Awards 2025

Calls for the 2025 AGAPS awards are now open (Book, Dissertation, Graduate Paper & Travel).
See below for more details.

Visit our 2024 awards page to see last year's winner and read their commendations.

2025 BIENNIAL AGAPS BOOK AWARD

The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS) seeks to recognize exceptional scholarship by awarding a biennial book prize to an outstanding and original work of research germane to our region of study.  We invite nominations for our biennial 2025 Book Award.  Nominations can be made either by the publisher or by the author.  Third party nominations will only be considered if the publisher also agrees to nominate the book. The criteria for nominated books are as follows:

  1. Books must be non-fiction scholarly monographs based on original research and published in English between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2025. 
  •  Subject matter must deal primarily with the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, to include the transnational flow of people, material and ideas across the Gulf, Red Sea and/or Indian Ocean.
  • Works not eligible include edited collections and compilations, proceedings of symposia, new editions of previously published books, bibliographies, dictionaries, textbooks, and surveys.

The author of the winning book will receive $500 and a certificate of award.  Winners will be announced at the annual AGAPS business meeting during the next Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Annual Conference on 22-25 November 2025 in Washington DC, USA. The results will be posted on the AGAPS website (www.agaps.org) and published in the Journal of Arabian Studies.

TO NOMINATE A BOOK

Deadline: May 15, 2025

  1. By May 15, 2025: Submit a letter of nomination and send one copy of the book to:  Kanwal Hameed, Trinity College Porter’s Lodge, Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH, United Kingdom. Please also email the nomination letter to awards@agaps.org with a copy to Kanwal Hameed (kanwal.hameed@history.ox.ac.uk).
  2. By June 15, 2025: Send one copy of each nominated book to each of the three readers on the Book Award Committee (names and addresses will be provided by Kanwal Hameed).

Call for Submissions: AGAPS Gwenn Okruhlik Dissertation Award 2025

The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS) invites recent PhD graduates to submit their dissertations for consideration for its 2025 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 2024 and 30 June 2025 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 2025.

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 from 22-25 November 2025 in Washington DC, USA. The winning dissertation will be announced in the Journal of Arabian Studies (JAS).

Submission requirements:

  • A Brief Application Form (available here) 
  • 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 Kanwal Hameed (kanwal.hameed@history.ox.ac.uk). Early submissions are appreciated!

Call for Submissions: AGAPS Graduate Paper Prize 2025

The Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS) invites the submission of graduate student research papers for AGAPS’s 2025 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. The deadline for submission is 15 July 2025.

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 from 22-25 November 2025 in Washington DC, USA. The winning paper will be announced in the Journal of Arabian Studies (JAS) and winners have the option for their paper to be submitted to JAS to be considered for publication. 

Submission requirements:

  • The paper must have been written between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025. 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 Master’s 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 New 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 Kanwal Hameed (kanwal.hameed@history.ox.ac.uk). 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. If you are an MA or PhD student working on the region and your paper is accepted to the 2025 MESA conference, then we encourage you to apply.

The fund amount is 200.00 USD, which the winner will collect at the AGAPS Business meeting at MESA (or upon their later arrival to the conference).

Simply fill out the form on our website and submit the document along with a copy of your CV to awards@agaps.org and kanwal.hameed@history.ox.ac.uk. The deadline for applying is September 1, 2025. Our committee will then review all the applicants and inform the winning student by the beginning of October.

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.