Annual Awards & Prizes

The Western Association of Women Historians offers eight annual awards and prizes:

1. The Founders’ Dissertation Fellowship
2. Peggy Renner Award for Teaching and Curricular Innovation
3. The Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Perry Graduate Student Digital Project Prize
4. The Carol Gold Graduate Student Conference Paper Prize
5. The Gita Chaudhuri Prize (best monograph about women in rural history or environmental history)
6. The Judith Lee Ridge Prize (best article in the field of history)
7. The Barbara “Penny” Kanner Award (publication which illustrates the use of a specific set of primary sources)
8. The Frances Richardson Keller-Sierra Prize (best monograph in the field of history).
9. The WAWH is pleased to announce a new semi-annual award to be conferred by the Executive Board as of 2022: The Nupur Chaudhuri Lifetime Service Award. Nupur Chaudhuri is the first winner.  Learn about her accomplishments in this Celebration Video.

2023 Deadlines and Submission Requirements

• All prize applicants must be current members of WAWH when they submit their application; membership will be verified. Current members of WAWH’s Executive Board are not eligible to apply.
• Books should be submitted based on publication date rather than copyright date.
• Deadlines
  • Submissions for all awards (EXCEPT the Carol Gold Prize): January 15, 2023.
  • Submissions for the Carol Gold Prize: May 1, 2023
• Electronic submissions are required for dissertations, papers, and articles, and permitted for all book prizes. See application for details.
• To apply for a WAWH prize, please use our >>> 2023 Prize Submission Form <<<.

The WAWH Awards Ceremony will be held at a luncheon that will take place at the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians, 28 June – 2 July 2023.  Our annual conference will resume in 2024.

Continue scrolling for more information about each prize. For questions about the awards and prizes, please contact the Current Chair of the applicable prize committee after November 1st, 2022.

Please support our prizes and awards

WAWH is working to re-endow its awards and prizes. Please consider a donation, of any amount, to support any of our seven awards and prizes. Donate now!

Founders’ Dissertation Fellowship

The Founders’ Dissertation Fellowship is an annual award to graduate students who show promise of significant contributions to historical scholarship. Funds from these Awards may be used for purposes directly or indirectly related to the dissertation, such as expenses for research, attendance of scholarly conferences, and the preparation of the dissertation.

Applicants for the fellowship may apply for it more than once but may win only once.

All applicants shall be actively engaged in scholarship that is historical in nature, although the degree may be in related fields, as well as have been advanced to candidacy and are writing the dissertation at the time of application. They should expect the Ph.D. no earlier than December of the calendar year in which the award is made.

Read more about the Founders Dissertation Fellowship and a see a list of previous recipients here.

Carol Gold Graduate Student Conference Paper Prize

The Carol Gold Graduate Student Conference Paper Prize (new in 2014) is an annual prize that recognizes the outstanding paper presented by a graduate student at the annual WAWH conference. The committee will judge the presented paper, normally 10-12 pages. The presenter must also still submit a copy to the commentator of their panel. All fields of history will be considered.

Read more about the Graduate Student Conference Paper Prize and see a list of previous recipients here.

Gita Chaudhuri Prize

The Gita Chaudhuri Prize is an annual prize that recognizes the best monograph about women in rural history or environmental history, from any era and any place in the world, published by a WAWH member.

The book must be a single-authored monograph based on original research. Anthologies and edited works are not eligible. The book must have been published in one of the three years prior to the prize. Books may only be submitted for consideration once. Books cannot be submitted a second time as paperbacks or new editions. All fields of history are eligible. Entries must be in English.

Read more about the Gita Chaudhuri Prize and see a list of previous recipients here.

Judith Lee Ridge Prize

The Judith Lee Ridge Prize is an annual prize that recognizes the best article in the field of history published by a WAWH member. The article must have been published in one of the two years preceding the prize year. Any articles may only be submitted once. All fields of history will be considered.

Read more about the Judith Lee Ridge Award and see a list of previous recipients here.

Barbara “Penny” Kanner Award (revised 2012)

The Barbara “Penny” Kanner Award is an annual award given to honor a book, book chapter, article, or electronic media that has been verifiably published or posted in the two years prior to the award year and which illustrates the use of a specific set of primary sources (diaries, letters, interviews etc). A published item can only be submitted once.

Read more about the Kanner Award and see a list of previous recipients here.

Frances Richardson Keller-Sierra Prize

The Frances Richardson Keller-Sierra Prize is an annual prize that recognizes the best monograph in the field of history published by a WAWH member. The book must be a single-authored monograph based on original research. Anthologies and edited works are not eligible. The book must have been published in the year prior to the prize. Books may only be submitted for consideration once. Books cannot be submitted a second time as paperbacks or new editions. All fields of history are eligible.

Read more about the Keller-Sierra Prize and see a list of previous recipients here.