NORTH CAROLINA PSYCHOANALYTIC FOUNDATION

JOURNALISM AWARD

May 11, 2003

PURPOSE

The North Carolina Psychoanalytic Foundation Medical Journalism Award recognizes and encourages outstanding journalism that promotes mental health and contributes to the understanding of psychoanalysis among the general public. 

BENEFITS

A $1,000 award will be given annually to a student at the UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication who presents the strongest proposal for a journalism project related to mental health in any media.  In addition to giving the award, members of the NCPF will be available to provide the recipient with helpful contacts in the mental health community. 

ELIGIBILITY

Students enrolled in the Medical Journalism Program at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will have first preference.  In the event no student in the Medical Journalism Program applies for the award by the Nov. 15 deadline, then the award will be opened to both graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In that event the deadline will be extended to Dec. 1.

APPLICATION

The application should be no more than 200 words and should outline the story proposal, specifying the intended medium (print, radio, TV or multimedia) and include names and telephone numbers of possible contacts. The completed application should be submitted by the deadlines listed above to the following address:

Tom Linden, M.D.

Glaxo Wellcome Distinguished Professor of Medical Journalism

School of Journalism and Mass Communication

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

CB# 3365, Carroll Hall

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365

(919) 962-4078

linden@unc.edu

Recipient of the award will be notified by the first day of classes in January.  At that time, the student will receive half of the award amount. The project must be completed to the satisfaction of Medical Journalism Program Director by April 1 to receive the balance of the award.

QUESTIONS

Questions should be directed to Dr. Linden at the above address or, to:

Heather Craige, MSW, Journalism Scholarship Chair

North Carolina Psychoanalytic Foundation

(919) 787-0383

hcraige@ipass.net

SELECTION PROCESS

Proposals will be reviewed by Dr. Linden and a representative of the NCPF.  Entries will be evaluated for both story interest and how the story advances the public’s understanding of mental health from a psychodynamic or psychotherapeutic perspective. The final selection will be made by the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication in accordance with its criteria for awarding scholarships.

INTERNAL POLICIES

Funds will be transferred annually from the NCPF to the UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication after a winner has been selected.  If during a particular academic year, no proposal is submitted or no proposal meets the approval of the judges, then no award will be given and no funds will be transferred during that year.  The NCPF Medical Journalism Award will be re-evaluated after three years to determine its effectiveness in implementing the Foundation’s mission to promote mental health and advance the understanding of psychoanalysis among the general public. 

ADDITIONAL BENEFIT

The recipient may also be eligible to participate in the Introductory Concepts Course offered by the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center of North Carolina. The tuition for this course will be waived for the award recipient, who may enroll in the course at any time during a three-year period after receipt of the award. The Introductory Concepts Course, offered on Monday evenings from September to May at Duke University, is open to members of the general public as well as to mental health professionals. The course will not provide academic credits for UNC-CH degree fulfillment, although it may form the core of an Independent Study course with permission of the student’s advisor.  The grantee must apply for admission to the program by the first day of May and must meet all application requirements of the PPSC.  In addition, the grantee may be refused admission if there are insufficient numbers of students to begin a new class or if the number of participants who are not mental health professionals exceeds the quota for the new class.  The recipient may be asked to leave the program at the discretion of the PPSC Steering Committee at any time during the year if the award recipient fails to conduct himself or herself in accordance with the program’s expectations, e.g. for regular attendance, maintaining confidentiality regarding discussion of cases, reading weekly assignments and participating respectfully in class.