Reminder: IFTR New Scholars prizes.
| Type of post: | Association news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Chris Hay |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Mon, 10 Nov 2025 |
The IFTR Invites Entries for the New Scholars’ Prize and Helsinki Prize, 2026, with the deadline approaching on 15 November 2025
New Scholars' Prize
The New Scholars' Prize is awarded to the best submitted essay, judged on originality, coherence, and rigour. Any graduate student, doctoral or post-doctoral researcher whose PhD has been awarded less than three years ago, or a researcher without a PhD who has been in an academic post for less than three years is eligible to apply. The prize is intended to facilitate participation in the IFTR conference in Melbourne in 2026. It covers the following costs: conference registration, economy travel and student accommodation (or equivalent) for the duration of the conference (see further details below).
Helsinki Prize
The Helsinki Prize (founded by the student Congress Team of the 2006 IFTR/FIRT World Congress in Helsinki) is offered annually to a promising new scholar who may be a postgraduate or researcher at any university, but whose country of origin and of first degree-level studies, and current place of study or work is in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, and who wishes to participate in an IFTR conference. The prize is awarded on the basis of the merit of the essay and strives to promote the exchange and networking of new scholars in developing regions, and to encourage research in the field of theatre in their countries.
Eligibility
Any eligible scholar who submitted an entry in previous years is welcome to apply again with a new essay. Previous recipients of either the New Scholars Prize or the Helsinki Prize are not eligible to reapply for either prize.
Essay Details
There is no set theme for these competitions; candidates are encouraged to submit work drawing on their current research.
Essays must be written in English.
Essays up to 3,500 words (inclusive of endnotes, footnotes, and bibliography/works cited) are accepted. Any essay longer than 3,850 words (a 10% margin over the 3,500 target) will not be considered for the competition.
Remove your name and any other identifying information (e.g. self-citations in footnotes) from your document.
Essays that have been submitted to a journal for consideration, or that have benefited from any other peer review feedback system are not eligible.
How to Submit
Attach the following to an email and send to newscholars@ifr.org.
Essays are blind reviewed (i.e. judges will not know your identity)
Please Note: submitting an entry for either competition does not constitute a conference enrolment. Applicants wanting to attend the conference should send abstracts to the organisers as outlined in the conference call for papers.
Submission Deadline
The last date for submission of the essay is 15 November 2025.
New Scholars' Prize
The New Scholars' Prize is awarded to the best submitted essay, judged on originality, coherence, and rigour. Any graduate student, doctoral or post-doctoral researcher whose PhD has been awarded less than three years ago, or a researcher without a PhD who has been in an academic post for less than three years is eligible to apply. The prize is intended to facilitate participation in the IFTR conference in Melbourne in 2026. It covers the following costs: conference registration, economy travel and student accommodation (or equivalent) for the duration of the conference (see further details below).
Helsinki Prize
The Helsinki Prize (founded by the student Congress Team of the 2006 IFTR/FIRT World Congress in Helsinki) is offered annually to a promising new scholar who may be a postgraduate or researcher at any university, but whose country of origin and of first degree-level studies, and current place of study or work is in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, and who wishes to participate in an IFTR conference. The prize is awarded on the basis of the merit of the essay and strives to promote the exchange and networking of new scholars in developing regions, and to encourage research in the field of theatre in their countries.
Eligibility
Any eligible scholar who submitted an entry in previous years is welcome to apply again with a new essay. Previous recipients of either the New Scholars Prize or the Helsinki Prize are not eligible to reapply for either prize.
Essay Details
There is no set theme for these competitions; candidates are encouraged to submit work drawing on their current research.
Essays must be written in English.
Essays up to 3,500 words (inclusive of endnotes, footnotes, and bibliography/works cited) are accepted. Any essay longer than 3,850 words (a 10% margin over the 3,500 target) will not be considered for the competition.
Remove your name and any other identifying information (e.g. self-citations in footnotes) from your document.
Essays that have been submitted to a journal for consideration, or that have benefited from any other peer review feedback system are not eligible.
How to Submit
Attach the following to an email and send to newscholars@ifr.org.
- Essay in MS Word format
- A separate one-page document - please provide your name, institutional affiliation if relevant, and information to confirm your eligibility for the New Scholars and/or Helsinki Prize.
- Essays should be submitted to newscholars@iftr.org
Essays are blind reviewed (i.e. judges will not know your identity)
Please Note: submitting an entry for either competition does not constitute a conference enrolment. Applicants wanting to attend the conference should send abstracts to the organisers as outlined in the conference call for papers.
Submission Deadline
The last date for submission of the essay is 15 November 2025.
