Amartya Sen Essay Prize Competition ($8000 Up for Grabs)

The Amartya Sen Essay Prize Competition is currently ongoing. This is the 10th Annual Amartya Sen Prizes, and it will be awarded this year by Global Financial Integrity, Academics Stand Against Poverty, and Yale’s Global Justice Program to two (2) exceptional original essays that focus on one specific aspect of illicit financial flows, the harms that result from them, and potential avenues for reform.

Amartya Sen Essay Prize Worth

The winning essay receives a cash prize of $5,000, while the runner-up receives a $3,000 award.

General Guidlines

• Essays should be between 7,000 and 9,000 words.
• The Academics Stand Against Poverty Magazine must publish the winning essays.
• The essay should outline the pertinent incentives and enabling circumstances that contribute to the continuation of the harmful behavior and, based on your analysis, suggest workable solutions to the issue.
• Such reform measures may be put out at several levels, including national laws, company policies, individual initiatives, and any combination of these.
• The objective is to determine who has the obligation, ability (and possibly knowledge), and motive to alter behavior in the direction of effective curtailment.
• Papers that provide a thorough explanation of how change may occur in a specific geographical or sectoral context will be given special consideration.
• Authors from diverse academic disciplines and from outside the academy are encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline

Entries must be sent by email attachment on or before 31st August, 2025 to senprize@gfintegrity.org

If you’re going to write this essay excellently, you’re sure going to need a guide, which is why I’ve provided 12 tips to acing the 10th Amartya Sen Essay Prize Competition for 2025 below.

12 tips to acing the 10th Amartya Sen Essay Prize Competition

1. Ensure that you eliminate idiomatic/colloquial slangs from your essay. Words such as kids, boss, gonna, stuff, etc should be avoided.
2. Your essay should not contain phrasal verbs such as go up, look up, etc. If at all they must be used, they must be minimal.
3. Ensure that there are no contractions, examples are “It’ll” instead of “It will”.
4. Ensure that your essay is in passive structure.
5. Your essay must have complex grammar structures, nominalisation, noun structuring and an analysis of the data used (if there are any data).
6. Ensure your essay is properly referenced. APA/Harvard is one of the best referencing systems that we have.
7. Personal adverbs are highly inadvisable. Avoid words like surprisingly, fortunately, etc. Instead, use tentative languages such as possibly, seems, likely to, tends, etc.

8. Do not use numbers or bullet points.
9. Ensure that your vocabulary is rich and accurate. Know the differences between major keywords.
10. Avoid repeating the same words or using basic language. Instead of “thing”, use “factor”. Instead of “lots of”, use “significant amount”.
11. Vague languages are not tolerated.
12. Ensure that your facts or figures are precise, avoid unnecessary word play.

Above all, nothing beats writing an original piece. Ensure you edit your work thoroughly and avoid plagiarism like a plague.

Remember that the prize is to “original” essays and must remain that way.

That being said, I wish you success in your application.

FAQs

What is the Amartya Sen Essay Prize Competition about?

The Amartya Sen Essay Prize Competition is an international writing contest designed to encourage students and researchers to explore issues related to social justice, development, democracy, and human rights. It honors Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s intellectual contributions and aims to promote critical thinking and policy-oriented research on global challenges.

Who is eligible to participate in the competition?

The competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as early-career researchers, from universities and institutions across the world. Applicants are expected to submit original essays on topics aligned with the themes of development, equity, ethics, and freedom. Specific eligibility criteria such as age limits, academic standing, and field of study may be outlined in the official competition guidelines.

What are the prizes and rewards for winners?

The competition offers a total prize pool of $8,000, which is awarded to the best essays selected by the judging panel. The top winners not only receive monetary rewards but may also gain recognition through publication opportunities, invitations to academic forums, and networking with scholars, policymakers, and professionals in related fields.

How can interested candidates apply for the essay competition?

Candidates can apply by submitting their essays through the official competition portal or email provided by the organizers. Submissions must adhere to specific formatting rules, word limits, and citation requirements. Applicants are encouraged to check the official call for entries, which includes the deadline, essay themes, and detailed instructions for participation.