Prizes, Fellowships, and Awards
The Association recognizes a wide variety of distinguished historical work, which can take the form of an exceptional book in the field, distinguished teaching and mentoring in the classroom, and even on film. Since 1896 the Association has conferred 1,276 awards. The names, publications, and projects of those who received these awards are a catalogue of the best work produced by the historical profession.
Prizes for 2011
The Herbert Baxter Adams Prize (2011) European history from 1815 to the present
The James A. Rawley Prize in Atlantic History (2011) for historical writing that explores the integration of Atlantic worlds before the 20th century
The George Louis Beer Prize (2011) in European international history since 1895
The Albert J. Beveridge Award (2011) in American history for a distinguished book on the history of the United States, Latin America, or Canada, from 1492 to the present
The James Henry Breasted Prize (2011) in any field of history prior to CE 1000
The John H. Dunning Prize (2011) in United States history
The John K. Fairbank Prize in East Asian History (2011) for East Asian history
The Herbert Feis Award (2011) for distinguished contributions to public history over the past ten years
The Morris D. Forkosch Prize (2011) in the field of British, British Imperial, or British Commonwealth history since 1485
The Leo Gershoy Award (2011) in the fields of 17th- and 18th-century western European history
The Clarence H. Haring Prize (2011) for a Latin American who has published the most outstanding book in Latin American history during the preceding five years
The J. Franklin Jameson Award (2011) awarded biennially for outstanding achievement in the editing of historical sources
The Joan Kelly Memorial Prize in Women's History (2011) for women's history and/or feminist theory
The Martin A. Klein Prize in African History (2011) to recognize the most distinguished work of scholarship on African history published in English
The Waldo G. Leland Prize (2011) offered every five years for the most outstanding reference tool in the field of history
The Littleton-Griswold Prize (2011) in American law and society
The J. Russell Major Prize (2011) for the best work in English on any aspect of French history
The Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize (2011) in Italian history
The George L. Mosse Prize (2011) in the intellectual and cultural history of Europe since the Renaissance
The John E. O'Connor Film Award (2011) to recognize outstanding interpretations of history through the medium of film or video
The Wesley-Logan Prize (2011) in African diaspora history
Prizes for 2012
The Paul Birdsall Prize (2012) offered biennially for a major work in European military and strategic history since 1870
The Albert B. Corey Prize (2012) for the best book dealing with the history of Canadian-American relations or the history of both countries
The Premio Del Rey (2012) for a distinguished book in English in the field of early Spanish history
The James Harvey Robinson Prize (2012) is awarded biennially for the teaching aid which has made the most outstanding contribution to the teaching and learning of history in any field for public or educational purposes
Research Grants
Applications for the Bernadotte E. Schmitt Grants, the Albert J. Beveridge Grant for Research in the History of the Western Hemisphere, the Michael Kraus Research Grants, and the Littleton-Griswold Grants are due on February 15 of the award year.
The Albert J. Beveridge Grant for Research in the Western Hemisphere are available to support research in the history of the Western hemisphere; individual grants do not exceed $1,000. Application deadline is February 15, annually.
The Michael Kraus Research Grant in colonial American history, with particular reference to the intercultural aspects of American and European relations, offers cash awards of up to $800. Application deadline is February 15, annually.
The Littleton-Griswold Grant offers grants of up to $1,000 for research in U.S. legal history and the field of law and society. Application deadline is February 15, annually.
The Bernadotte Schmitt Grants support research in the history of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Individual grants will not exceed $1,000. The deadline for application is February 15.
Note: Only AHA members are eligible to apply for these grants. All grants are offered annually and are intended to further research in progress. Preference is given to advanced doctoral students, non-tenured faculty, and unaffiliated scholars. They may be used for travel to a library or archive; microfilming, photography, or photocopying; borrowing or access fees; and similar research expenses.
Scholarship and Financial Aid Information: Unfortunately, the American Historical Association has NO scholarships or financial aid to assist with college or graduate school expenses. Eligibility for the fellowships and small grants programs described above is limited to pre- or post-doctoral research for AHA members
Fellowships
The J. Franklin Jameson Fellowship in American History is sponsored jointly by the AHA and the Library of Congress. It is awarded annually to support significant scholary research in the collections of the Library of Congress by scholars at an early stage in their careers in history. Ph.D. degree or equivalent required. Applicants must have received this degree within the last five years, and must not have published or had accepted for publication a book-length historical work. The fellowship will not be awarded to complete a doctoral dissertation. This one-semester fellowship currently carries a stipend of $10,000 and requires residency at the Library of Congress for at least three months. The application deadline is March 15.
The Fellowship in Aerospace History, supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), annually funds one or more research projects for six months to one year. Proposals for advanced research in history related to all aspects of aerospace, from the earliest human interest in flight to the present, are eligible, including cultural and intellectual history, economic history, history of law and public policy, and history of science, engineering, and management. The fellowship is open to applicants who already hold a doctoral degree in history or a closely related field, as well as those who have completed all course work for a doctoral degree-granting program. The stipend is $20,000. The deadline for application is March 1.
Honorific Awards
The The Waldo G. Leland Prize awarded every five years for a reference tool in history [Past Prize Recipients];
The J. Franklin Jameson Prize awarded biennially for outstanding achievement in the editing of historical sources [Past Prize Recipients];
The John E. O'Connor Film Award to recognize outstanding interpretations of history through the medium of film or video. [Past Prize Recipients]
The Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award is given occasionally to honor a public official or other civil servant who has made extraordinary contributions to the study, teaching, and public understanding of history. (The award is conferred at the discretion of a committee, so nominations are not accepted.) [Past Prize Recipients]
Equity Awards recognize and publicize individuals and institutions that have achieved excellence in recruiting and retaining underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the historic profession.
Awards for Scholarly and Professional Distinction
The Eugene Asher Award for distinguished post-secondary history teaching. [Past Award Recipients]
The Troyer Steele Anderson Prize for contributions to the advancement of the purposes of the Association. [Past Prize Recipients]
The Beveridge Family Teaching Award for distinguished K-12 history teaching. [Past Award Recipients]
The Raymond J. Cunningham Prize for the best article by an undergraduate.
The William Gilbert Award for the best article on teaching history. [Past Award Recipients]
The Honorary Foreign Member honors a foreign scholar who is distinguished in his or her field and who has "notably aided the work of American historians." [List of Honorary Foreign Members]
The Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award honors teachers of history who taught, guided, and inspired their students in a way that changed their lives. [Past Prize Recipients]
The Roy Rosenzweig Prize for Innovation in Digital History is sponsored jointly by the AHA and the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University.
The Awards for Scholarly Distinction to senior historians for lifetime achievement. [Past Prize Recipients]
