Dear Colleagues,

We have extended the submission window for the 2024 Roy Sieber Dissertation Award for outstanding dissertations on some aspect of African and/or African diaspora art, in any discipline. Submissions must now be received by October 15, 2023. The award will be given at the 19th ACASA Triennial, to be held in Summer 2024. 

The Roy Sieber Dissertation Award was established in 2004 to honor the memory of Professor Roy Sieber who made lasting contributions to the study of African art history through his research, writing, and mentoring of many Ph.D. students.

Eligibility

Eligible dissertations must have been submitted to the author’s degree-granting institution and defended between September 1, 2019 – August 30, 2023 in order to be considered by the award committee. Dissertation authors must be ACASA members in good standing. 

Submission Process

Eligible dissertations should be uploaded by the author to this online folder along with the required submission materials listed below. All submission materials must be received by Sunday, October 15, 2023. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.

All submission materials should be in English and include the following:

1. Full dissertation, including illustrations (as deposited with candidates’ institution), as a Microsoft Word document or PDF
2. A cover letter of maximum two pages written by the applicant, addressing the contributions of the dissertation as related to assessment criteria below
3. A detailed letter of support from the primary advisor, addressing the contributions of the dissertation as related to assessment criteria below
4. Candidate’s current CV or resumé

Assessment Criteria

The 2024 Roy Sieber Dissertation Award Committee, chaired by former recipient Dr. David Doris with members Dr. Giulia Paoletti (also a former recipient) and Dr. Candace M. Keller, will consider complete submissions using core criteria, including but not limited to:

1. Writing (i.e. clarity, style, prose)
2. Research content (for example. scope of archival work or fieldwork)
3. Innovations (in theory, methodology, or other areas)
4. Argument (i.e. originality, or impact on the field)
5. Complete submission (see above, under Eligibility)
6. Miscellaneous, or other exceptional scholarship worthy of consideration.

Constructive comments will be shared with all candidates at the end of the process, as may be helpful for revising the submission into a manuscript, or other publications.

The recipient of the 2024 Roy Sieber Dissertation Award will be offered:

1. a $500 cash prize
2. an opportunity to create a brief video, posted to the ACASA website, of the awardee speaking on the dissertation topic, as well as the challenges or advice for future applicants and PhD candidates
3. an opportunity to work with an ACASA mentor to draft and submit a paper based on the dissertation submission for publication with African Arts

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to receiving all qualified submissions by October 15th.

With all best wishes,

David, Giulia, and Candace

With global membership, the Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) promotes greater understanding of African material and expressive culture in all its many forms, and encourages contact and collaboration with African and Diaspora artists and scholars.



ACASA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

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