Awards Overview
AWSS offers several prizes that recognize the achievements of women in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies and draw attention to exceptional scholarship on women/gender studies in the field.
Heldt Prizes
The Heldt Prizes recognize the accomplishments of Barbara Heldt, one of the founding mothers of Slavic Studies in the United States and of the AWSS, known for both her feminist scholarship and commitment to the field. The prizes are a fitting tribute to Heldt’s generous support for women and for women’s and gender studies. Prize categories include:
● Best book introducing new, innovative, and/or underrepresented perspectives into any area of Slavic/East European/Eurasian studies. Open to AWSS members.
● Best book in Slavic/East European/Eurasian women’s and gender studies
● Best translation in Slavic/East European/Eurasian women’s and gender studies
● Best article in Slavic/Eastern European/Eurasian women's and gender studies
Outstanding Achievement Award
The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes the accomplishments of established leaders in the field of Slavic, East European and Eurasian women’s and gender studies. Their contributions have broken new ground in the discipline and laid the groundwork for others.
Mary Zirin Prize
The founder of the AWSS Newsletter Women East-West and an independent scholar, Mary Zirin produced and encouraged fundamental works in Slavic/East European Women's Studies and was instrumental in the development of the AWSS. The Prize aims to recognize the achievements of independent scholars and to encourage their continued scholarship and service in the fields of Slavic or Central and Eastern European Women's Studies.
Patricia Herlihy Graduate Research Prize
The AWSS Patricia Herlihy Graduate Research Prize is awarded annually to fund promising graduate-level research in any field of Slavic/East European/Central Asian Studies by anyone identifying as a woman or on a topic in Women's or Gender Studies related to Slavic Studies/East Europe/Central Asia by a scholar of any gender.
Student Essay Prizes
These two prizes recognize the most outstanding essay written in English in Slavic, East European or Eurasian women’s and gender studies by each a graduate student and an undergraduate student based at any tertiary institution worldwide.
Travel Grants
The Association for Women in Slavic Studies (AWSS) is pleased to be able to offer travel grants of between $200 and $1000 for scholars from Eurasia studying women's and gender studies, who are presenting papers at the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) meetings, the AWSS meetings, or the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) meetings.