Midwest Victorian Studies Association

Walter L. Arnstein Prize for Dissertation Research in Victorian Studies

2022 Call for Applications

The MVSA annual Walter L. Arnstein Prize awards $1500 for dissertation research in British Victorian Studies undertaken by a student currently enrolled in a doctoral program in a U.S. or Canadian university. Proposals may be submitted in literature, history, art history, or musicology, but should have a significant interdisciplinary component that will render them of interest to scholars studying Victorian Britain across a range of disciplines.

Applicants for 2022 should submit: 

• A cover sheet
• A statement on research (maximum 3 single-space pages, 12-point font). Please provide a brief overview of your dissertation topic, remembering that your proposal will be reviewed by faculty members in several disciplines. Indicate clearly the present state of your work and explain how an award would assist you in completing the dissertation (for example, partial travel support, purchase of library supplies, etc.).
• A current CV (maximum 2 pages single-spaced, 12-point font)
• TWO letters of reference; these must be submitted directly by recommenders to arnsteinprize@midwestvictorian.org  

DEADLINE: May 1, 2022. Submit cover sheet, statement, and CV by email to arnsteinprize@midwestvictorian.org. This year’s recipient will be notified by June 15, 2022. 

Prize details

Winner – $1500, plus $250 in travel expenses and free registration for the 2023 conference

Honorable Mention – $250 prize, plus $250 in travel expenses and free registration for the 2023 conference

PLEASE NOTE: Due to public-health concerns and related travel uncertainties, this year’s recipient and honorable mention will be honored in person at the 2023 conference, along with the 2023 winners, rather than (as in a normal year) at this year’s conference.