The Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society is excited to announce a poster competition to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As part of the Center's 2026 Conference on Civic Thought, the competition will give undergraduate students in the humanities the opportunity to present their research examining the ideas and principles surrounding the American founding.

The conference will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, September 23-24, 2026 at The Ohio State University. The top five posters will receive cash prizes of $200 each, and the next five posters will receive cash prizes of $100 each. Funding for a hotel stay during the conference is also available for presenters traveling from outside central Ohio.

Interested Students Should:

1. Write a 250-word abstract proposing or describing your research project
2. Complete necessary research examining the concept of natural rights
3. Present your work in poster form at the 2026 Conference on Civic Thought

Projects should examine the philosophical and historical meaning of the Declaration's claim that human beings are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." Through research grounded in history, philosophy, political thought, and related humanities disciplines, participants should explore the central question posed by the conference theme: What are rights, and where do they come from?

Accepted participants will prepare a large-format poster presenting original research related to the conference theme and the philosophical foundations of rights.

Potential research topics include:

• Natural law traditions influencing the Declaration of Independence
• Philosophical origins of natural rights in the American founding
• The relationship between natural rights and constitutional government
• Liberty, equality, and consent in the American political tradition
• The role of shared principles and civic friendship in a republic founded on rights

Students interested in applying should consider the following prompt:

The Declaration of Independence famously asserts that Americans are endowed with rights that are "unalienable," while also being governed by the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." At the same time, the document seeks to unite the American people in a common cause, appealing to shared principles and mutual responsibilities (e.g., the importance of the "consent of the governed").

In this context, consider the relationship between natural law, the Declaration of Independence, and the concept of civic friendship. Does the Declaration of Independence reflect principles of natural law, and if so, how? In what ways might natural law provide a foundation for civic friendship in a political community, and especially in America's political community? How might civic friendship help sustain a republic founded on natural law principles, especially in times of division or conflict?

To apply, students should submit the following by July 31, 2026:

• A 250-word abstract describing their research
• A written recommendation from a faculty mentor
• A resume or curriculum vitae (CV)

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicants must be undergraduates at U.S.-based institutions of higher education.
• Applicants must major or minor in a humanities discipline.

All application materials should be emailed to Assistant Professor Wes Siscoe at siscoe.3@osu.edu. Applicants will be notified of decisions by Friday, August 7.

This poster competition is made possible by the generous support of the Jack Miller Center.