Our annual Gallagher Undergraduate Essay Contest is open to any undergraduate student. The essay may be about any subject that deals in some direct way with issues pertinent to the study of religion. Papers need not have been written for a Religious Studies course.

The Gallagher Undergraduate Essay Contest is named after Bill Gallagher. The owner of a successful petroleum distribution business in Denver, Colorado, Bill credits the undergraduate and graduate work he did in Religious Studies with preparing him for the world he lives and works in today. Inspired by professors at the University of Colorado, where he graduated cum laude in 1992 with a BA in Religious Studies, and then at the University of Chicago, where he earned an MA in the same field, Bill wants to encourage students to learn more about religion. This desire led him to fund an annual student essay contest at Indiana University’s Department of Religious Studies. It is thanks to Bill’s generous endowment that we can celebrate remarkable undergraduate essays with monetary awards.

Criteria on which papers will be judged include clarity, focus, development of the subject or problem, use of evidence and sources, originality and creativity. While the paper must be academic it may use innovative and creative styles of writing.

To apply: Undergraduate papers should be 10-20 double-spaced pages in length. When submitting your essay, make sure your name, phone number, email address, and class standing are clearly indicated on the front page, and number subsequent pages.

The essay must be a minimum of 10 pages. Students who have shorter essays from their previous and current coursework are encouraged to expand those papers for submission. One submission per student. First prize $500; second prize $300; third prize $200.

Deadline for receipt of all materials: March 21st

Students should submit their papers digitally through IU Scholarships.