STUDENT ESSAY AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF DISPLACEMENT AWARD CONTESTS

The Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS), in collaboration with the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) project, are pleased to share the Call for Submissions for its Student Essay Contest (SEC) and the CARFMS/LERRN Lived Experiences of Displacement Essay Award (LEDA).

These awards recognize the outstanding scholarship produced by students and early-career researchers within the academic field of refugee and forced migration studies. The LEDA, in particular, aims to ensure that refugee and forced migration research is shaped by a more inclusive and equitable collective engagement, and has the objective of amplifying and highlighting the voices of those who have lived an experience of forced displacement. 

The finalists for both the SEC and LEDA contests will be awarded a $500 prize for one winning research paper in each of the three categories (for a total of 6 winners):

1. Undergraduate students
2. Graduate and/or law students
3. Early-career researchers (defined as having completed their highest degree no more than three years before the competition deadline)

In addition, each of the winners will receive a certificate signed by CARFMS, LERRN, and BHER recognizing their exceptional work and the opportunity to present their paper at a CARFMS conference or virtual event. Submissions may address any issue relevant to refugee and forced migration studies in Canada or elsewhere.

The deadline for the annual competition is March 30, 2025.

Eligibility Requirements for the SEC Contest:

Must be enrolled in Canadian university or have graduated within the last three years and must be resident in Canada. Participants must be the sole author of the submitted work.

Eligibility Requirements for the LEDA Contest:

Must have lived experience of forced migration within the last 15 years. Participants must currently reside outside of Canada. Participants must be the sole author of the submitted work.

Submission Requirements:

• Papers must be submitted online: CARFMS Student Essay Contest Online Application or CARFMS Lived Experiences of Displacement Essay Award Online Application 
• Papers may be submitted in either English or French.
• Papers must not exceed 7,500 words. Please use 12-point font, double-space, and standard margins.
• Submissions must include an abstract of no more than 150 words, setting out the main arguments or findings of the paper.
• LEDA submissions must include (on a separate page) a short biography of no more than 150 words, including a description of the context in which the applicant has lived experience of forced migration.
• Papers should follow appropriate referencing conventions (e.g., APA, Chicago).

Submissions that do not meet the basic editorial guidelines will not be reviewed by the assessment committee. Participants are limited entering one or the other contest but not both.

The papers will be evaluated through an anonymous review process. Please do not include any identifying information in the paper. 

Applicants may only enter one submission in either the CARFMS Lived Experiences of Displacement Essay Contest or the CARFMS Student Essay Contest.

Composition of the evaluation committee will be as follows: 2 members from CARFMS, 1 community research partner with lived experience of displacement (recommended by LERRN), 1 representative from LERRN, and 1 representative from BHER. In following years, the community research partner position will be filled (if so desired) by the previous emerging scholar winner.

Any questions should be directed to:

Dr. Anna Purkey, Program Director & Associate Professor of Human Rights, United College at the University of Waterloo, apurkey@uwaterloo.ca.