Students who are juniors at the time of the application deadline and will be studying at Elon for an additional three semesters (culminating in the spring semester of the following academic year) are encouraged to apply for a Leadership Prize.  The application deadline is the Wednesday before Fall Break begins.

The following forms will assist you in the application process:

Leadership Prize Application 2024

Leadership Prize Nomination 2024

Please email completed applications and nomination letter to jschmiederer@elon.edu.

  • Notification of the Leadership Prize will typically be announced near the end of the fall semester.

As detailed in the application form, students should offer the following information:

  • Problem Description: Applicants will first describe the problem they wish to study and seek to solve. Problems to be studied may be informed by disciplines representing every area of study at Elon University, including all areas in Arts and Sciences, Business, Communication, and Education. In this section, applicants will offer a detailed description of the problem, examples of potential causes, and how the problem affects individuals and/or institutions. Applicants should also include a background statement describing prior experiences (both academic and non-academic) that affected why they believe this is a significant problem to study and why they are passionate about finding its solution.
    • While we appreciate ambition when selecting problems to study, applicants should take care to define a problem that is addressable within the timeframe of the project. Applicants may indeed be passionate about finding solutions to large-scale and devastating problems, but this passion needs to be balanced with the practical demands of researching, proposing, and implementing a project/change that can positively impact individuals or the community.
  • Plan for Intellectual Inquiry and Implementation of Change Efforts: Applicants will describe their plans for a) researching the nature, causes, and consequences of the problem, b) developing personal leadership skills and engaging in leadership with others, and c) identifying and implementing efforts to create positive change (a Leadership ELR Common Good project) in response to the problem studied.  The most compelling applications will describe new and interesting ways to study a problem and positively impact the community as a result of what is learned.  Elon’s liberal arts perspective values how the best approaches to study a problem in one area may emerge from the knowledge and traditions of other areas.  The best Leadership Prize applications will pursue different strategies for studying problems and creating change that take advantage of our liberal arts backgrounds and resources.
    • We recognize applicants will not be fully able to articulate detailed solutions or implementation plans. Doing so would suggest that much of the project is already completed or that solutions have emerged without the significant intellectual inquiry required for responsible efforts.  However, applicants should have completed a level of preliminary research that ideas have been generated and a vision is emerging.
  • Feasibility Statement: The application must include an explicit defense of the feasibility of the project, including an explanation of how and why the central problem could be addressed and the change effort implemented in the timeframe of the project.
  • Budget and Timeline: The application shall also address specific details such as projected needs in terms of knowledge, skill sets, materials, equipment, and travel. The application should include an overall projected timeline and proposed budget.
  • Letter of Nomination: The Elon faculty or staff member who will serve as project mentor shall write a letter of nomination that is due with all other application materials. The letter will communicate the mentor’s willingness to advise the applicant and offer their judgment of how the project fulfills the criteria used in the selection process.
  • Permission: In submitting an application, students thereby give consent to the selection committee (1) to retrieve their Elon transcript to verify their cumulative grade point average and (2) to check with the Office of Student Conduct concerning any significant history of violations of the Honor Code (including both academic or social policy violations).

If you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Jodean Schmiederer, Dean of Student Development and Assistant Professor, at jschmiederer@elon.edu.