Publication Prize Descriptions and Eligibility Criteria: 2025 Updates

After a lengthy review, the MAA Ad Hoc Committee on Publication Prizes has produced this report detailing recommended revisions to the general procedures, submission process, and eligibility criteria. At its meeting in March, the Council approved these recommendations and the MAA website has now been updated in accordance with the new policies and procedures.

The MAA is extremely grateful to the members of the Ad Hoc Committee for this important and impactful work:

Suzanne Conklin Akbari (Institute for Advanced Study)
Roland Betancourt (Univ. of California, Irvine)
Brigitte Buettner (Smith College)
Lisa Fagin Davis (Medieval Academy of America)
Jesse Hurlbut (Independent Scholar)
Michelle Hamilton (Univ. of Minnesota)
Ruma Salhi (Northern Virginia Community College)

The goal of this review was to ensure that all eligibility requirements are consistent and appropriate, to better serve authors (in particular independent and early-career scholars for whom these awards are a critical compenent of application, promotion, and tenure dossiers), and expand the pool of eligible authors and publications. In addition, the establishment of a single Publication Prize Portal will greatly simplify the adjudication and administration of these Prizes.  In all cases, the Committee considered the history and purpose of the prize and revised criteria as necessary in order to better serve the Prize’s purpose. Specific changes to particular prizes are explained below.

1. General criteria:
Through its Publication Prize program, the Medieval Academy of America aims to accomplish three goals:

1) Honoring and promoting outstanding scholarship produced by medievalists;

2) Supporting authors in any medieval field and at all career levels by raising the visibility of their scholarship;

3) Acknowledging the work of publishers of all kinds.

Award-winning publications scholarship should function as a model of current best practices in Medieval Studies and as a model for the future of the field.

Although the various Prizes have specific eligibility criteria, general procedures and requirements are as follows:

1) In contrast to past years, authors of submitted books need not be members of the Medieval Academy of America.

2) All prize winners will receive a complimentary one-year MAA membership in addition to the prize.

3) All publishers are eligible, whether non-profit or for-profit.

4) Nominations may be submitted by authors or by publishers, but all submissions must use the central Publications Prize Portal. Please note that incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.

5) Ordinarily a nomination should go forward in a single category for a given year. Authors and publishers should contact the Executive Director LFD@TheMedievalAcademy.org for queries about exceptions to this policy.

6) Monographs that have previously been awarded an MAA Publication Prize are not eligible for other MAA Publication Prizes except for the Haskins Medal.

7) Submissions may be by hardcopy and/or eBook.

8) All submissions and supporting documents must be received by 15 October.

9) Prizes will be announced in February and awarded during the annual meeting of the Medieval Academy of America.

10) Authors need not be residents of North America, but all submissions must be written in English.

  1. Eligibility Criteria:

2a. Monograph Prizes:

John Nicholas Brown Prize: Best First Monograph

1) Submission is the author’s first monograph;
2) Submission is eligible in the third year after publication (i.e. books published in 2023 are eligible for the 2026 Brown Prize, although in order to not exclude books during this transition year, books published in 2022 will also be considered);
3) Dossier may include up to three published reviews, although these are no longer mandatory.

Justification: These changes will better serve ECRs by awarding the Prize earlier in the author’s career, assisting with job searches and promotion. The change from mandatory reviews to optional will lower the barrier for books that might not have been reviewed by the time the book is eligible.

Karen Gould Prize: Best Medieval Art History Monograph

1) Submission is eligible in the fourth year after publication (i.e. books published in 2022 are eligible for the 2026 Gould Prize, although in order to not exclude books during this transition year, books published in 2021 will also be considered);
2) Dossier must include two or three published reviews.

Justification: The change from three years to four makes this Prize consistent with the Singerman Prize criteria.

Haskins Medal: Best Monograph in Medieval Studies

1) Submission is eligible in the second through the sixth year after publication (i.e. books published between 2020 and 2024 are eligible for the 2026 Haskins Medal)
2) Dossier must include two or three published reviews
3) Previously-submitted but still-eligible monographs should NOT be resubmitted, as they are already in the pool of nominated books.

Jerome Singerman Prize: Best Second Monograph

1) Submission is the author’s second monograph
2) Submission is eligible in the fourth year after publication (i.e. books published in 2022 are eligible for the 2026 Singerman Prize);
3) Dossier must include two or three published reviews.

2b. Article Prizes

Article Prize in Critical Race Studies: Best Article in the field of Medieval Critical Race Studies

1) Submission is eligible in the second year after publication (i.e. articles published in 2024 are eligible for the 2026 CRS Prize)
2) Authors may only submit one article per year.

Justification: These changes will better serve authors by awarding the Prize earlier in the author’s career, assisting with job searches and promotion. Because the Prize is specifically honoring content, a CV is no longer required.

Van Courtlandt Elliott Prize: Best Early-Career Article

1) Submission was published and nominated within five years of the author receiving or anticipating their PhD, although a complete PhD is not required.
2) Authors may only submit one article per year.

Justification: Because of the pressure on graduate students to publish as early as possible, “first articles” are no longer necessarily substantial enough to be award-worthy. By expanding eligibility to an early-career article, authors will have more flexibility to determine which of their articles they wish to submit for consideration.

2c. Other Formats

Digital Humanities and Multimedia Studies Prize: Best DH Project

1) Dossier includes three assessments, which may be published reviews or recommendation letters.
2) The nominated project must be open-access and currently available online.
3) There are no date-of-launch restrictions for eligibility.

Justification: These changes will lower the bar to entry, expanding the pool of eligible projects.

Monica Green Prize: For an exceptional project (for example, a publication, exhibit, performance, or DH project) that shows the importance of studying the medieval past to understand the present.

1) Dossier includes three assessments, which may be published reviews or recommendation letters;
2) There are no date restrictions for eligibility

Justification: These changes will lower the bar to entry, expanding the pool of eligible projects.

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2025-2026 Visiting Research Fellowships at the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies due May 16

The Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) would like to remind you that the call for applications to the 2025-2026 Visiting Research Fellowship program is now open. Guided by the vision of its founders, Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, SIMS aims to bring manuscript culture, modern technology, and people together to provide access to and understanding of our shared intellectual heritage. Part of the Penn Libraries, SIMS oversees an extensive collection of premodern manuscripts from around the world, with a special focus on the history of philosophy and science, and creates open-access digital content to support the study of its collections.

Starting this year, SIMS is partnering with the American Trust for the British Library (ATBL) to offer SIMS Visiting Research Fellows the opportunity to apply to the ATBL for a further $2,500 to support research on the same project at the British Library. The ATBL fellowship will be awarded in the following year. If a SIMS fellowship is awarded, then the ATBL will reach out to the applicant and request that they apply.

ELIGIBILITY: Fellowships are open to scholars living outside of the greater Philadelphia-area whose research would benefit from direct access to our collections and staff expertise in manuscript studies and the digital humanities. Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. or an equivalent professional degree by the time the fellowship begins. The fellowship offers $5000 to spend 1 month (minimum of 4 work weeks) at SIMS between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Up to 3 fellowships will be awarded this year.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://schoenberginstitute.org/visiting-research-fellowships. Applications are due Friday, May 16, 2025.

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MAA News – From the Executive Director

Last week, I had the great pleasure of attending the Annual Meeting of the American Council of Learned Societies. Many of you may know ACLS as a grant-making organization, but for me, it is a critical resource of information and support, because of the LS in ACLS. Twice each year, all of the Executive Directors of the eighty-one ACLS societies gather for a conference where we discuss trends in the humanities, best-practices for non-profit management, and issues that affect our members. This year, it was the latter that occupied our attention, as you can imagine.

As the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Conference of Executive Officers, I sit ex officio on the ACLS Board of Directors. The weekend began with an all-day Board meeting, and while I am not free to discuss the details of that meeting, I can tell you that the Board is thinking carefully about how ACLS can best advocate for its member societies in response to recent cuts in Federal programs and is considering all options. I will have more to report on that front soon.

The Annual Meeting itself was attended by the Board, the Conference of Executive Officers, and the Society Delegates – our ACLS Delegate is Afrodesia McCannon (New York University). Afrodesia and I attended a plenary conversation between ACLS President Joy Connolly and AAAS President Laurie Patton, heard Joy’s Annual Report, and took part in breakout discussions on topics such as strategies for public outreach (a panel I co-chaired), reforming doctoral education, and building community among scholars. We were treated to presentations by several Mellon ACLS Community College Fellows about their research (which led to a fruitful discussion between Afrodesia and myself about how the MAA might improve its outreach to community college faculty). Later in the afternoon, I took part in a plenary panel on Major Trends and Debates in Humanistic Inquiry, chaired by Joy Connolly, in which I summarized the history of Medieval Studies in order to introduce the Global Turn in the field and the historical and historiographical trends that have led to the modern (mis)appropriation of medieval narratives and imagery to serve the goals of white supremacy (this panel was recorded and will soon be available on the ACLS YouTube channel). At the end of the day, the 2025 Charles Homer Haskins Lecture was delivered by Judith Butler.

The meeting of Conference of Executive Officers, which I chaired, took place on the last day of the Annual Meeting. The central component was a two-hour presentation and discussion with non-profit attorney Dorothy Deng, who advised us to conduct risk assessments of our programming in order to protect ourselves from potential lawsuits by “watchdog” organizations such as the American Alliance for Equal Rights. Such organizations are known to search non-profit websites for examples of non-compliance with the recent anti-DEI executive orders so that they can file suit as well as harass grant-winners who have been part of diversity initiatives. Like my fellow Executive Directors, following Deng’s explicit and direct legal advice, I have now conducted a detailed risk assessment and have taken steps to protect the MAA from potential liability and our grantwinners from harassment while challenges to these EOs make their way through the courts.

We have all been shocked and dismayed by recent cuts in Federal programs that have directly impacted MAA members in ways that have caused, or will cause, real and direct harm. Please join us on May 6 at 1 PM EDT for a Town Hall meeting to discuss these cuts and other threats, and to learn about what actions can be taken, and are being taken, in response. See below for more information, and click here to register.

In solidarity,

Lisa

Lisa Fagin Davis
Executive Director
LFD@TheMedievalAcademy.org

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MAA News – Centennial Spotlight

Every month, we’ll be spotlighting two MAA Centennial Grant Projects. These twenty-one projects span the continent and reflect some of the best that Medieval Studies has to offer. We are so pleased to be able to support these symposia, performances, and digital initiatives as part of our Centennial celebrations.

9-10 May: Michigan: 2025 Mostly Medieval Theatre Festival “Book of Silence” Adaptation Premiere, Western Michigan University.

5-6 June 2025: Illinois: Cartooning the Medieval: Comics, Narrative Art, and New Audiences for Medieval Studies, Newberry Library.

7 June: New York and Toronto: Medieval Drama in Brooklyn and in Toronto, Brooklyn College/CUNY Graduate Center and York Plays 2025, University of Toronto.

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MAA News – 2026 MAA Annual Meeting: Call for Papers

2026 Medieval Academy of America Annual Meeting:
Consortiums and Confluences
Call for Papers

The 101st annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America will take place on March 19–21, 2026 on the campuses of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College, and will also include events at Mt. Holyoke College and Smith College. Hosted by the Five College Consortium, the theme of the meeting is “Consortiums and Confluences.” The program will bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds addressing the medieval world and critical topics in Medieval Studies. Our plenary lectures will be given by Elly Truitt (Associate Professor of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania), Peggy McCracken (Incoming President of the Medieval Academy of America and Professor of French, Women’s Studies, and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan), and Jesús Rodríguez-Velasco (Augustus R. Street Professor of Spanish & Portuguese and Comparative Literature at Yale University). We are excited to welcome you to Amherst, MA, and its environs, and look forward to meeting you, learning from you, and celebrating our shared commitment to Medieval Studies.

Click here for more information and the full Call for Papers.

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MAA News – MAA@Kzoo

As ever, the Medieval Academy will have a strong presence at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. We hope you will join us for these sessions and special events:

1) The Friday morning plenary, sponsored by the Academy, will be delivered by Haruko Momma (New York University), “Intersectional Onomastics in Medieval Studies: Terms, Terminology, and Theories of Naming” (8:30 AM, Sangren 1910). Two related sessions organized by Prof. Momma will take place on Friday at 1:30 PM (Session 203, Sangren Hall 1910, “Intersectional Onomastics (1): Names and Race/Ethnicity/Globality”) and 3:30 PM (Session 253, Sangren Hall 1910, “Intersectional Onomastics (2): Names and Gender/Sexuality/Queerness”).

2) The Graduate Student Committee Roundtable “Publishing as a Grad Student: A Follow-Up” will take place on Saturday at 10 AM (Session 323, Sangren Hall 2730 (hybrid)). In addition, please join the Graduate Student Committee for their annual ICMS Mixer on Thursday evening from 6-7 PM in Kanley Chapel, room 1060.

3) The MAA Digital Humanities and Multimedia Studies Committee is co-sponsoring a workshop titled “Digital Pedagogies for a Medieval World: Public Digital Humanities in the Classroom” on Thursday at 10 AM (Sangren Hall 2710 (hybrid)).

4) Finally, we invite you to visit our staffed table in the exhibit hall to introduce yourself, transact any Medieval Academy business you may have, or pick up some chocolate to keep you going during those long afternoon sessions. As in the past, we will be giving away fifty free one-year memberships to new members, so spread the word!

See you at the ‘Zoo!

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MAA News – MAA @ Leeds

If you’re going to be at the Leeds International Medieval Congress this year, please join us on Tuesday, 8 July, 19.00-20.00 (Session 901) for the annual Medieval Academy Lecture, to be delivered by Xiaofei Tian (Department of East Asian Languages & Civilizations, Harvard University), “The Margins of Knowing: A Place for the Extraordinary in an Ordinary World.” Afterwards, join Prof. Tian and MAA governance and staff members for the Medieval Academy’s open-bar wine reception.

The Medieval Academy’s Graduate Student Committee roundtable will take place Monday, 7 July, 19:00-20:00 (Session 021): “How to Conference.” Participants include Carrie Beneš (New College of Florida), Kathryn Gerry (Bowdoin University, Maine), Carolin Gluchowski (Universität Hamburg), Rebekkah Hart (Case Western Reserve University, Ohio), Natalie Hopwood (University of Leeds), Megan Renz Perry (Yale University), and Liene Rokpelne (Latvijas Universitāte, Rīga / Valmieras muzejs).

We hope to see you there!

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MAA News – Upcoming Webinars

What Makes Great Medieval Associations?
CARA on Zoom, Tuesday May 13th, 1pm-2pm EST

The MAA’s Committee on Centers and Regional Associations invites you to join us for a panel discussion by leaders of groups across the US and Canada on “what makes our association great?” Please join us as five leaders of medieval associations in the US and Canada discuss what makes theirs energizing, productive, and rewarding. We will address a number of issues as well as the personal challenges and rewards that come from supporting different medieval associations. We invite all to the conversation, which will include time for whole-group discussion. Topics include questions of membership, sustainability, finances, value, outreach, regionality (or not), mentoring, and hopes & dreams for the future.

Panelists
Katherine Bezio (Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association)
Natalie Grinnell (Southeastern Medieval Assocation)
Heather Maring (Medieval Association of the Pacific)
Shannon McSheffrey (Canadian Society of Medievalists)
Montserrat Piera (Delaware Valley Medieval Association)

Moderator
Virginia Blanton (Mid-America Medieval Association, CARA Executive Committee)

Click here to register.

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MAA News – MAA Centennial Digital Humanities Showcase

As part of the celebrations for the MAA’s Centennial Year, the Digital Humanities and Multimedia Studies Committee and the Graduate Student Committee have partnered to organize a year-long series of webinars showcasing exciting DH projects. These will ordinarily take place on the third Friday of each month, from 1-2pm ET. Each session will feature a moderated discussion of two recent/ongoing DH projects followed by an audience Q&A. Beyond highlighting a diverse array of new and exciting projects in Medieval Studies, this series will also serve as an opportunity to share ideas and best practices within the medieval DH community.

Friday, May 16, 1-2 pm ET: Books of Duchesses (S.C. “Kappie” Kaplan); and Medieval Anglo-Jewish Women 1154-1307 (Adrienne Williams Boyarin).

To register for this webinar series, please fill out the form by clicking here.

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MAA News – Committee Appointments

I am very pleased to announce the new MAA committee members, recently appointed by the Council in accordance with our policies and procedures:

Conferences:

American Historical Association Program Committee: Peter Sposato (Indiana Univ. Kokomo)

Kalamazoo Program Committee: Tory Schendel-Vyvoda (Evansville African American Museum)

Leeds Program Committee: Charles Atkinson (The Ohio State Univ.)

Grants:

Olivia Remie Constable Award Committee: Wendy Scase (Birmingham Univ.)

Inclusivity & Diversity Prize Committee: Leah Parker (Univ. of Southern Mississippi), Laura Tillery (Hamilton College)

Committee for Professional Development: Elizabeth Schirmer (New Mexico State Univ.)

Schallek Committee: Anne R. Stanton (Univ. of Missouri)

Professional Support:

Advocacy Committee: Peter K. Simpson (Independent Scholar), Alejandro Granados Turrey (Univ. of Southern California, Nathanial Wallace (South Carolina State Univ.)

CARA Executive Board: Lucy Barnhouse (Arkansas State Univ.), Christina Christoforatou Konstantinis (Baruch College, CUNY), Katherine Allen Smith (Univ. of Puget Sound)

Database of Medieval Digital Resources Committee: Andrea Nanetti (Dumbarton Oaks), Lisa Reilly (Univ. of Virginia)

Digital Humanities and Multimedia Studies Committee: Monica brinzei (CNRS-IRHT)

Graduate Student Committee: Summer Block Lizer (Claremont Graduate Univ.), Novella Frasier (Rutgers Univ.), Sean Widlake (Rutgers Univ.)

Inclusivity & Diversity Committee: Leigh Ann Craig (Virginia Commonwealth Univ.)

K-12 Committee: Liberty Huther (Univ. of Missouri), Brad Phillis (Appalachian State Univ.)

Publications Advisory Board: Helen Fulton (Univ. of Bristol)

Publication Prizes:

Van Courtlandt Elliott Prize Committee: Lori Kruckenberg (Univ. of Oregon)

Karen Gould Prize Committee: Margaret Graves (Brown Univ.)

Monica H. Green Prize Committee: Merle Eisenberg (Oklahoma State Univ.)

Haskins Medal Committee: Heather Blurton (Univ. of California, Santa Barbara)

Jerome E. Singerman Prize Committee: Ephraim Kanarfogel (Yeshive Univ.)

Governance:

MAA Program Committee Representative: Sean Gilsdorf (Harvard Univ.)

Fellows President: Anne D Hedeman (Univ. of Kansas)

Finance Committee: Grover Zinn (Oberlin College), Treasurer; Valerie Garver (Northern Illinois Univ.)

I look forward to working with these new volunteers and the continuing committee members (all of whom are listed on the MAA website: About -> Committees). I am so grateful to all of our volunteers for their service to the Academy and to our field. We could not do our work without you!

– Lisa

Lisa Fagin Davis, Executive Director

p.s. if you are interested in being considered for committee service next year, please fill out this form (if you have filled it out in the past, please do so again so that we are certain to have your up-to-date preferences in hand).

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