Listed below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Abell Award in Urban Policy. Should you not find the information you are seeking here or on the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies website, please contact abellaward@jhu.edu. Please do not contact the Abell Foundation for additional information.

WHO CAN APPLY?
The contest is open to all full-time students at the following schools:
Coppin State University
Goucher College
Johns Hopkins University
Loyola College in Maryland
Morgan State University
College of Notre Dame in Maryland
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore
UMBC
University of Maryland, College Park
Villa Julie College

CAN A SUBMISSION HAVE MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR?
Yes, up to three co-authors can submit a paper to the contest.

WILL MY PAPER BE ACCEPTED IF I HAVE NOT SUBMITTED AN ENTRY FORM AND AN ABSTRACT?
No, only papers with a completed Entry Form received by 4:00 p.m., Friday, October 19, 2007 and an approved Abstract received by 4:00 p.m., Friday, November 16, 2007 will be accepted for the contest. Once your Entry Form has been received, it will be reviewed for completeness and suitability. A representative of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies will be in contact if additional information or clarification is required.

HOW DO I KNOW IF THE TOPIC I'VE CHOSEN IS SUITABLE?
Your paper should be about a critical problem facing the city of Baltimore. Examples of these problems include, but aren’t limited to: addiction, crime, education and schools, population loss, neighborhood decay, job-loss, low-skill workers, transportation, housing.
If you are uncertain about your choice of topic, it is strongly suggested that you review Winning Papers from prior years. You may also email abellaward@jhu.edu. Please do not contact the Abell Foundation for additional information.

DOES THE PAPER HAVE TO BE ABOUT BALTIMORE? Yes, the importance of the problem to Baltimore is one of the three major judging criteria (along with quality of the analysis, and creativity and feasibility of the proposed remedy).

HOW LONG SHOULD MY PAPER BE?
Papers should be a maximum of 25 double-spaced 8 1/2 x 11 pages, not including tables, references, or appendices. Type font must be 12-point. Please consult the Submission Guidelines for more detailed information.

HOW MUCH OF MY PAPER SHOULD FOCUS ON PROPOSED REMEDIES VS. PROBLEM ANALYSIS?
At least 20 percent of your paper should focus on proposed remedies. The remedies should be both creative and feasible. Please consult the Submission Guidelines and Winning Papers from prior years for more specific information and examples.

WHAT TYPES OF DATA AND RESEARCH METHODS SHOULD I USE?
All papers should include a literature review. Your analysis may be quantitative, qualitative, or a combination of both. Examples of sources of information include Census data, administrative data (e.g. Citistat and program data); interviews with city officials or other informed sources; and other relevant sources. Please be sure to include a detailed reference list at the end of your paper (see Contest Guidelines).

A special note about the World Wide Web: Use of web resources can facilitate your research, but please be aware that many organizations publish data that is inaccurate or biased toward a particular agenda. You should be careful to ensure that any statistics or data you use are from a verifiable primary source.

WHO PICKS THE WINNING PAPER(S)?
All papers will undergo a “blind” review by a panel of judges comprising Baltimore policymakers, opinion leaders, and practioners and IPS faculty. Note that the judges reserve the right not to make an award if none of the contest entries meets the criteria for IMPORTANCE to Baltimore, QUALITY of analysis, and CREATIVITY and FEASIBILITY of the proposed solution.

WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
Additional questions can be addressed to contest sponsors at abellaward@Jhu.edu. Please do not contact the Abell Foundation for additional information.