Awards & Scholarships
Awards for Papers
MPSA sponsors 10 awards for outstanding papers presented at the Annual National Conference. Nominations are made by conference discussants, panel chairs, and section heads after the conference. Award committees select the winners. Awards are announced at the MPSA business meeting, held during the Annual National Conference, the following year.
- Best Paper in International Relations. A new $250 award for the best paper on the topic of international relations.
- Best Paper by an Emerging Scholar. A $250 award for the best paper, regardless of field or topic, by a scholar or scholars who has or have received the terminal degree(s) no sooner than six years prior to the year in which the paper was presented.
- Herbert Simon Award. A $500 award, co-sponsored by the Midwest Caucus on Public Administration, for a scholar who has made a significant contribution to the scientific study of bureaucracy.
- Kellogg/Notre Dame Award. A new $250 award for the best paper in comparative politics.
- Lucius Barker Award. A $250 award for the best paper on a topic investigating race or ethnicity and politics and honoring the spirit and work of Professor Barker.
- Patrick J. Fett Award. A $250 award for the best paper on the scientific study of Congress and the presidency.
- Review of Politics Award. A new $250 award for the best paper in normative political theory.
- Robert H. Durr Award. A $250 award for the best paper applying quantitative methods to a substantive problem.
- Sophonisba Breckinridge Award. A $250 award for the best paper on the topic of women and politics.
In addition to the awards sponsored by MPSA, three awards are sponsored by other organizations and presented at the MPSA Annual National Conference:
- AJPS Best Paper Award. New this year, this is a $1,000 award for the best paper appearing in the volume of the American Journal of Political Science published in the year preceding the conference. Sponsor: Blackwell Publishing
- Pi Sigma Alpha Award for Best Paper. A $250 award for the best paper presented at the MPSA Annual National Conference. Sponsor: Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.
- Westview Press Award. A $250 award for the best paper by a graduate student. Sponsor: Westview Press.
MPSA also provides assistance for target populations to attend the MPSA Annual National Conference:
MPSA Scholarships
Conference Registration Fee Waiver Scholarship. Fee waivers are provided to individuals on the program who are either 1) scholars from an institution in the developing world, or 2) not political scientists and have not attended the conference in the past. This second category includes people from other disciplines (e.g., history or economics) or people who are practitioners (e.g., judges and reporters).
Harrell Rodgers Graduate Student Travel Scholarship. This scholarship, sponsored by the Policy Studies Association, provides a $250 stipend for a graduate student to attend the MPSA Annual National Conference.
MPSA Childcare Scholarship. Assistance to help defray the cost of childcare during the MPSA Annual National Conference is offered to graduate students and junior faculty who are current members of MPSA and who meet the criteria for the scholarship.
To apply for one of these scholarships, click here.