AGAPS Awards
Calls for the 2024 AGAPS awards are now closed. See below for more details.
Winners for the 2024 Awards were announced during the AGAPS Business Meeting
Visit our 2024 awards page to see this year's winner and read their commendations.
Call for Submissions: AGAPS Gwenn Okruhlik Dissertation Award 2024
The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS) invites recent PhD graduates to submit their dissertations for consideration for its 2024 Gwenn Okruhlik Dissertation Award. AGAPS wishes to recognize exceptional achievement in research and writing. We welcome dissertations from across the disciplines and a variety of perspectives. They must primarily focus on the Arabian Peninsula but can be inclusive of the transnational flows of people, material and ideas across the Gulf, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean. Entries will be read by a multi-disciplinary three-member committee. PhD dissertations/theses (in English) accepted for the degree of PhD between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024 are eligible. The PhD must have been confirmed/awarded within this timeframe. Dissertations that have not been defended will not be considered. All applicants must be members of AGAPS at the time of submission. The deadline for submission is 15 July 2024.
The author of the winning dissertation will be presented with a certificate at the AGAPS Business Meeting held during the next annual Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference, held virtually from 11-16 November 2024. The winning dissertation will be announced in the Journal of Arabian Studies (JAS).
Submission requirements:
A Brief Application Form (available at: https://agaps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Dissertation-Award-Application.docx)
A Verification of Degree Completion
A Letter of Nomination (by author’s adviser or sponsor)
An Abstract (250 words)
The Manuscript (digital copy)
AGAPS membership. You can join online at www.agaps.org.
All materials must be emailed by 15 July 2024 to awards@agaps.org with a copy to Laura Goffman (goffman@illinois.edu) . Early submissions are appreciated.
------
Call for Submissions: AGAPS Graduate Paper Prize 2024
The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS) invites the submission of graduate student research papers for AGAPS’s 2024 Graduate Paper Prize competition. They must primarily focus on the Arabian Peninsula but can be inclusive of the transnational flow of people, goods and ideas across the Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. AGAPS welcomes submissions from all disciplines. Papers should include an engagement with literature, a clear methodology, and make an original contribution to scholarship in the field. Papers will be evaluated according to originality of research, innovation, contribution to the field, cogency of argument, sources, method and clarity of writing. All applicants must be members of AGAPS at the time of submission. Submission deadline is 15 July 2024.
The author of the winning paper will be presented with a certificate at the AGAPS Business Meeting held during the next annual Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference held virtually from 11-16 November 2024. The winning paper will be announced in the Journal of Arabian Studies (JAS) and winners will have the option for their paper to be submitted to JAS for consideration for publication.
Submission requirements:
The paper must have been written between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2024. The same research may not be submitted more than once. Papers prepared for classes, seminars, conferences, workshops, and the like are welcome.
The cover letter should include: author’s name, contact information, title of paper, name of institution, department, and the name and email address for the faculty member who will provide an endorsement. Email is fine.
Students can nominate themselves but must provide an endorsement by a faculty member stating that the paper was written as a graduate student during the specified time period. For example: This is to verify that “Student Name” prepared the paper, “Title”, during the “Semester”. This can be sent via email.
The author should be enrolled in an MA or a PhD program and must provide proof of student status. (This can be a letter from the department that can be sent via email). The author may have just completed a Masters degree but must not have defended a PhD dissertation/thesis prior to the submission deadline in order to qualify.
The paper must be between 6,500-10,000 words (excluding bibliography) and must not have been submitted for publication elsewhere. It should conform to the following format:
Standard font (such as Arial or Times Roman)
Double-spaced
Black and white
Applicant must be a current member of AGAPS. Student fees are $15 per year. You can join online at www.agaps.org.
All materials must be emailed by 15 July 2024 to awards@agaps.org with a copy to Laura Goffman (goffman@illinois.edu). Early submissions are appreciated.
-----
AGAPS Student Travel Award
As part of our commitment to support our graduate students, AGAPS is pleased to open applications for this year’s graduate travel fund award. Because MESA will be held virtually in 2024, the travel award will cover conference registration fees.
If you are an MA or PhD student working on the region and your paper has been accepted to this year’s MESA conference, then we encourage you to apply.
Simply fill out the form on our website (www.agaps.org/agaps-awards) and submit the document along with a copy of your CV to awards@agaps.org and goffman@illinois.edu by September 1. Our committee will then review all the applicants and inform the winning student by the beginning of October.
The fund amount is $85.00 USD (that is, the cost for MESA student members to register for the MESA meeting).
Note: You must be an AGAPS member at the time of application in order to qualify for this award. Student membership is $15 per year (visit www.agaps.org). Preference will be given to students who have not received this award previously.