The Illinois Psychiatric Society is hosting the third annual Carl C. Bell, MD Memorial Award Essay Competition as a community initiative for Illinois High School students. This Essay Contest is open to all high school students in Illinois and submissions are due on May 15, 2026.
More information and how to apply can also be found on the Illinois Psychiatric Society’s website at illinoispsychiatricsociety.org/carl-c-bell-award.
The award recipient will receive a $500 cash prize. Their submission will also be presented at the 2025 IPS Annual Meeting and published in “Mind Matters,” the official IPS newsletter publication and invited to our Annual Meeting in September. Second and third place award recipients will receive a $250 cash prize.
In honor of Dr. Carl Bell’s Memorial Award, this year’s topic underscores a focal point of Dr. Bell’s work. Dr. Bell developed community-based mental health initiatives which encouraged inclusivity in psychiatry developing stronger communities. This year’s essay topic: The 24/7 digital world allows the ability to “always be on”. Does this promote engagement on issues (such as climate change, politics, social media outlets, etc.), or does it create a path for emotional burnout, or a combination of both? What are strategies to maintain a positive outlook?
Papers will be judged on originality, relevance to the assigned question, punctuation, spelling, thoughtfulness, creativity, and use of references. It is preferred for the papers to be typed but neat handwriting accepted. The paper should be no more than 400-600 words maximum, double-spaced, and font size 12. It is preferred to complete the submission form which can be found by scanning the QR code on the flyer or can be found on our website. If you are unable to use the submission form, a paper copy of the essay can be mailed to Illinois Psychiatric Society: 113 McHenry Rd, Ste 239, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089. If mailing in an essay, please provide the following information: Author’s Full Name, Address, Contact Email Address and Phone Number, Age, Grade, School District, and Name of School.
ABOUT THIS AWARD: The Illinois Psychiatric Society (IPS) was established in 1938 as a district branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), one of the first nation-wide professional organizations in the U.S. IPS is a medical society of over 1,000 Illinois psychiatrists, in diverse types of practice and subspecialty areas.
The Carl Bell Memorial Award was established to honor the late Carl Bell, M.D who was a remarkable psychiatrist and nationally known for his community psychiatry work, especially on the Southside of Chicago. Dr. Bell authored over 500 publications and was the recipient of many awards throughout his career. In addition to working on many national scientific boards, Dr. Bell was a vocal crusader for health equity and violence prevention in underserved communities, and a pioneer in alcohol research with developing our current understanding of the long-term effects of in-utero alcohol exposure. He was a well-respected and beloved teacher, colleague, mentor, and clinician. The Carl C. Bell Memorial Award was developed in his honor to continue to fight for mental health disparities, end community violence and inspire our youth for future greatness.