Publius Prize

The Center sponsors an annual Publius Prize for Undergraduate Writing on Public Affairs. Inspired by the writers of The Federalist Papers, the prize both reflects and furthers the Center’s mission of cultivating thoughtful and educated citizens.

Each year, two $250 prizes are awarded to two Notre Dame undergraduates for published essays or articles that "refine and enlarge the public’s views" on a topic related to politics, philosophy, law, economics, culture, or religion. There are two categories for writing submissions, each with its own prize. The first category includes any articles or essays published in campus publications (Observer, Irish Rover, Scholastic, etc). The second category includes local, national, and international media outlets.

Submissions are no longer being accepted for the 2025-2026 Publius Award. The winners will be announced in late May. Please contact Tyler Castle (tcastle2@nd.edu) with any questions.

Past winners: 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022.

For future reference, the submission guidelines are listed below.

Guidelines:

• The author must be a current Notre Dame undergraduate (including 2026 graduates).
• Pieces must have been published by a campus, local, or national/international outlet during the 2025-2026 academic year, and should deal with a relevant issue in politics, philosophy, law, culture, or religion.
• Published pieces can take any form, including but not limited to long- or short-form journalistic pieces or op-eds. Although pieces that are pure reporting will be considered, preference will be given to pieces that make a substantive argument or critically analyze an issue.
• Papers written for courses will not be considered.
• If submitting multiple entries, please fill out separate form entries for each entry. No more than two pieces for each category (four total) can be submitted by one student.