SMA awards: MASA Dissertation Award
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Deadline: July 1
In 2006, the Society for Medical Anthropology inaugurated the Medical Anthropology Students Association (MASA) to recognize and serve student members of the society. Students make up one-third of SMA’s membership and represent the future of the field. One way for SMA to honor its student members is through inauguration of an award recognizing the excellence of a recently completed doctoral dissertation. To that end, the SMA Executive Board has established the MASA Dissertation Award, created to recognize an outstanding dissertation in the field of medical anthropology, broadly defined.
The MASA Dissertation Award is given to the author of a dissertation, filed within 2008, that is judged to be a significant and potentially influential contribution to medical anthropology. Dissertations are judged on the basis of: (1) scope and excellence of scholarship, including ethnographic research; (2) originality of subject matter; (3) effectiveness and persuasiveness of arguments; and (4) writing quality. Dissertation research of exceptional courage and difficulty is given special consideration. For details, contact Lenore Manderson (lenore.manderson@med.monash.edu.au) or visit http://medanthro.net/main/awards/dissertationdetails.html
The MASA Dissertation Award will be publicly announced during the SMA awards ceremony, held during the annual AAA meeting. The winner will receive a $500 cash award and a plaque.
The MASA Dissertation Award Committee strongly encourages submission of nominations for the competition. Submissions must be dissertations approved, accepted, and filed as the final version with the candidate’s university within prior calendar year. The candidate’s dissertation advisor should attest that this is the copy submitted. Candidates should specify any of the committee members who they feel should not to be included as a reviewer (e.g. they are your advisor, you have a working relationship that would prevent objectivity, etc.)
Submissions: Students planning on (or interested in) submitting their work should review this document for complete details regarding the submission process. You must send a PDF of your thesis to the Chairperson, Lenore Manderson, on or before the final date. She will advise you of the names of the committee members to whom you should then send copies of your dissertatation, of the form of the submission (ie. PDF or hard copy), and the correct mailing address where a committee member wishes to receive a hard copy.
Letters of Nomination: Candidates for the award need not have received their PhD degrees in a department of anthropology, nor in a North American university. However, letters of nomination must state why the dissertation contributes to the field of medical anthropology. Two letters of nomination, one from the candidate’s dissertation advisor and one from a dissertation committee member, should be sent electronically to each of the MASA award committee members:
For details, contact Sean Brotherton pierre.brotherton@yale.edu, MASA Dissertation Award Committee Chair,
Please include full name, mailing address, and email address for both the nominator and dissertation author. Any questions about the award or nomination process can be directed to MASA award chair Sean Brotherton, or SMA President Carolyn Sargent.