Best Journal Article Award

This annual award is given to the author(s) of the best journal article on U.S. state politics or policy published during the previous calendar year in any peer-reviewed journal.  Publication year is based on when the article appears in print at the journal, not the date it appears online.  Book reviews, review essays, and chapters published in edited volumes are not eligible. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Martha E. Kropf	University of North Carolina Charlotte	mekropf@uncc.edu
Dr. Robert G. Boatright	Clark University	rboatright@clarku.edu
Dr. Juliet F. Gainsborough	Bentley University	jgainsborough@bentley.edu

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Career Achievement Award

This annual award is given to a political scientist who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the study of politics and policy in the American states. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Stella M. Rouse	Arizona State University	stella.rouse@asu.edu
Dr. Jason P. Casellas	University of Houston	jcasellas@uh.edu
Dr. Jamil Scott-Cummings	Georgetown University	jamil.scott@georgetown.edu

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Christopher Z. Mooney Best Dissertation Prize

This annual award is given to the author of the best PhD dissertation in American state politics and policy completed during the previous calendar year. The winner receives a plaque and $1000. Support for this prize comes from the annual return of the endowed Mooney Fund. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Jonathan Winburn	University of Mississippi	jwinburn@olemiss.edu
Dr. Paru Shah	Rutgers University	paru.shah@rutgers.edu
Dr. Emily Sydnor	Syracuse University	eesydnor@syr.edu

 

State Politics and Policy Quarterly (SPPQ) Best Paper Award

This annual award is given to the author(s) of the best paper on state politics and policy, either written by faculty or by both faculty and graduate student authors, presented at any professional meeting in the previous calendar year. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Adam Myers	Providence College	amyers2@providence.edu
Dr. Cindy Rugeley	University of Minnesota, Duluth	crugeley@d.umn.edu
Dr. Alex Garlick	University of Vermont	alex.garlick@uvm.edu

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Best Graduate Student Paper Award 

This annual award is given to the author(s) of the best paper on state politics and policy written solely by graduate student authors and presented at any professional meeting in the previous calendar year. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Adam Myers	Providence College	amyers2@providence.edu
Dr. Cindy Rugeley	University of Minnesota, Duluth	crugeley@d.umn.edu
Dr. Alex Garlick	University of Vermont	alex.garlick@uvm.edu

Mac Jewell Enduring Contribution Award

This award is given to the author(s) of a political science book or article on the subject of U.S. state politics or policy published at least 10 years prior to the award being bestowed that stands as an enduring contribution to the literature. This is now an annual award open to book or article nominations Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Justin Phillips	Columbia University	jhp2121@columbia.edu
Dr. Cassidy Reller	Colege of the Holy Cross	creller@holycross.edu
Dr. Sarah F. Anzia	University of California, Berkeley	sanzia@berkeley.edu

 

Virginia Gray Book Award

This annual award is given to the author(s) of the best political science book published on the subject of U.S. state politics or policy. The 2027 award will be given to books with copyright dates of 2026. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email/Mailing Address for Print Books
Zoe Nemerever	Montana State University	Zoe Nemerever c/o Department of Political Science Montana State University P.O. Box 172240 Bozeman, MT 59717-2240 zoenemerever@gmail.com
Michael Nelson	Penn State University	Michael Nelson Department of Political Science 407 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building 137 Fischer Road University Park, PA 16802 mjn15@psu.edu
Joshua J. Dyck	University of Massachusetts Lowell	Joshua J. Dyck 883 Broadway Street Suite 201 Lowell MA 01854 Joshua_Dyck@uml.edu

Emerging Scholar Award

This annual award is given to the top scholar in the field of state politics and policy who is within 10 years of earning a PhD. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Stella M. Rouse	Arizona State University	stella.rouse@asu.edu
Dr. Jason P. Casellas	University of Houston	jcasellas@uh.edu
Dr. Jamil Scott-Cummings	Georgetown University	jamil.scott@georgetown.edu

Service Award

The Service Award recognizes service to the section in the literal sense, as in service on committees and in leadership positions, as well as service within the Section, as in service to the profession within the field of state politics and policy in the form of archiving data, promoting infrastructure, representing the profession in the media, etc. Deadline for nominations: February 12, 2027

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Dr. Janine A. Parry	University of Arkansas	parry@uark.edu
Tracee Morgan Saunders	Penn State University	tms7421@psu.edu
Dr. Christopher M. Witko	UC Center Sacramento & UC Davis	cwitko@ucdavis.edu