ABA Awards

The Vera Green Publication Award 2011
The Association of Black Anthropologists (ABA) invites new academics* to submit articles in competition for the Vera Green Publication Award. The winning article will be published in Transforming Anthropology, the journal of the ABA. This article can focus on any geographic region of the world but it must pertain to public anthropology. The Award Committee frames public anthropology as work that engages and/or directly advocates for persons and communities outside of academia. Articles that discuss broad historical or conceptual issues or that emerge from a narrow question or specific research site are acceptable. The committee will evaluate articles based on the depth of research, theoretical contribution and applied relevance to the field.

The award, established in 2007 by past ABA President, Dana-Ain Davis, is offered in honor of Dr. Vera Mae Green (1928-1982, Ph.D. University of Arizona 1969) who was a pioneer in the fields of public and Caribbean anthropology. A past president of the ABA, Dr. Green served as Director of the Mid-Atlantic Council for Latin American Studies and was active in the Society for Applied Anthropology. Her research and activism focused on poverty and international human rights, and she contributed significantly to interethnic studies, black family studies, and the understanding of aging and migration. As an advocate for diversity in anthropology, Dr. Green actively encouraged African Americans and other people of color to pursue careers in anthropology. It is in the spirit of her commitment to praxis and social justice that the ABA offers this award.

The award deadline is May 1st, 2011 and only applicants who received a Ph.D. after 2007* are eligible for consideration. Articles must be submitted electronically in pdf or Microsoft Word formats to the committee chair whose name appears below. Articles should be 20-25 double spaced pages (not including bibliography) and accompanied by applicant's Ph.D. completion date. The award recipient will be announced during the ABA's general meeting at the AAA Annual Conference in Montreal in November 2011.

Aimee Cox
Vera Green Publication Award Committee Chair
aimcox @ andromeda.rutgers.edu

The Gwaltney Scholarship Fund

The Association of Black Anthropologists is pleased to invite applications for the John L. Gwaltney Native Anthropology Scholarship. This award was launched with a contribution from the Gwaltney family, to honor the life and intellectual legacy of Dr. Gwaltney (1928-1988) whose interests included a strong focus on Black life in industrial cities.

The scholarship will be awarded to assist emerging scholars to further their research. Preference will be given to scholars who are ABD or post-graduate who have not held the position of Assistant Professor for more than two years though consideration will be given to individuals whose accomplishments are comparable outside of the academic setting. Preference will also be given to scholars from the four subfields and applied practice of anthropology, but consideration will be given to those in other disciplines who meet the overall criteria. Applicants must be members of ABA. The winner or winner(s) will receive a certificate and a cash award ($500).

Proposals will be judged according to the following criteria:

• Significance to African Americans and/or the African Diaspora
• Evidence of the public and community engagement and/or activist nature of the research
• Originality of the research topic
• Organization, quality, and clarity of writing
• Effective use of both theory and data
• Timeliness and relevance of the topic

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Candidates must submit a cover sheet, a two-page vita, one letter of recommendation, and an original (unpublished) essay, not to exceed 28 pages total (10,000 words), which reflects a Native Anthropology approach consistent with those espoused by John L. Gwaltney by May 1st, 2011. No late applications will be processed. Essays must be original in content and research, cannot be under review by any journal, cannot have won any previous awards, or have been accepted for publication in any refereed or non-refereed journal.

The winning essay will be published (pending requested editorial changes) in Transforming Anthropology. Non-winning essays will be sent through the regular peer-review process for possible publication at a future date. The winner of the scholarship will be notified prior to the annual meeting and the award will be announced at the ABA Business meeting. By the next year, prior to the annual ABA business meeting, the scholarship recipient must submit a two-page report to the ABA President. All or parts of this report will be published in the ABA Column of Anthropology News.

Submission information:

• Application Cover sheet
  • Name /Institution/Affiliation
  • Contact Information (phone, email, address)
  • Graduation Date (Post-graduates) or Anticipated Graduation Date (ABD students)
  • Dissertation Title (or tentative title)
• Information about the Research Project:
  • Abstract / Synopsis of your research topic and central questions (Maximum 150 words)
  • Describe your original contributions to the scholarship on this subject matter.
  • Why is it important at this moment in time?
  • In what ways does this project involve community engagement and/or activism?
  • How is this research public in nature?
  • What is the significance to African Americans and/or the African Diaspora?
  • Methodology
  • Anticipated findings and implications for praxis
  • Planned use of funds

The deadline for applications is May 1st, 2011 via email to the Gwaltney Research Grant Committee: Melanie E. L. Bush, Chair, Scholarship Selection Committee (bush @ adelphi.edu). Please indicate "Gwaltney Research Scholarship Submission" in the subject line of your email. Questions may also be sent to this address.

You will receive a confirmation that your proposal has been received. Electronic versions of the application should be formatted as either a PDF file or a Microsoft Word document. Only one submission per person will be accepted.

ABA Legacy Scholar Award
Call for Nominations - June 1, 2011

The ABA Legacy Scholar Award was established in 2008 to honor senior anthropologists for their significant contributions to research, scholarship, and service to communities of African descent in the United States and throughout the African Diaspora. The award embraces the idea of Sankofa, the Akan word meaning looking back to move forward. We use the symbol of the Sankofa bird to represent an appreciation of the past - paying tribute and respect to those who came before us. In this way, ABA recognizes our elders for having created career opportunities for Black anthropologists and others over time as well as a path for others to follow in the discipline. We appreciate and thank them for their example, commitment, and professionalism.

Candidates for the ABA Legacy Scholar Award can either be nominated by colleagues or selected directly by the ABA Legacy Scholar Award Committee. Nominations should include the candidate's name and a brief 250 word description of their contribution to the field. Nominations may be sent to Janis Hutchinson - jhutchinson @ uh.edu and Kimberly Eison Simmons - ksimmons @ mailbox.sc.edu by June 1, 2011.

Candidates for the ABA Legacy Scholar Award should have/be:

• Significant research or applied contribution to the field of anthropology
• Work related to the people of African descent
• At least 25 years of professional experience
• A member of ABA