League of Nations Prize Application Form

Established in 1924 when Tom Elder Barr Smith paid £100 to the University to found an annual prize for an essay on the work of the League of Nations.

The prize is awarded for the best essay on a topic connected to the League of Nations and its contemporary legacies for the United Nations system and international order. Essays should engage with recent debates and literature.

Prize: $1,300

Topics to consider might include, for example:

  • the origins of international organisations in the League of Nations system.
  • the League’s perpetuation of colonial racism and political and economic hierarchies.
  • Japan’s challenge to these racial and political hierarchies.
  • the League’s role in facilitating the rise of American power.

Essays must be at least 3,500 but no more than 6,000 words including references, tables, graphs etc. The winner will be selected by the Department of Politics and International Relations.

All undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Adelaide as at the date of submission are eligible to compete.

Please read the formal Prize Rules in full prior to completing this application form.

Applications will close on COB Friday 30 May 2025.