The AHA recognizes a wide variety of distinguished historical work by awarding prizes, fellowships, and awards to authors of exceptional books in the field, distinguished teachers and mentors in the classroom, and even film makers. Recently, two new awards have been established to acknowledge an even wider base of good work in the profession. These awards include:

The Raymond J. Cunningham Prize for the Best Article by an Undergraduate
The American Historical Association will offer the Raymond J. Cunningham Prize annually for the best article published in a history department 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 deadline for entries is May 15, 2010. For more information and instructions on how to apply see the Cunningham Prize page.

Equity Awards
In 1996, the American Historical Association adopted a statement on equity that acknowledges its commitment “to diversity in the historical profession” and called on “institutions to recruit aggressively and hire members from groups that have been historically discriminated against.” It is imperative that the historical profession takes seriously its duty to remain open and available to its changing constituencies.

To further this goal, the AHA has established two equity awards to be given annually: one for individuals and another for academic units. The awards can be conferred for new initiatives or for sustained efforts. These equity awards are meant to recognize and publicize individuals and institutions that have achieved excellence in recruiting and retaining underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the historic profession. While the awards are honorary and have no monetary component, winners will receive a certificate of recognition that specially honors their efforts to secure and sustain diversity in the profession.

The deadline for nominations is August 1, 2010. For more information and instructions on how to nominate, see the Equity Award page.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.