About
The American Historical Association (AHA) is the largest membership association of historians in the world, providing leadership for the discipline and promoting the critical role of historical thinking in public life. Founded with a Congressional Charter, the AHA serves historians in a wide variety of professions and represents every historical era and geographical area. The organization supports history education at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, and graduate), publishes the flagship American Historical Review journal and Perspectives on History newsmagazine, advocates for academic freedom and honest history education, and provides professional development resources and career support for historians.
Funding Opportunities
Tikkun Olam Prize for Promoting Public Historical Literacy
The Tikkun Olam Prize for Promoting Public Historical Literacy addresses a major problem in American public culture, which inhibits the operation of democratic institutions and processes: the breadth and depth of historical illiteracy. This prize honors individuals whose work has promoted literacy in public culture, with the abiding hope that such work will indeed help 'to repair the world.' The award seeks to recognize sustained historical work that contributes significantly to historical literacy, defined as meaningful knowledge about the past, historical context, and ability to think historically and critically, in American public culture. The prize emphasizes history education broadly construed beyond the academy, with no limitations on genre, venue, or topic. The recipient is recommended by the executive director and AHA president for approval by the AHA Council, announced each fall, and presented at the Association's annual meeting.
Award for Scholarly Distinction
The American Historical Association Award for Scholarly Distinction was established by the AHA Council in 1984 to honor senior historians in the United States. This prestigious award recognizes historians of the highest distinction who have spent the bulk of their professional careers in the United States. Recipients must generally be of emeritus rank, if from academic life, or equivalent standing otherwise. Under normal circumstances, the award is not intended for former presidents of the Association; rather, it aims to honor persons not otherwise recognized by the profession to an extent commensurate with their contributions. The Committee on Honorary Foreign Members and Awards for Scholarly Distinction serves as the jury and recommends up to three individuals for approval at the Council's spring meeting. The honorees are announced at the Association's annual meeting, recognizing lifetime achievement and scholarly contributions to the field of history.
Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award
The Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award was established to honor teachers of history who taught, guided, and inspired their students in a way that changed their lives. Mentoring is as important to the discipline of history as fine scholarship and good teaching. The ideal mentor is forthright, supportive, and constructively critical, committed to the student as a person, regardless of age or career goals. The award recognizes teachers who demonstrate belief in the value of the study of history and commitment to teaching it to students regardless of age or career goals, consistent personal commitment by the mentor to the student as a person, honesty and integrity, and contribution to mentoring as a one-to-one partnership in learning that enriches both professional and personal lives. The award is given on a three-year cycle rotating between graduate mentors, secondary school teachers, and undergraduate mentors. The 2026 award is specifically for undergraduate mentors.
John Lewis Award for Public Service to the Discipline of History
Established in 2021, the John Lewis Award for Public Service to the Discipline of History is offered annually to recognize individuals outside the ranks of professional historians who have made a significant contribution to the study, teaching, and public understanding of history, in the interest of social justice. The prize was established with an endowment gift from the Agentives Fund and replaces the Association's Roosevelt-Wilson Award for Public Service, which was presented to Congressman Lewis in 2006. Recipients can be individuals or collaborative groups who have made a significant contribution to the support and encouragement of history through their actions. Such noteworthy activity may include advocacy for historical work and the importance of history to public culture and social justice, philanthropy, support for organizations that promote history in public life, historic preservation, or other work that cultivates public awareness of history and its value to public culture. The prize is named in memory of John Lewis (1940–2020), the civil rights leader who represented Georgia with grace and distinction in the United States House of Representatives for 34 years. The executive director and the AHA president serve as the jury and recommend nominees to the AHA Council, which makes the final selection at its June meeting. Recipients are announced at the Association's annual meeting.
John Lewis Award for History and Social Justice
The John Lewis Award for History and Social Justice was established in 2021 to recognize a historian for leadership and sustained engagement at the intersection of historical work, public culture, and social justice. The prize is offered annually and was established with an endowment gift from the Agentives Fund. The award is named in memory of John Lewis (1940–2020), the civil rights leader who represented Georgia in the United States House of Representatives for 34 years. Nominations are accepted for individuals and collaborative groups, including professional historians whose accomplishments exemplify the value of professional historical work to public culture and social justice. The current prize amount is $1,000. Recipients are announced in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January.
Lepage Center Award for Historical Work in the Public Interest
Established in 2025, the Lepage Center Award is offered annually by the American Historical Association to recognize outstanding historical work in the public interest that informs how the past shapes the present. The award was originally created in 1984 in honor of Herbert Feis, a public servant and historian of American foreign policy. Historical work in the public interest is defined as work created according to the disciplinary standards of historical thinking and primarily directed at audiences outside of schools and academic contexts. Those audiences could be very broad such as television viewers or highly specialized such as policymakers. The award may recognize the cumulative results of historical work in the public interest or a singular contribution of major importance, such as a pathbreaking museum exhibit. Eligible work might include administration of a public history group or the creation or production of a public history project. Although the audience should be primarily outside of academia, the recipient(s) of the award could be employed at a college or university.
Equity Award
The AHA Equity Award is meant to recognize and publicize those who have achieved excellence in recruiting and retaining underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the historical discipline. The prize is awarded on a two-year cycle rotation: in even-numbered years, to institutions; in odd-numbered years, to an individual. The awards can be conferred for new initiatives or for ongoing efforts. Deserving nominees will have made an impact promoting equity in the work and study of history through mentoring, program building, fundraising initiatives, pursuing civic engagement, and working in a variety of venues to promote a supportive environment. Institutional nominees could include academic units such as departments of history, public history programs, interdisciplinary programs, research institutes, and other organizations. Such institutions or institutional units may have taken advantage of institutional and community resources to diversify history students and faculty or to provide professional experience through teaching, research, postdoctoral, or internship programs.
Beveridge Family Teaching Prize
Established in 1995, the Beveridge Family Teaching Prize honors the Beveridge family's long-standing commitment to the American Historical Association and K–12 teaching. Friends and family members endowed this award to recognize excellence and innovation in elementary, middle school, and secondary history teaching, including career contributions and specific initiatives. The prize is awarded on a two-year cycle rotation: in even-numbered years to a group, and in odd-numbered years to an individual. Recipients are selected based on excellence in teaching or innovative initiatives applicable to the entire field of K–12 history education. The award recognizes educators who demonstrate outstanding contributions to history teaching, utilize strong historical scholarship, and show innovation in their approach and development.
James M. Banner, Jr., Lecture on the State of the Discipline of History
Established in 2023, the James M. Banner, Jr., Lecture on the State of the Discipline of History examines historians' work and seeks to suggest improvements to fundamental aspects of the discipline including its structure; the institutions that support, preserve, and convey historical knowledge; and the education and practices of historians. The lectureship encourages the consideration and evaluation of issues essential to how historians think about their work and practice, rather than focusing on specific historical subjects, historiographical debates, or research requirements. The lecture will be presented during the AHA annual meeting, online, or at other venues to be determined. Lecturers are nominated by the AHA president and executive director for approval by the AHA Council. They are invited based on their expertise, experience, and dedication to the discipline of history, without restrictions on their specific area of knowledge, professional background, country of residence, affiliation, or occupation. The honorarium for the lecture is $1,000.
Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award
Established in 1986, the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and advocacy for history teaching at two-year, four-year, and graduate colleges and universities. The award is intended for inspiring teachers whose techniques and mastery of subject matter made a real difference to students of history. The Society for History Education shares the sponsorship of the award. The current prize amount is $1,000. The award is named for the late Eugene Asher (1929–88), for many years a leading advocate for history teaching. At the time of his death, he was executive assistant to the president and director of university relations at California State University, Long Beach.
Troyer Steele Anderson Prize
The Troyer Steele Anderson Prize is awarded to the person whom Council considers to have made the most outstanding contribution to the advancement of the purposes of the American Historical Association. The prize was established by a bequest from Frank Maloy Anderson (1871–1961), a diplomatic and constitutional historian and a life member of the AHA, in honor of the memory of his son, a historian and public servant. This is a prestigious recognition award given by the AHA to honor exceptional service and contributions to the historical profession and the Association's mission. Recipients have included individuals recognized for transforming the Association's investment and financial structures, serving as AHA parliamentarian, leading major initiatives like the Tuning project, and making significant contributions to public history and the promotion of history. The award is not given annually but rather when Council determines an individual has made particularly outstanding contributions to advancing the AHA's purposes.
Wesley-Logan Prize in African Diaspora History
The Wesley-Logan Prize in African diaspora history is jointly administered by the American Historical Association and the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. The prize is awarded annually for an outstanding book in African diaspora history. The prize is offered for a book on some aspect of the history of the dispersion, settlement and adjustment, and/or return of peoples originally from Africa. Eligible for consideration are books in any chronological period and any geographical location. Only books of high scholarly and literary merit will be considered. The prize was established in 1992 in memory of two early pioneers in the field, Charles H. Wesley and Rayford W. Logan, who were prominent historians at Howard University and other institutions.
Sinclair Prize for Historical Podcasts
The Sinclair Prize for the most outstanding historical podcast recognizes an exceptional contribution to the dissemination of historical knowledge to the broader public in periodic audio form. Inspired by the AHA's Guidelines for Broadening the Definition of Historical Scholarship (2023), the Sinclair Prize encourages the combining of historical scholarship with podcast technology. It honors distinguished historical programming produced with skill and artistry. The prize recognizes audio periodic podcasts or podcast episodes in a series that stimulate interest in history, demonstrate imaginative use of media through compelling aural techniques, and effectively communicate historical subjects in ways that engage and enlighten listeners. Podcasts must draw upon peer-reviewed manuscripts or synthetic works produced by practicing historians, though the prize winner need not be professionally employed or formally trained as a historian. The current prize amount is $1,000.
Roy Rosenzweig Prize for Creativity in Digital History
The Roy Rosenzweig Prize for Creativity in Digital History is sponsored jointly by the American Historical Association (AHA) and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) at George Mason University. Developed by friends and colleagues of Roy Rosenzweig (1950–2007), the Mark and Barbara Fried Professor of History and New Media at GMU, this prize honors his life and work as a pioneer in the field of digital history. This prize is awarded annually to honor and support work on a creative and freely available new media project, and in particular for work that reflects thoughtful, critical, and rigorous engagement with technology and the practice of history. The prize will be conferred on a project that has been launched in the last two years and is publicly available. The prize recipient(s) will be expected to apply awarded funds toward the advancement of the project goals. Projects may be renominated as long as a description is included about any updates since the original nomination. The current prize amount is $4,000, funded by donations to GMU's AHA/RRCHNM Rosenzweig Prize Fund. Recipients are announced on the AHA website in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January.
Dorothy Rosenberg Prize in Jewish Diaspora History
The Dorothy Rosenberg Prize for the history of the Jewish diaspora recognizes the most distinguished work of scholarship on the history of the Jewish diaspora published in English during the previous calendar year. Eligibility is defined broadly, to include books on any period and from any disciplinary field that incorporates a historical perspective. In making its selection, the prize committee pays particular attention to depth of research, methodological innovation, conceptual originality and literary excellence. Works that reinterpret old themes or develop new theoretical perspectives are welcome. The prize is awarded annually by the American Historical Association to recognize outstanding published scholarship in Jewish diaspora history. Recipients are announced in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January.
James Harvey Robinson Prize for Teaching Aids
The James Harvey Robinson Prize is awarded biennially for the teaching aid which has made the most outstanding contribution to the teaching and learning of history in any field for public or educational purposes. The prize recognizes works that encompass textbooks, source and reference materials, audiovisuals, computer-assisted instruction, and public history or museum materials. The work should have the potential to influence history education through wide adaptability or by affecting teachers and students through widely taught courses. The work must demonstrate recent and good historical scholarship and must be well written and attractively presented. The Robinson Prize was established in 1974 by Council and first offered in 1978, named in honor of James Harvey Robinson (1863–1936), president of the American Historical Association in 1929 and a pioneer in new methods and content of history teaching.
John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History
The John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History recognizes the most distinguished work of scholarship on South Asian history published in English. South Asia is defined as the geographic area included in the modern states of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Eligibility is defined quite broadly, including books on any period or field of South Asian historical studies and works which integrate South Asian history with broader global issues and movements. In making its selection, the prize committee pays particular attention to depth of research, methodological innovation, conceptual originality, and literary excellence. Works that reinterpret old themes or develop new theoretical perspectives are welcome. Anthologies, encyclopedias and other edited volumes will not be considered. The current prize amount is $1,000. Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish. Authors or publishers may submit the same book for multiple AHA prizes. Books with a copyright of 2025 are eligible for the 2026 award. One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled as a Richards Prize Entry.
Premio del Rey in Early Spanish History
The American Historical Association awards the Premio del Rey biennially for a distinguished book in English in the field of early Spanish history. The prize was endowed by a gift of Robert I. Burns, SJ, from his Llull and Catalonia prizes and covers the medieval period in Spain's history and culture CE 500–1516. The terms of the prize include works on Hispanic history and culture, including the Islamic and Jewish communities of medieval Spain as well as early New World topics prior to 1516. Only books of a high scholarly historical nature should be submitted, with research accuracy, originality, and literary merit being important factors. Books with a copyright of 2024 or 2025 are eligible for the 2026 award.
James A. Rawley Prize in Atlantic History
The James A. Rawley Prize in Atlantic History is offered annually by the American Historical Association to recognize outstanding historical writing that explores aspects of integration of Atlantic worlds before the 20th century. The prize was created in 1998 in accordance with the terms of a gift from James A. Rawley, Carl Adolph Happold Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Only books of high scholarly and literary merit are considered, with research accuracy and originality being important factors in evaluation. The prize recognizes exceptional scholarship in Atlantic history, covering topics such as the transatlantic slave trade, colonial interactions, maritime history, and cultural exchanges in the Atlantic world prior to the 20th century. Winners are announced in October and recognized at a ceremony during the AHA annual meeting in January.
Eugenia M. Palmegiano Prize in the History of Journalism
The Eugenia M. Palmegiano Prize in the History of Journalism is awarded annually to the author of the most outstanding book published in English on any aspect of the history of journalism, concerning any area of the world, and any period. This prestigious award recognizes exceptional scholarship in journalism history and is named in honor of Eugenia Palmegiano (1939-2024), professor emerita of history at Saint Peter's College who specialized in bibliographies on the Victorian era. Books that focus on the recent past should have a significant historical component. Books that deal with journalism in relation to other forms of mass communication are eligible for consideration. The prize is open to both authors and publishers for nomination, with publishers able to submit multiple entries and books eligible for multiple AHA prizes. The current prize amount is $1,000. Recipients are announced on the AHA website in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January. The award supports scholarly excellence in the field of journalism history and encourages continued research into the historical development of journalism across different time periods and geographical regions.
John E. O'Connor Film Award
The John E. O'Connor Film Award recognizes outstanding interpretations of history through the medium of film or video. The award may be given in each of two categories: Dramatic Feature and Documentary. The award seeks productions that stimulate interest in history, make imaginative use of media, and effectively present historical subjects. The award is honorific, and winning films will be screened at the AHA's annual meeting if appropriate permissions can be obtained. One person associated with each winning film will be invited to host the screening. Eligible productions include dramatic feature and documentary films and videos, including web-based content, that have been copyrighted or first screened or broadcast in the eligible year. Films must be in English or have English-language subtitles or dubbing and should be no longer than feature length.
George L. Mosse Prize in European Intellectual and Cultural History
The American Historical Association awards the George L. Mosse Prize annually for an outstanding major work of extraordinary scholarly distinction, creativity, and originality in the intellectual and cultural history of Europe since 1500. This prestigious book prize recognizes outstanding published scholarship in the field of European intellectual and cultural history. Books must demonstrate exceptional research accuracy, originality, and literary merit. The prize was established with funds donated by former students, colleagues, and friends of Dr. George L. Mosse, who was Bascom-Weinstein Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and authored influential works on German ideology, European racism, nationalism, and modern masculinity. Recipients are announced annually and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting.
Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize in Italian History
The Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize is one of three annual awards for the best book on Italian history, Italian cultural history, or Italo-American cultural relations established by Howard R. Marraro. The prize recognizes outstanding published scholarship in these fields by historians residing in North America. Books eligible for the award must be published in English with a copyright from the previous year. The American Historical Association administers the competition for all three awards established by Howard R. Marraro's bequests to the AHA, the American Catholic Historical Association, and the Society for Italian Historical Studies. The prize celebrates excellence in historical scholarship relating to Italy and Italian culture, honoring books that make significant contributions to the field of Italian historical studies.
J. Russell Major Prize in French History
The American Historical Association awards the J. Russell Major Prize annually for the best work in English on any aspect of French history. The prize was established in memory of J. Russell Major, the distinguished scholar of French history who died on December 12, 1998, at the age of 77. Major served on the history faculty at Emory University from 1949 until his retirement in 1990, and wrote 10 books on French history. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly monographs that advance our understanding of French history across all periods and themes. Books with a copyright from the previous year are eligible, and submissions may be made by authors or publishers. Recipients are announced in October and recognized at the AHA annual meeting in January.
Littleton-Griswold Prize in American Law and Society
The Littleton-Griswold Prize is an annual award for the best book in any subject on the history of American law and society, broadly defined. Originally created in 1961 by the Littleton-Griswold Fund Committee for studies in the legal history of the American colonies and of the United States prior to 1900, the prize was not awarded until 1966 and was abolished the following year. In 1985, the Council revived the prize and expanded the scope to cover all of American history. The prize recognizes books of high scholarly and literary merit that advance our understanding of the intersection between law and society throughout American history. Books with a copyright of 2025 will be eligible for consideration for the 2026 award, with submissions opening in mid-March 2026 and a deadline of May 15, 2026. Recipients are announced in October and recognized at a ceremony during the AHA annual meeting.
Waldo G. Leland Prize for Reference Tools
The Waldo G. Leland Prize, established by the AHA Council in 1981, is offered every five years for the most outstanding reference tool in the field of history. The prize recognizes exceptional scholarship in the creation of reference materials including bibliographies, indexes, encyclopedias, and other scholarly apparatus. Named after Waldo G. Leland, a distinguished contributor to bibliographical guides who served as secretary to the American Historical Association from 1908 to 1919, this award honors work that advances historical research through comprehensive and innovative reference resources. The award is honorific and recipients are recognized at the AHA annual meeting.
Martin A. Klein Prize in African History
The Martin A. Klein Prize in African History recognizes the most distinguished work of scholarship on African history published in English during the previous calendar year. The books must focus primarily on continental Africa (including those islands usually treated as countries of Africa). Eligibility is defined broadly to include books on any period of African history and from any disciplinary field that incorporates an historical perspective. In making its selection, the prize committee pays particular attention to methodological innovation, conceptual originality and literary excellence. Works that reinterpret old themes or develop new theoretical perspectives are welcome. The prize is named for Martin A. Klein, professor emeritus of history at the University of Toronto. Funding for the prize was completed thanks to a substantial donation from the late Dr. Mougo Nyaggah of California State University, Fullerton, and his wife Dr. Lynette Nyaggah.
Joan Kelly Memorial Prize in Women's History
Established in 1984, the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize is awarded annually for the book in women's history and/or feminist theory that best reflects the high intellectual and scholarly ideals exemplified by the life and work of Joan Kelly. The prize was established by the Coordinating Committee on Women in the Historical Profession and the Conference Group on Women's History (now the Coordinating Council for Women in History), and is administered by the American Historical Association. To be eligible for consideration, submissions shall be books in any chronological period, any geographical location, or in an area of feminist theory that incorporates a historical perspective. Books should demonstrate originality of research, creativity of insight, graceful stylistic presentation, analytical skills, and a recognition of the important role of sex and gender in the historical process. The inter-relationship between women and the historical process should be addressed. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly work that advances understanding of women's history and feminist theory through rigorous historical analysis.
Friedrich Katz Prize in Latin American and Caribbean History
The American Historical Association offers the Friedrich Katz Prize in Latin American and Caribbean History, awarded annually to the best book published in English focusing on Latin America, including the Caribbean. The prize honors Friedrich Katz (1927–2010), an Austrian-born specialist in Latin American history whose nearly 50-year career inspired dozens of students and colleagues in the field. He was Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Latin American History at the University of Chicago. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions to the historiography of Latin America, including works that incorporate Indigenous perspectives and contribute to broader fields such as Atlantic world history and the history of science.
J. Franklin Jameson Award for Editing Historical Sources
The J. Franklin Jameson Award was established in 1974 for outstanding achievement in the editing of historical sources. First offered in 1980 and awarded every five years, the American Historical Association Council made the decision in 2007 to change the frequency of the award to biennial. The award honors J. Franklin Jameson, a founding member of the Association, its president in 1907, longtime managing editor of the American Historical Review, and an influential proponent of historical study. This honorific award recognizes scholars and editors who demonstrate excellence in the editing of historical sources, requiring that works be of a scholarly, historical nature with commentary and original text in English or English translation. The award celebrates exceptional documentary editing that advances historical research and teaching.
Clarence H. Haring Prize in Latin American History
The Clarence H. Haring Prize is a quinquennial prize awarded to the Latin American author who has published the most outstanding book on Latin American history during the five years preceding the year of the award. The prize recognizes exceptional scholarly contributions to the field of Latin American history, with preference given to books written in one of the languages of Latin America and to authors whose primary affiliation is to a Latin American institution. Capital for the prize was derived from contributions from the friends of Clarence H. Haring and from other grants between 1963 and 1966. The prize has been awarded every five years since 1966, recognizing outstanding historical scholarship on Latin America by Latin American scholars.
William and Edwyna Gilbert Award for Articles on Teaching
The William and Edwyna Gilbert Award for the Best Article on Teaching History annually recognizes outstanding contributions to the teaching of history through the publication of articles in journals, magazines, and other serials. Both the author of the winning article and the journal that publishes it will each receive the award. This prestigious award honors William Gilbert, a longtime AHA member and distinguished scholar-teacher of the Renaissance at the University of Kansas, and his wife Edwyna Gilbert, who left additional funds to supplement the original bequest. The award seeks to recognize excellence in scholarship of teaching and learning, methodology, and theory of pedagogy related to history education.
Leo Gershoy Award in Western European History
The Leo Gershoy Award is presented annually by the American Historical Association to the author of the most outstanding work published in English on any aspect of 17th- and 18th-century western European history. Established in 1975 through a gift from Mrs. Ida Gershoy in memory of her husband Leo Gershoy, a specialist in European history associated with New York University for more than 35 years. The Gershoy Award and the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize are widely considered to be the most prestigious prizes in the field of European history. Only books of high scholarly and literary merit will be considered. Recipients are announced in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January. Books with a copyright of 2025 will be eligible for the 2026 award.
Morris D. Forkosch Prize in British History
The American Historical Association offers the Morris D. Forkosch Prize annually in recognition of the best book in English in the field of British, British imperial, or British Commonwealth history since 1485. Submission of books relating to the shared common law heritage of the English-speaking world are particularly encouraged in memory of the late Professor Forkosch's contributions to the field of legal studies and legal history. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions to British, British imperial, and British Commonwealth history, with a particular emphasis on legal history and the common law tradition. Recipients are announced in October and recognized during a ceremony at the annual AHA meeting. The award honors Morris Forkosch, who taught jurisprudence at Brooklyn Law School from 1949 to 1972 and made significant contributions to legal studies and legal history.
John K. Fairbank Prize in East Asian History
The John K. Fairbank Prize in East Asian History is offered annually by the American Historical Association for an outstanding book in the history of China proper, Vietnam, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, or Japan, substantially after 1800. This prestigious award recognizes high scholarly and literary merit in published historical works focusing on East Asian history. The prize honors John K. Fairbank, Francis Lee Higginson Professor of History and director of the East Asian Research Center at Harvard University, who served as president of the AHA in 1968. The competition is open to authors and publishers, with books submitted for evaluation by a review committee. Only single-authored monographs are eligible; anthologies, edited works, and pamphlets are excluded. Winners are announced in October and recognized at the AHA annual meeting in January.
Patricia Buckley Ebrey Prize in East Asian History
The American Historical Association offers the Patricia Buckley Ebrey Prize annually for a distinguished book in the history of China proper, Vietnam, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, or Japan, prior to 1800. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding scholarly and literary merit in the field of East Asian history. The prize is named after Patricia Buckley Ebrey, a historian of China and professor emerita at the University of Washington at Seattle, who is a winner of the 2014 AHA Award for Scholarly Distinction. The competition is open to books with recent copyright dates, and eligible submissions include scholarly monographs that demonstrate exceptional research and writing quality. Only books of high scholarly and literary merit are considered, with anthologies, edited works, and pamphlets excluded from eligibility.
Raymond J. Cunningham Prize for Undergraduate Articles
The American Historical Association offers the Raymond J. Cunningham Prize annually for the best article published in a journal written by an undergraduate student. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly work by undergraduates that demonstrates excellence in historical research and writing. The prize selection committee typically gives preference to articles that incorporate primary sources. The award provides $500 each to both the author and the journal that published the article. Recipients are announced on the AHA website in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting.
Albert B. Corey Prize in Canadian-American Relations
The Albert B. Corey Prize, first awarded in 1967, is a biennial prize sponsored jointly by the American Historical Association and the Canadian Historical Association. The prize is awarded in even-numbered years for the best book on Canadian-American relations or on the history of both countries. Established in 1963 and formally ratified in 1966 after funding was secured, the prize honors Albert B. Corey (1898-1963), who first proposed the award to encourage the study of Canadian-US relations. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarship that contributes to understanding the historical relationship between Canada and the United States, including topics such as cross-border interactions, transnational movements, cultural exchanges, political relations, and the shared history of both nations.
Paul Birdsall Prize in European Military and Strategic History
The Paul Birdsall Prize in European Military and Strategic History was established in 1985 by a generous gift from Professor Hans Gatzke. The Birdsall Prize is awarded biennially for the most important work published in English on European military or strategic history since 1870. Preference will be given to the international aspects of military history, particularly military and diplomatic history, but the impact of technological developments, strategic planning, and military events on society—political, economic, and social—will also qualify. Purely technical studies, divorced from historical context, will not be considered. The prize recognizes outstanding published scholarly work in this specialized field of historical research and awards $1,000 to the winner.
Beveridge Family Prize in American History
The Beveridge Family Prize in American History is an annual award given by the American Historical Association to honor outstanding historical writing. The prize is awarded for a distinguished book in English on the history of the United States, Latin America, or Canada, from 1492 to the present. Established in 1939 on a biennial basis and awarded annually since 1945, the prize honors US Senator Albert J. Beveridge and was created through a gift from Mrs. Catherine Beveridge in 1927. Books that employ new methodological or conceptual tools or that constitute significant reexaminations of important interpretive problems are given preference. Literary merit is also an important criterion for selection. Only biographies, monographs, and works of synthesis and interpretation are eligible; translations, anthologies, and collections of documents are not considered. The award recognizes excellence in historical scholarship and writing about the Americas.
Jerry Bentley Prize in World History
The Jerry Bentley Prize in World History was established in 2014 by the American Historical Association and is awarded annually to the best book in each calendar year in the field of world history. The prize honors Jerry Bentley's tireless efforts to promote the field of world history and his signal contributions to it. A professor at the University of Hawaii, Bentley was one of the leading figures in the world history movement and the founding editor of the Journal of World History. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarship that deals with global or world-scale history, with connections or comparisons across continents, in any period. Any book published in English addressing these themes is eligible for consideration. The current prize amount is $1,000, and recipients are announced on the AHA website and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting.
AHA Prize in History Prior to CE 1000
The AHA Prize in History Prior to CE 1000 is offered for the best book in English in any field of history prior to CE 1000. Established in 1985 and originally named in honor of James Henry Breasted, a pioneer in ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern history and president of the Association in 1928, the prize was endowed by Joseph O. Losos, a longtime member of the Association. The prize name was changed in 2024. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly works that demonstrate research accuracy, originality, and literary merit in the field of ancient history. Only books bearing the appropriate copyright year are eligible for consideration. The award is presented annually at the AHA annual meeting and recipients are announced on the AHA website in October.
AHA Prize in European International History
The American Historical Association offers the AHA Prize in European International History in recognition of outstanding historical writing in European international history since 1895. This prize was established in accordance with the terms of a bequest by George Louis Beer (1872–1920), historian of the British colonial system before 1765, to be awarded annually for the best work on any phase of European international history since the year 1895 that is submitted by a scholar who is a United States citizen or permanent resident. The phrase 'European international history since the year 1895' may be understood to mean any study of international history since the year 1895 with a significant European dimension. The prize recognizes books of high scholarly historical nature where research accuracy, originality, and literary merit are important factors. Only books bearing a copyright of 2025 are eligible for the 2026 prize. The author must be a United States citizen or permanent resident. Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher, and the same book may be submitted for multiple AHA prizes. Recipients are announced on the AHA website in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January. The prize has been awarded annually since 1923, recognizing exceptional scholarship in European international history and related fields including diplomatic history, colonial history, and international relations.
AHA Prize in American History
The AHA Prize in American History is awarded for an outstanding work on any subject relating to United States history that is the author's first book or scholarly equivalent. Originally called the John H. Dunning Prize, this biennial prize was first awarded in 1929, and has been awarded in odd-numbered years since 1991. The prize name was changed in 2023. Research accuracy, originality, and literary merit are important factors in the evaluation of submissions. Only books bearing a copyright of 2025 or 2026 are eligible for the 2027 award. Recipients are announced on the AHA website in October and recognized during a ceremony at the annual AHA meeting.
Herbert Baxter Adams Prize in European History
The American Historical Association offers the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize annually for a distinguished book published in English in the field of European history. The Adams Prize and the Leo Gershoy Award are widely considered to be the most prestigious prizes in the field of European history. The prize is offered on a rotating basis: in even years for books on European history from ancient times to 1815; in odd years for books on European history from 1815 through the 20th century. Since the prize is designed especially to encourage scholars who have not yet obtained an established reputation, the entry must be the author's first substantial book. Textbooks in the strict sense of the word are not eligible, but a work of wide scope which interprets a major period or area would certainly qualify. Pamphlets, anthologies, edited works, and other small-scale efforts will not qualify. The prize was established in 1905 in memory of the first secretary of the Association, Herbert Adams of Johns Hopkins University, who was also one of the Association's founders.
Fellowships in Aerospace History
The Fellowships in Aerospace History are offered annually by NASA to support significant scholarly research projects in aerospace history. These fellowships grant the opportunity to engage in significant and sustained advanced research in all aspects of the history of aerospace from the earliest human interest in flight to the present, including cultural and intellectual history, economic history, history of law and public policy, and the history of science, engineering, and management. Three fellowships are available through collaboration between NASA, the American Historical Association, and the History of Science Society, with applications entered into consideration for all three opportunities: AHA Fellowship in Aerospace History, AHA Fellowship in the History of Space Technology, and HSS Fellowship in Aerospace History. The fellowship term is for a period of at least six months but not more than nine months, and should commence no later than January of the fellowship term. Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of resources at the National Archives, the National Academies of Science, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, NASA Headquarters, and other collections in the Washington, DC area. Residency is not required, but office space may be provided by the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress upon request for a minimum of three months.
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