The submission deadline has passed. Awardees are announced in the fall, and the next contest will begin in spring 2024.

The American Historical Association offers the Raymond J. Cunningham Prize annually for the best article published in a journal written by an undergraduate student. The prize was established in memory of Raymond J. Cunningham, who was an associate professor of history at Fordham University. He was an authority on American historian Herbert Baxter Adams.

The current prize amount is $500 each to the author and journal. See the list of past recipients.

Eligibility

The prize selection committee has typically given preference to articles that incorporate primary sources. The article must be published in a journal between May 1, 2023, and April 30, 2024.

Application Process

Log into your MY AHA account at historians.org/myaha and click “Available Application Forms” in the AHA Awards, Grants, and Jobs section. If you don't have an account, create one for free at historians.org/createaccount. If nominating someone else, select the Nominate button and search for the nominee’s existing record or create a new record.

1. Fill in the application form, which includes the nominee’s contact information and the name of the article, journal, and faculty advisor.
2. Upload an Application Packet as a single PDF. Include the following documents:
   • Letter of support (no more than 2 pages)
   • Copy of the article

Only ONE article from a specific journal may be nominated each year.

Please Note: Entries must be received by May 15, 2024, to be eligible for the 2024 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2024 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2025 AHA annual meeting in New York.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.