The Critical Disability Studies Caucus of the American Studies Association is pleased to solicit submissions for the "Best Paper in Critical Disability Studies by Graduate, Contingent, Or Independent Scholar" award. Graduate students (MA, PhD), academics who hold a contingent position, and independent scholars not affiliated with an academic institution, and who have had papers accepted for the annual meeting, may submit for consideration.

The prize includes a certificate and recognition at the ASA Annual Meeting.

Papers may deal with any aspect of disability studies, but we encourage applicants to ground themselves in current scholarship, for example by: 

  • Using disability studies as an epistemology and methodology; 
  • Examining disability as a contested category that is constructed through race, gender, sexuality, and geographic location; and 
  • Exploring disability studies as a field with multiple genealogies. 

Papers that have been previously accepted for publication are ineligible.

Please submit a single PDF, including the conference paper (3,500 word maximum, including citations and notes), and a cover page including the author’s name, paper title, institutional affiliation (if any), and contact information to criticaldisabilitycaucus@gmail.com by September 15.