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The 2012 Buddhist Education Foundation for Canada Essay Prize

The Buddhist Channel, March 27, 2012

Toronto, Canada -- The Buddhist Education Foundation for Canada (BEFC) announces a student essay competition demonstrating the association between Buddhism/Buddhist psychology and western psychology, science or society.

Submissions should focus on the specific and creative ways that the western academic and clinical disciplines, (e.g. psychology, sociology, religious studies, philosophy, medicine, psychotherapy, cognitive sciences) have encountered Buddhism and Buddhist psychology. Innovative explorations of this interaction, focusing on synthesis and integration, are especially encouraged.

Undergraduate Students attending any university are eligible to apply. Deadline for submission is July 31, 2012

Three cash prizes of $1,000, $400 and $200. Winning essays will also be published in the third issue of Upaya, the undergraduate journal of the Buddhism and Psychology Student Union (BPSU) at the University of Toronto.

Submission Guidelines

The maximum length of the essay should be 3000 words (excluding references), double-spaced and using font 12 Times New Roman. Please submit essays by email to Ms. Christine Ng at BuddhistEduFoundation@rogers.com with “2012 Buddhist Education Foundation for Canada Essay Prize” in the subject line. Your submission should be accompanied by: a brief abstract (which should not exceed 100 words) and contact information on the cover page.

Winners will be contacted by email by September 15, 2012 and invited to attend an event of the BEFC in the fall of 2012 to accept their prizes.

Essays will be blind-reviewed by the following members of the Selection Committee:

Ana Bodnar, PhD (Lecturer, University of Toronto; psychologist in private practice),
Frances Garrett, PhD. (Associate Professor, Department for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto)
Henry Shiu, PhD. (Lecturer, University of Toronto)
Tony Toneatto, PhD. (Director, Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Minor Program, University of Toronto)
John Vervaeke, PhD. (Lecturer, University of Toronto Representative of BEFC, President of BPSU)

Evaluation Criteria: The following criteria will be used to assess the submissions: originality of the thesis, clarity of expression, soundness of the argument, grammar and writing style.

Further Information: Please contact Tony Toneatto, at tony.toneatto@utoronto.ca if you have any questions or require additional information.

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