USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Bernth Lindfors Outstanding Student Award in African Studies

Call for Applications

 

The Bernth Lindfors Outstanding Student Award in African Studies

 

            Bernth Lindfors is recognized as one of the pioneers of African literary history. As a literary scholar, critic, editor, bibliographer, and archivist, his accomplishments are many. He contributed immensely to the field of African literary criticism by creating the journal Research in African Literatures in 1970 shortly after joining the University of Texas at Austin in 1969, and by serving as its editor for 20 years. He has also authored 62 books, numerous articles and chapters; and he has received prestigious grants from the Fulbright Program, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), to name a few. His contributions to the study of African literature have expanded our knowledge of the continent's literary history, and remain relevant today.

 

            The Annual Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin, in order to celebrate and honor his outstanding contributions, inaugurated the Bernth Lindfors Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award in African Studies, thereby preserving his legacy. The objective of the award is to promote the field of African Studies at the undergraduate level, to encourage students to take an active role in the field, and to reward the pursuit of innovative inquiries in African Studies.

 

            The Bernth Lindfors Outstanding Student Award in African Studies includes a certificate and a cash prize. It rewards students who are active within African Studies department/programs and who contribute to the community through acts of service or original research projects.

 

Evaluation Criteria:

 

1. Original research paper/undergraduate thesis written in any field related to African Studies. 
2. Outstanding academic standing in their respective programs. 
3. Professional service in African Studies-related academic activities such as conference organizing activities or research collaboration.  
4. Activism related to promotion of African/African diaspora related social and political issues. 

 

How to apply: 

 

            Students or nominators may send application materials to Africa africaconference2020@gmail.com and toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu before 20^th of March 2020. Application materials should include a cover letter demonstrating fulfillment of the criteria set for the award, a copy of their academic transcript, and a letter of support from their academic advisor/thesis supervisor. Students or nominators may send additional materials in support of their application such as a writing sample, an undergraduate thesis chapter, or other evidence of work done related to African Studies.

 

Selection Process:

 

An internal committee appointed by the Convener of the Annual Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin will evaluate the application materials and announce the winner during the annual session of the conference.

     

 

 

Toyin Falola

Department of History

The University of Texas at Austin

104 Inner Campus Drive

Austin, TX 78712-0220, USA

http://toyinfalolanetwork.org/