Awards
The Western Association of Women Historians bestows eight annual awards and one semi-annual award to recognize and celebrate its members' achievements is through awards and prizes.
Awards are presented during the Awards Banquet on the last night of the annual conference. While we love to celebrate with our award winners, the inability to attend the banquet does not disqualify applicants.
Applicants must hold membership that is current through the award year (through December 2026) when they submit their application. Applicants should verify that their membership is current through the end of the award year prior to submitting. Submissions without current membership shall be disqualified.
Current WAWH Executive Board members (officers and committee chairpersons) are not eligible to apply in the award years in which they hold the board position.
Not a member? Join today!
Applications open October 6, 2025.
Read about the awards below. Click on the underlined links to learn more about the individual requirements, deadlines, and to access the application portal.
Have you recently published? Congratulations! Apply for:
Judith Lee Ridge Award (article)
The Judith Lee Ridge Award recognizes the best article published in the field of history published in one of the two years preceding the prize year.
Barbara “Penny” Kanner Award (use of primary sources)
The Barbara “Penny” Kanner Award honors a historian whose book, book chapter, article, or verifiably published or posted electronic media illustrates the use of a specific set of primary sources (diaries, letters, interviews etc).
Gita Chaudhuri Award (book)
The Gita Chaudhuri Prize recognizes the best single-authored, original research based monograph about women in rural or environmental history, from any era and any place in the world.
Frances Richardson Keller-Sierra Award (book)
The Frances Richardson Keller-Sierra Prize recognizes the best single-authored, original research based monograph in the field of history. Anthologies and edited works are not eligible.
Do you teach? Apply for:
Peggy Renner Award for Teaching and Curricular Innovation
The Peggy Renner Award for Teaching and Curricular Innovation recognizes historians who have developed a college or university course that engages students in exploring the links between contemporary issues and the past.
Are you a graduate student? Apply for:
Carol Gold Graduate Student Conference Paper Award
The Carol Gold Graduate Student Conference Paper Award recognizes an outstanding paper presented by a graduate student at the annual WAWH conference.
Founders’ Dissertation Fellowship
The Founders’ Dissertation Fellowship recognizes graduate students who show promise of significant contributions to historical scholarship. Award funds may be used for purposes directly or indirectly related to the dissertation, such as for expenses related to research, attendance at scholarly conferences, or that incurred in the preparation of the dissertation.
Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Perry Graduate Student Poster Award recognizes the best poster presented by a graduate student member. Application is made in response to the Call for Proposals. All posters accepted for presentation at the annual conference are automatically entered into this contest.
Lifetime Service to the Organization
Nupur Chaudhuri Lifetime Service Award
This semi-annual award recognizes outstanding long-term service of WAWH members. The Executive Board makes the selection. Click to see a list of recipients.