Awards and Grants Solicitations

Ray L. Hart Service Award

The AAR Board of Directors and Executive Committee invites nominations for the Ray L. Hart Service Award.

The Ray L. Hart Service Award, established by the Board of Directors in 1992, is given to persons whose dedication and service have made significant contributions to the AAR's mission of fostering excellence in the field of religion. 

Prior Awardees:

  • Judith Berling (2005)
  • Harry Buck and Robert V. Smith, given as "Founders Award" (2002)
  • Peter Paris (2001)
  • Austin Creel (1995)
  • Raymond Williams (1994)
  • Ray L. Hart (1993)

The Executive Committee selects the awardee. Nominations may be sent to them through the executive office. To submit a name for consideration, email the name of the nominee, his or her affiliation, and any supporting information to , or send by mail to:

Hart Service Award
American Academy of Religion
825 Houston Mill Road
Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30329

 

Marty Award Solicitation

The AAR Public Understanding of Religion Committee invites nominations and self-nominations for the Martin E. Marty Award for contributions to the public understanding of religion.

The award is intended to bring greater recognition to scholars whose relevance and eloquence speaks not just to scholars, but more broadly to the public as well. Nominees for this award do not have to be AAR members. For nomination details, please see here.

 

Excellence in Teaching Award

The Teaching and Learning Committee seeks nominations for the AAR Award for Excellence in Teaching. Nominations of winners of campus awards, or any other awards, are encouraged. Procedures for the nomination process are outlined on the AAR website. The deadline for the 2015 annual award is October 15, 2014.

 

Individual and Collaborative Research Grants

Did you know that you could receive up to $5,000 in research assistance from the AAR? Since 1992, the Academy has awarded over $590,000 to members for individual and collaborative research projects. The application deadline is August 1st of each year. For application information and eligibility requirements, see https://www.aarweb.org/programs-services/grants-awards.

 

International Dissertation Research Grants

Applications for the 2013–2014 International Dissertation Research Grants cycle will be accepted August 15, 2013 through December 1, 2013. These annual grants, designed to support AAR student members whose dissertation research requires them to travel outside of the country in which their school or university is located, are intended to help candidates complete their doctoral degrees by offsetting costs of travel, lodging, and other dissertation research-related expenses. For information and to apply, please see http://www.aarweb.org/programs-services/grants-awards.

 

Collaborative International Research Grant

The American Academy of Religion, a member of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), is pleased to announce this year's Collaborative International Research Grants competition. This initiative is intended to support generative research collaborations between and among scholars located in different geographical regions who wish to pursue focused, joint projects in any area of the study of religion. Applications for awards ranging from $500 to $5000 will be reviewed by the AAR’s International Connections Committee (ICC).

The ICC encourages creative projects grounded in international research relationships that bring together scholars from disparate backgrounds and methodological approaches to advance our critical research and understanding of religious traditions, practices, and issues. These awards may be used for a variety of project expenses, including to enhance communication and to enable travel. Junior as well as more established scholars are encouraged to apply, as are independent scholars.

The 2014–2015 awards cycle opens on May 1 and closes October 1, 2014. For more information and to apply, visit https://www.aarweb.org/programs-services/collaborative-international-research-grants.

 

Regional Development Grants

Have you considered applying for a 2014–2015 Regional Development Grant? Regional Development Grants provide funds for special projects within the regions that promise to benefit the scholarly and professional life of AAR members and do the work of the AAR in the regions. Workshops, special programs, training events, and other innovative regional projects may be funded through this source. Where possible, projects are designed so that they may be duplicated or transported to other regions.

Applications should include a narrative description of the project detailing how the project promises to benefit the scholarly and professional life of AAR members and the work of the region. Please include comments on how these projects or activities may be adapted to other regional groups. The application should state the time period covered by the project and provide a detailed budget (office expenses, travel expenses, honoraria, stipend, and other expenses). Institutional overhead costs should not be included in this budget. No grant will exceed $4,000.

Successful grants from prior years can be found here.

Deadlines:
August 1, 2014 – Grant proposals due to regional coordinators
September 1, 2014 – Regional coordinators forward grants to Regions Committee
October 15, 2014 – Regional grant awards announced