an essay that requires a lot of research.

“I would [write the essay],” he said, “but I won’t do it because I barely have enough time to get my school work done now as it is. [I’m taking] 18 hours this semester.”

Scott Burger, a junior elementary education major, likes that the scholarship is based solely on the quality of the essay.

“I have tried to apply numerous times to other [scholarships] and have gotten rejected due to my [financial] status,” he said.

All entries must be received by May 1, 2003. For information about how to apply, visit www.independent.org/garvey.html.