Franko-Maisel Prize for Public Affairs

The Prize takes an expansive and ecosystemic view of the notion of “public affairs.” The work and service within this ecosystem that this prize recognizes and rewards include:

• Knowledge Production and Interpretation:  informing public understanding of complex issues, taking such forms as academic research, policy analysis, data analysis, and subject-matter expertise encapsulated in reports or testimony.
• Journalism: reporting that informs public understanding and promotes accountability and transparency to the public from institutions of power, taking such forms as reporting, investigative journalism, explanatory journalism, and editorial analysis grounded in reporting. 
• Public Affairs as Advocacy: advancing institutional or organized interests and issue positions within public and policy environments, taking such forms as speaking on behalf of an organization, sector, or cause; engaging stakeholders; digital communications; government relations; strategic communications; issue advocacy; and coalition management. 
• Policy-making: discussing, creating, or adopting binding public or community rules and the decision-making processes for doing so. 
• Public Administration and Service: engaging in service to the collective welfare, taking such forms as program administration and frontline public or nonprofit service work.
• Politics: participating in the processes that determine political power and control of governance systems, taking such forms as campaign work, political party organization, electoral strategy and processes, political communications, and mobilization of political support. 

• Excellence: Recognize sustained achievement and deep engagement in efforts related to public affairs in either the global or domestic spheres. 
• Vision: Support students seeking to implement a thoughtful, feasible, and compelling post-graduate plan that clearly demonstrates how the funded opportunity will enable the awardee’s continued pursuit of work in the public interest.
• Empowerment: Empower students to undertake new challenges that lead to significant personal or professional growth and learning, and/or an enhanced real-world understanding of public affairs in the global or domestic realm.
• Exploration: Encourage the pursuit of non-traditional career paths, immersive learning opportunities, and personal or professional choices driven by a passion for and interest in public affairs.
• Service: Reward a commitment to public life and the betterment of communities at any service level – including forms of extra-curricular service to the Colby community.
• Inclusivity: Acknowledge achievement in and engagement with the multiple expressions of contributions to the public good made possible through a Colby education, including academic achievement in a wide variety of majors, and co- and extracurricular activities that exhibit the spirit of the award.
• Opportunity: Promote awardee’s ability to build on past accomplishments to continue to participate and contribute to work in the public interest following graduation by providing direct financial support to do so.

Seniors should self-nominate by submitting applications to [email protected] by Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.  To apply, answer the following essay questions and submit a copy of your current CV or resume. Be sure to include your name, major(s), and contact information – including your Colby ID # – on your application materials. All application materials must be in either a Word document or pdf format. 

All seniors are qualified to apply. Note that the cash award is reportable income and potentially taxable. It will be issued to the winner following Commencement. 

Application Questions

Answers to essay questions should be 500 words or less.

1. Describe when and how you engaged in the public affairs ecosystem – as described within the prize description and values above. What are your proudest accomplishments that you have collected along the way? You might talk about your academic achievements and/or your contributions to co- and extra-curricular activities both on and off-campus, including engagement within local, state, or international settings within or contesting political systems. Please be specific in your examples and also discuss why you think they are valuable. 
2. Outline a specific, post-graduate opportunity you intend to pursue if awarded this prize. This could be a new job (or an internship that may lead to work in public affairs), an experiential learning opportunity, plans for continued study, a specific project in the public interest, or another initiative. Please explain how the prize’s core values of vision and opportunity will support your ability to undertake this endeavor.
3. How would receiving this prize either empower you to undertake a new personal or professional challenge in the realm of public affairs AND/OR enable you to explore your passion for and interest in public service? (500 words or less.)
4. When you look 5 years into the future, what do you see yourself doing? How do you envision contributing to public life or serving your community in 2031, whether at the community, local, state, national, or international level and either in modest or ambitious ways? (500 words or less.)
5. Please list any student awards previously received and/or which you know yourself to be have been nominated for the Spring semester.
6. Please arrange for one faculty member to submit a recommendation form on your behalf using this link by Thursday, April 2nd at 11:59pm EST, as part of your application process. Who is the faculty member who will submit a recommendation for you?